What you see – The building which houses the Fabindia store in Mysore is more than a century old, thus serving as the perfect stage for displaying India’s art and craft. The store is a showcase of the rich tapestry of the indigenous textile and handicraft traditions.

 

What you get – Fabindia, which was founded in 1960 to market the vast and diverse craft traditions of India, set up its franchise in Mysore in around 2006. The manager, Vibhutidevi Rana explained the concept of the store to us and the affable staff helped us in knowing more about the products available. They stock ready to wear garments for men, women, kids and infants (in pure cotton and silk), home décor items, bed and table linen, curtains, furniture, organic food and personal care products.

 

The garments section is divided into men’s wear, women’s wear, infants and kids’ wear in different rooms. The garments are neatly arranged and you can browse without the help of the staff. In the men’s section they have kurtas (long and short), shirts (half sleeves), pants and jackets. The prices of the clothes differ based on the design and the type of material (silk costs more than cotton).

 

You can buy yourself a cool cotton kurta priced between Rs. 410 and Rs. 1,500 or an elegant silk one for a special occasion, priced between Rs. 1,150 and Rs. 1,800. They have well-designed shirts which are very light on the body. The starting price for shirts is Rs. 460, while pants cost between Rs. 350 and Rs. 870. The fabulous Nehru jackets at Rs. 1,450 (not available in many places these days) caught our eye.

 

The women’s section is divided into two parts – ethnic wear and western wear. In ethnic wear they have kurtas, sarees, dupattas and stoles. Kurtas of all sizes are available here; long (Rs. 406-2,024), medium (Rs. 338-1,560) and short (Rs. 291-1,500). Dupattas range between Rs. 250 and Rs. 2,500 with creations in silk priced on the higher side.

 

In the saree section they have different types like Tussar, Chanderi and Maheshwari that could cost anywhere from Rs. 470 to Rs. 5,750. We were told that the prices differ based on the type of print like Jaipur prints, dhar, ajrakh etc. In the western section they stock shirts, short tops, pants, capris, skirts, wraparound skirts and camisoles. All the clothes in this section are priced between Rs. 200 and Rs. 1,600. The most striking feature we noticed in their garments was the embroidery and the blend of western cuts and Indian fabrics.

 

Expecting mothers and those with kids can buy cool clothes for their little ones here. They have rompers (Rs. 230) and frocks (Rs. 338) for infants, and for boys and girls aged between 2 and 12 years they have kurtas, shirts, tops, salwars (Rs. 395) and ghaghra cholis (Rs. 890).

 

Besides clothes they also stock home décor items and their own Sana range of personal care products. You can indulge in wild rose scented soap for Rs. 58 or a cedar wood soap for Rs. 85. Furniture and linen too can be bought at Fabindia.

 

Our verdict – We were very impressed with the variety of products at Fabindia. Their cotton and silk garments are perfect for the hot Indian climate and are very light. The prices at Fabindia are on the higher side but for their quality and exclusivity, they offer good value.

  

Anytime between – 10 AM – 8 PM