INDIAN SUMMER: COTTONWORLD

Spring is here and its only a matter of time before the sweltering heat of summer begins. There is only one thing that brings comfort to my mind (and body) when I think of hot summer days – cotton. Cottonworld is an Indian label that has concentrated on precisely what its name means. Though they started off as a fairly basic, no-frills retailer of cotton clothes, things have become better over time.

Cotton World Store, Bandra, Bombay.

For one, they often have really nice stores. I visited their Bandra store in Bombay which is housed in this lovely old building with a iron grill gate and a small garden inside. The store interiors are minimal yet warm due to the combination of wood and whitewashed walls. The merchandise has made subtle improvements over time in keeping with the below-the-radar and functional appeal that was always a signature of the brand. Earlier shirts used to be in basic fits with basic washes; now the fits are slim and treatments lean towards vintage – however this is the Cottonworld version of vintage, so don’t expect distressed garments.

Easy summer shirting from Cottonworld

What Cottonworld does well now is to tweak the basics; shirts come with detailing like contrast trims and fabrics have faded, comforting colours and soft handles. Cotton, linens and blends of the two more or less make up the entire fabric story. Some of their fabrics are the very essence of comfort – soft, thin, natural. They have tees but the wovens trump knits totally. They had neat formal linen trousers which were priced great though the linen felt a bit insubstantial. Their shirts are great: from hip polka dot prints to casual stripes, the variety is great and the colours are ideal for an Indian summer – eau de nil, indigo, pista, sand. Perfect for idyllic summer days!