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The cloth decides the garment
Uzbek dress was built around a 40 cm cloth, and it still is. A kaftan or a chapan is straight panels of ikat, seamed selvedge to selvedge with the pattern running down the body, which is why the front, back and sleeves of a traditional robe each show the repeat whole; a dress is the same panels shaped at the waist; a jacket is the robe shortened. When we say a garment is "cut from handwoven ikat", that is the geometry behind it, and the reason a fitted Western pattern is not always the right ask — write to us with the shape you want and we will say what the cloth will do. The Ikat Fabrics page explains the cloths themselves.
What the nineteenth century wore
The ikat robes in the Smithsonian's To Dye For exhibition and in the V&A were pieced exactly this way from narrow strips, lined in printed Russian cotton, and worn in layers — three or four robes at once on a Bukhara notable, the outer one a velvet ikat, the inner ones adras and cotton. Men wore the chapan, a long straight coat tied with a sash; women the munisak, a robe gathered at the sides; both were given as robes of honour and both are the ancestors of the kaftans and jackets on this page. Our garments are new work in the same cloth, cut for modern shoulders and modern washing machines, and priced as clothing rather than as museum objects.
Which cloth for which garment
Cotton ikat is the everyday choice: matt, cool, washable, $54–110 for a dress or a kaftan, the cloth for summer and for children. Silk-cotton adras and shoyi drape and shine, and that is what the silk dresses, the dressier kaftans and the jacket sets are cut from, $160–250. Silk velvet ikat is for the jacket you wear once a week: $460–560 for a jacket set, dry-clean only. Every listing states the cloth, and the composition on the fabric pages is the same cloth by the metre if you would rather have it made up by your own tailor.
Sizes, custom sizes and lead time
Standard sizes are S to XXL and each listing says which are available; kaftans and kimono-style robes are often one size. "All sizes available for custom request" on a listing means we will cut to your measurements — bust, waist, hip, length, sleeve — at the same price for a standard range and a small surcharge outside it. Because every piece is made when ordered, allow 18 to 25 days before dispatch from Tashkent, then tracked airmail: USA 9–18 working days, Europe and the UK 8–16, elsewhere 10–20. Duties, where charged, are the buyer's. If you need a piece for a date, tell us the date first.
Lining, closures and finish
Kaftans and chapans are open-fronted and unlined or lined in plain ikat or cotton, and the listing says which; several have pockets. Dresses close with concealed zips or ties as the design requires. Seams are finished inside. Ikat cloth does not have a "right side" in the printed sense — the pattern is in the thread — so the inside of an unlined garment is as handsome as the outside.
Care
Delicate machine wash at 30 °C in a bag, or hand wash, for cotton and adras; dry in the shade, iron on the reverse while slightly damp. Velvet, dry-clean. Reds and indigos may bleed the first time, so wash them alone. The rules are in how to wash ikat fabric, and the ikat in fashion post has the styling side.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alesouk's ikat clothing ready to ship?
No; every garment is made to order in Alesouk's atelier in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and dispatched in 18–25 days by tracked airmail. Tell us your date if you need a piece by a particular day.
What sizes does ikat clothing come in?
S to XXL, stated on each listing; kaftans and kimono-style robes are often one size. Listings marked "all sizes available for custom request" are cut to your measurements.
What is the difference between a kaftan and a chapan?
A kaftan is a loose, open or pull-on robe; a chapan is the traditional Uzbek straight coat, tied with a sash and usually lined. Both are cut from straight panels of 40 cm ikat with the pattern running down the body.
How much does ikat clothing cost?
At Alesouk, cotton ikat kaftans and dresses from $54–110, silk-cotton dresses, kaftans and jacket sets $160–250, silk velvet jacket sets $460–560.
Is the ikat in the clothing handwoven?
Yes, all of it: cotton, silk-cotton and silk velvet ikat handwoven in Margilan, the same cloth Alesouk sells by the metre. Nothing is printed.
Can I wash ikat clothing?
Cotton and silk-cotton pieces, yes: delicate cycle at 30 °C in a bag or by hand, dried in the shade, ironed on the reverse. Velvet pieces should be dry-cleaned.
Do you ship ikat clothing to the USA and UK?
Yes, worldwide by tracked airmail from Uzbekistan once the piece is made: USA 9–18 working days, Europe and the UK 8–16, elsewhere 10–20, on top of the 18–25 days' making time.