Ethnic to the core...

Maybe you can call it cotton to the core too..!!!

THE FIRST thing that strikes one about Fabindia is the spacious area and a bright and cheerful look. It is the ambience, which is important in bringing back a customer and Fabindia surely beckons anybody. It is not just the brand, but for the mind-boggling range of goods, sprawling area and the elegant interiors are bound to entice one to revisit.

What's better than home-spun cotton and khadi. With eco-friendly being the buzzword in today's parlance and considering the torrid heat we are facing (thanks to environmental degradation), cotton, khadi and jute seem to be the preferred fabrics. It has become fashionable to wear cotton. And Fabindia is the place, which stocks much of that under one roof.

It stocks an enormous range of ethnic garments and furnishing fabrics. From men's wear, women's wear, infant and children's wear to upholstery, bed linen, table linen, durries, lamp bases and shades to a smattering of pottery and stationery - the store has something for everybody and every home.

Amongst the many things Fabindia stocks, it is the large chunk of readymade garments which are the most popular. Printed and woven, they are available in different colours and sizes and can be picked off the shelves easily. For men there are shirts (full and half sleeves), jackets, ties and kurtas. The range for women is impressive - Indian and Western wear. Kurtas (short and long for women) can be mixed and matched with salwars/churidars and dupattas. Tops (long and short), capris, pants, skirts, caps and maternity gowns are also on offer. The plain off-white ribbed kurtas are worth a purchase as they can be coordinated with anything. Although most of the stuff is cotton, there is a bit of silk (kurtas and dupattas). For infants and children there is everything from night wear to lehngas and salwar kameez. All the garments are neatly arranged on the shelves and marked with the size tags.

If you want to redecorate your house in ethnic style then the furnishing section is the place to see. For the range of fabrics and textures gives you ample options to choose from. Different sizes of bedsheets, table cloths, cushion covers, table mats and towels are available giving the consumer wide options. Quilts and durries can also be matched to the above. Ready to hang curtains are another feature of the store. To go with the décor some lamp bases and shades can also be picked up.

A small section of stationery has handmade paper, photo frames, address books and files and the ceramic section includes a few tea sets and mugs.

If you choose to jump onto the ethnic bandwagon then Fabindia is the place to start. But maybe the prices with clothes are a bit too high...maybe buying the same cloth and getting it stiched would cost lesser. But all done and set would carry off an extra price with it, which wouldn't hamper our shopping at Fab India!!!