Handloom or Powerloom? How to Tell the Difference with Just a Touch

We believe your fingertips know things your eyes might miss.

Run your hand across truly handwoven fabric and something registers immediately. There's a subtle texture, a gentle irregularity, a warmth that feels almost organic. It's not something you need to study or analyze because your skin simply recognizes it. 

Fabric shaped by human hands feels different from fabric made by machines.

This is the difference between handloom and powerloom. Once you learn to spot these differences, you'll never confuse the two again.

How to Spot Handloom by Touch

Your fingertips are your best tool. Run your hand slowly across the fabric. Pay attention.

1. Texture variations

Handloom fabric has subtle irregularities you can feel. The surface isn't perfectly smooth. There's a gentle, nearly imperceptible unevenness. This isn't a flaw. It's proof of human hands at work. Powerloom fabric feels unnaturally uniform. 

2. Weight and drape

Handloom fabric often feels heavier for its thickness. It has a body that moves naturally. Hold it up and it drapes with fluid ease. Folds form organically. Powerloom fabric can feel stiff. Overly crisp. The drape looks forced rather than natural.

3. Softness quality

Here it gets interesting. Handloom fabric has warmth to it. A softness that feels organic. Even if the yarn is identical, the hand-weaving process creates tiny air pockets between threads. This makes the fabric breathe.

Powerloom fabric, woven under consistent mechanical tension, packs threads tighter. It feels denser. 

4. Border alignment

Check where borders meet the body of the fabric. In handloom, slight misalignments are common. 

The border might not be laser-straight. Lines might wobble almost imperceptibly. This is normal. Human hands aren't machines. Powerloom borders are perfectly aligned. 

5. Weave irregularities

Hold the fabric up to light. Look for tiny variations in the weave. Small skips. Minor tension changes. These are handloom signatures that tell you real hands created this piece. Powerloom weaves look identical throughout. Every inch matches every other inch exactly.

6. Selvedge edges

The selvedge is the fabric's finished edge. On the handloom, it often looks slightly irregular. Sometimes thicker in spots. Sometimes a bit wavy along the length. Powerloom selvedges are perfectly straight and uniform. Almost too perfect to seem natural.

7. Thread ends

Handloom pieces sometimes have visible thread ends. Especially where the weaver changed colours or started new sections. These are tied off by hand. Left as honest marks of the process. 

Powerloom pieces hide thread ends mechanically. Everything looks seamless (suspiciously so).

Why the Difference Matters

Choosing handloom over powerloom isn't about snobbery. It's about recognising the real impact of your choices.

Every handloom piece supports a weaver's livelihood. Real people. Often in communities where weaving provides stable income. These aren't factory workers operating machines. They're skilled artisans practising a craft passed down through generations.

Handloom is also gentler on the planet. Looms are made from wood. They're maintained locally, and repaired easily. The carbon footprint stays minimal.

Handloom fabric lasts longer too. Those subtle irregularities that give it character also give it strength. The fabric ages beautifully. Softens over time. Develops a patina that tells its story with every wear.

Powerloom fabric might look flawless initially. But it wears differently over time. Feels increasingly synthetic. Shows fatigue more quickly. Less forgiving as it ages.

Trust Your Hands

Next time you're shopping, don't just look. Actually touch. Really feel the fabric between your fingers. Close your eyes if it helps. Let your fingertips tell you what machines cannot hide.

Every piece we offer at TuDuGu is handloom. We work directly with weavers who've spent decades at their looms. Their skill and dedication shows in every thread they weave.

When you choose a handloom from our collection, you're choosing fabric with a heartbeat. Made slowly. Made carefully. Made to last. Your hands will know the difference. And once they do, you'll never want anything else.