Twenty Wedding Dupattas: Fibre Choice, Shrinkage and Care Label
A boutique has an order for 20 dupattas for a wedding. The client wants bright colour, soft fall, light weight, and a fabric that can be hand-washed; several wearers have sensitive skin. The agreed budget is ₹250 per dupatta for fabric only. Each finished dupatta is 2.25 m long, and the tailor adds 10 cm for hemming. The shop has four options: cotton voile at ₹90/m, which shrinks about 5% and may bleed colour in the first wash; 100% polyester georgette at ₹110/m, which does not shrink but needs low iron and may feel warm; viscose rayon at ₹140/m, which has soft drape but loses strength when wet and shrinks 4%; and polyester–cotton blend at ₹80/m, which is durable but less bright. The wedding is in 12 days. The shop must also give a care label and decide whether to pre-wash the fabric before cutting.
1. Calculate the fabric needed per dupatta and the total for 20, including 5% shrinkage and 10 cm hemming. Compare the cotton voile and blend costs, and state which options exceed the ₹250 fabric budget.
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Finished length = 2.25 m. Add 10 cm hem allowance = 0.10 m, giving 2.35 m before shrinkage. With 5% shrinkage: 2.35 × 1.05 = 2.4675 m, rounded to 2.47 m per dupatta. For 20: 2.47 × 20 = 49.4 m; buy 50 m to allow for matching and cutting loss. Cotton voile: 2.47 × ₹90 = ₹222.30 per dupatta; total about ₹4,446. This is within ₹250 per piece. Polyester–cotton blend: using the same conservative 5% allowance, 2.47 × ₹80 = ₹197.60 per dupatta; total about ₹3,952. This is also within budget. Polyester georgette: no shrinkage, 2.35 × ₹110 = ₹258.50 per dupatta; this exceeds ₹250. Viscose rayon: 2.35 × 1.04 = 2.444 m; 2.444 × ₹140 = ₹342.16 per dupatta; this exceeds ₹250. The calculation shows that the cheapest option is the blend, but cost is not the only criterion.
2. Select the fibre/fabric and justify it against the client’s requirements, including one disadvantage and how you will manage it.
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Choose cotton voile. It is within the ₹250 fabric budget at about ₹222 per dupatta, is breathable and soft, is suitable for sensitive skin, can be hand-washed, and takes bright dye well. It also drapes lightly for a wedding dupatta. Its disadvantages are 5% shrinkage and possible colour bleeding. Manage shrinkage by pre-washing the full length in cold water, drying it flat in shade, and cutting only after it is dry. Manage bleeding by testing a small sample: rub a damp white cloth on a corner. If colour transfers, wash each dupatta separately in cold water with mild detergent for the first wash and advise the client accordingly. Polyester georgette meets brightness but is over budget and may feel warm; rayon drapes well but is weaker when wet and over budget; the blend is durable but less bright. If the client insists on georgette, renegotiate the budget to at least ₹259 per piece rather than silently substituting.
3. Write a care label for the chosen dupattas and a pre-cutting quality check for the 20 pieces.
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Care label: Hand wash separately in cold water with mild detergent. Do not bleach. Do not wring. Line dry in shade. Warm iron on the reverse. Dry clean optional. Pre-cutting quality check:
- Pre-wash one 30 cm sample and measure shrinkage in both directions; confirm the 5% allowance is enough.
- Rub a damp white cloth on a coloured corner to check bleeding; reject or plan separate first washes if colour transfers badly.
- Check the full length for holes, stains, thick slubs and shade variation between pieces.
- Check that the grain is straight and the width is consistent; measure each cut length as 2.47 m, not 2.25 m.
- Cut after the pre-washed fabric is completely dry, and label each piece with the client order number so the 20 dupattas are not mixed.