When you buy a saree, you aren’t just picking out a piece of clothing; you are choosing between a machine-made product and a piece of living history. In a market flooded with cheap factory imitations, knowing how to spot a genuine hand-woven masterpiece is essential for any conscious shopper. This guide will help you understand the true value of handloom craftsmanship and give you practical, easy-to-use tips to ensure you are getting the authentic quality you pay for.
What is Handloom Saree?
A handloom saree is a piece of clothing made entirely by hand on a wooden frame called a loom. There is no electricity involved; a weaver sits for hours, using their hands to move the shuttle and their feet to work the pedals, interlacing every single thread one by one. It is a slow, traditional process where the weaver’s skill is the only thing creating the fabric, making every saree a unique piece of art rather than a factory product.
Why handloom sarees are better than Powerloom?
Handloom sarees are better because they are more comfortable, breathable, and last much longer than machine-made ones. Powerlooms use high-speed motors that stretch and stress the threads, but hand-weaving is gentle, keeping the natural strength of the cotton or silk intact. Plus, buying handloom directly helps local artisans earn a living and keeps ancient Indian traditions alive, whereas powerlooms are just mass-produced in big factories with no personal touch.
Ways to identify the Handloom Saree?
1. Handwoven sarees weight heavier
Real handloom sarees feel substantial when you pick them up because they use genuine, high-quality natural yarns like pure mulberry silk. Machine-made sarees often feel flimsy, paper-thin, or unnaturally light because they use cheap synthetic blends to save money. If the saree has a nice, heavy “drape” and feels solid in your hands—a common trait in Thirubuvanam silk—it’s a strong sign it was made on a real loom.
2. Handwoven sarees have slight irregularities in weaving
Since a human is weaving the fabric, you will find tiny “mistakes” like small knots, a slightly thicker thread here and there, or tiny gaps in the pattern. These aren’t defects; they are the signature of handwork. A machine makes everything perfectly identical and robotic, so if you see these little human touches, you know a person actually made it.
3. Handloom edges are slightly uneven
Check the long edges (the borders) of the saree. On a handloom, the weaver finishes the edge by hand, so it might be a little soft or slightly wavy. Powerloom edges are usually perfectly straight, stiff, and look like they were cut by a laser. The “rough” but soft feel of a handloom edge is much more comfortable against your skin.
4. Handloom sarees have pinholes
This is the easiest trick: look at the borders for a row of tiny, small holes. These happen because the weaver uses small pins to hook the fabric to the wooden loom to keep it tight while they work. Machine-made sarees don’t have these marks because they are pulled by big rollers, so those tiny pinholes are like a stamp of authenticity.
5. Handloom Sarees are priced high
You are paying for someone’s time and hard work—it can take a week or even a month to finish just one saree. If you find a “handloom” silk saree priced at 1,000 or 2,000, it is incredibly cheap and likely a fake made in a factory, as the cost of pure silk yarn alone is higher than that. Real craftsmanship costs more because you are paying for quality materials and the weaver’s expert labor, not a fast-moving motor.
6. Authenticity Silk Mark
Always look for the official “Handloom Mark” or “Silk Mark” tags provided by the government. These labels are only given to genuine products that pass quality tests for pure fabric and real weaving methods. It’s like a “certified” sticker that protects you from getting cheated by shops selling polyester as pure silk.
7. Handloom sarees have a better Texture feel
If you rub the fabric between your fingers, handloom feels organic and slightly “grippy,” whereas powerloom often feels slippery, static-filled, or like plastic. Because the weave isn’t suffocatingly tight, Thirubuvanam handloom fabric lets air pass through, which is why it stays cool in summer and warm in winter.
8. Not Mass produced
A real weaver can’t make 100 copies of the same saree overnight. If you walk into a store and see 50 identical sarees in the exact same color and pattern, they are definitely machine-made. True handloom is exclusive; even if two sarees look similar, the hand-weaving process ensures that no two are ever exactly the same.
Conclusion
Spotting a real handloom saree is all about looking for the human touch—the tiny pinholes, the weight of the silk, and the small irregularities that machines can’t copy. When you buy a genuine handloom, you aren’t just buying a piece of cloth; you are wearing a piece of history and supporting a real person’s craft. Next time you shop, use these tips to make sure you’re getting the real deal.
Abirami R I love silk sarees and the stories behind them. My goal is to help you find the best, most authentic Tamil Nadu weaves for your collection.
