Three amazing online stores to buy Indian clothing for kids

“If clothing is a great way to tell your story, then I would prefer to tell mine wearing traditional Indian fabric“! I am a sucker for Indian handloom and traditional fabrics. When Anu was born, I was eager to dress her in traditional Indian clothing. My search for kids-wear in Indian fabrics led me to three unique online stores. I hope this post, about these three amazing stores, is useful for moms who want to buy Indian clothing for their kids.

Baby clothes not readily available in traditional fabrics

For Anu, Indian weather dictates her clothing: right since her infant days, she wears mostly muslin, cotton or flannel.  I observed that the popular e-commerce platforms for kids or the local kids-wear shops rarely have clothes in traditional Indian fabrics. Unfortunately, most of them sell “festive or traditional” clothes stitched from synthetic fabric :-(. And there is rarely an option to custom fit. Worst of all, many of the so-called “traditional” dresses look like a princess attire or copy the latest Bollywood fashion trend. The cotton clothes are mostly factory made and rarely have an Indian feel to it.

Search for Indian kids clothing is over

I finally found three stores (amongst many) which suited my requirement (thank you Social Media). From dresses for festive events to dresses for every occasion, these stores are stitching the traditional fabrics into exciting designs. Their clothing for kids is beautiful, unique, and not heavy on the pocket.  If not a fan of Indian fabric already, you will become one, when you see their designs and creations.

1. Indie Project Store

The name aptly explains the flavour of this store. They saw a massive gap in the kids’ apparel industry regarding clothes that are comfortable yet fashionable.  So, they choose to make kids clothing with traditional Indian fabric like Mul cotton, Ikkat, Mangalgiri, raw silk, etc. which are perfect for Indian weather. Indie Project Store only collaborates with artisans/business-owners, who share their love for the Indian fabrics, to bring out vividly different yet beautiful products for the kids.

Mul cotton is their favourite fabric for baby clothing. They are very particular about curating the fabrics. Since comfort is their highest priority, their team samples every fabric for softness and durability.

Indie Project Store products are eclectic and trendy. Their designs cleverly blend the traditional fabric into chic outfits. They have an eye-catching collection of festive attires as well.  In fact, Pattu Pavada (a South Indian kids attire, made of silk with beautiful borders) is a traditional attire which they hope becomes more popular. Moms who want to buy a Pattu Pavada for their kid, your search for an online store is finally over :-).

Indie Project store hopes that the little ones who dress in their creations, feel comfortable and feel one with their culture and traditions.​

How to buy from Indie Project Store

You can order from Indie Project Store from their website. Apart from their catalogue, they take custom orders as well; however, they always procure the fabric. They ship in India as well as across the globe. They cater to 0-5 years of age group.

2. The Yarn Story Co

Ensconced in a lush green residential area of Pune, this store is quickly building a fantastic repertoire and a loyal customer base. They started as women’s clothing brand to promote Indian fabrics with artistic prints and weaves.

Their motto to ‘Pursue fashion by your definition’, motivates them to experiment with different cuts, fabrics, and colours to suit different individuals. One such experiment, to make combos clothing for mommies and their babies, prompted Yarn Story Co to venture into making kids attire.

Designing and tailoring kids clothing is tedious; to fit in the little details into tiny measurements. However, the sheer joy of creating the beautiful baby outfits keeps The Yarn Story Co to continue experimenting with kids’ clothing.

When designing kids’ clothing, they primarily focus on simplicity and comfort (minimum use of elastics, zips, collars, bold buttons). Their catalogue changes to suit the seasons. They prefer playful and eye-catching colours and prints in low maintenance, durable and lighter fabrics. They love tiny traditional kurtas and wish the ‘Khun’ frocks become more popular.

‘The Yarn Story Co’ wants to spread their love for traditional Indian fabric to more kids, and help them appreciate our artistic textile heritage before the synthetic fabrics saturate the market.

How to buy from The Yarn Story Co

You can reach The Yarn Story Co at @theyarnstory.co on Facebook and Instagram. They ship in India as well as abroad. The Yarn Story Co also provides customisation on request. They stitch clothes from newborns to school going kids.

3. MaatiCrafts

MaatiCrafts started as a women’s clothing brand, with a desire ‘to put art and passion back into Indian clothing’. They have recently ventured into kids clothing with their brand ‘Kili'( which means a parrot in Tamil).

Kili’s catalogue has a great mix of traditional attires and trendy dresses. The designers craft the traditional fabrics and prints into uber kids wear. The softness of the material, the vibrant colours and the richness of traditional prints & weaves are guaranteed to fill your cart with more :-).  Kili secretly hopes that kurta pyjama with Nehru jacket and Lehenga-choli in cotton become more popular. They already have many options available for both these attires in fun prints & colours.

Kili prefers soft cotton hand-block printed with Ajrakh or Bagru. Focused on softness and safety of the fabric, they screen each procured material for its finishing, quality of cotton, colours used, and the quality of stitching. Kili associates with partners who promote safe and sustainable clothing for children.

MaatiCrafts launched kidswear collection as a natural extension of their women’s wear clothing. They hope that by inculcating a love for natural colours and fabrics via their creations, both children and their parents can become aware of, as well as cherish our exquisite textile and craft techniques.

How to buy from MaatiCrafts

You can buy online from their website. Kili is a ready-to-wear brand and currently, they do not take custom orders. Their store is located in Powai, Mumbai. They ship across India & International as well. Kili caters clothing to kids from 6 months to 12 years of age.

Why I want my child to wear traditional Indian fabric

India has a rich and varied textile heritage of different printing, weaving and stitching styles. Each type has a distinct history, regional influences and the final product has a unique feel to it. I want to pass the Indian textile heritage to my child (after our culinary heritage). Apart from the cultural aspect, these traditional fabrics are apt for Indian weather conditions. They utilise age-old, sustainable production techniques. They are an easy way to wear a part of our rich heritage and imbibe a sustainable lifestyle!