Annatto Seeds
Warm rust and burnt orange, from the seed pods of the achiote tree.
Our Story
Colour should come from the earth, not a lab
Chloris makes naturally dyed, small-batch clothing in India — coloured with roots, flowers, leaves and minerals, and nothing else.
Every piece we make is dyed the slow way. Instead of a synthetic chemical bath that delivers the same flat shade a thousand times over, we simmer cloth with plant matter until it takes the colour on its own terms. It takes longer, it costs more, and every batch comes out a little different.
That variation isn't a flaw we tolerate — it's the whole point. A marigold picked in March dyes differently to one picked in October. Water changes the result. So does the weather. No two Chloris garments are ever quite the same, and we'd rather you had one that carries the fingerprint of the season it was made in.
We work in small batches, with natural fibres and gentle-on-skin fabric, which is why we started with kids' garments and innerwear — the categories where softness and safety matter most. From there we've grown into everyday pieces built the same way.
Our mission hasn't changed since the first dye pot: bring naturally dyed clothing back into everyday wardrobes, without compromising on comfort, quality, or care for the people and the land involved in making it.
The Dye Garden
Where our colour comes from
Each shade in the Chloris palette traces back to something you could hold in your hand. Here's what goes in the pot.
Charcoal
Soft smoke greys and slate blues, from responsibly sourced hardwood char.
Banana Flower
Muted mauve-pinks drawn from the bracts of the banana blossom.
Marigold Flower
Deep golden yellows from temple marigolds, gathered after offering.
Yellow Trumpet
Bright, buttery yellows from tabebuia blossom.
Bhringraj Leaves
Earthy olive greens from the leaf long used in Ayurveda.
Water Lily
Dusty plums and soft violets from pond-grown lily petals.
Manjistha Roots
The classic madder red — rose, brick and terracotta.
How It's Made
Four steps, none of them rushed
From gathered petal to finished garment, this is the path every Chloris piece takes.
01
Sourcing
We collect roots, flowers, leaves and minerals — much of it a by-product of farms, temples and kitchens that would otherwise be thrown away.
02
Mordanting
Fabric is prepared with plant-based and mineral mordants so the colour binds to the fibre and holds through wash after wash.
03
The Dye Bath
Cloth is simmered slowly in small batches. Temperature, water and season all shift the result — which is why no two lots match exactly.
04
Finishing
Rinsed, sun-dried and cut into garments in short runs, then checked by hand before it reaches you.
What We Stand For
The things we won't trade away
No synthetic dye baths
Not a single garment passes through azo dyes, chemical fixers or optical brighteners. Ever.
Gentle on skin
We started with kids' garments and innerwear for a reason — those are the categories where what touches skin matters most.
Small batch, on purpose
Short runs mean less waste, less unsold stock, and colour that stays honest to its source.
Made in India
Dyed and stitched here, close to where the plants grow, by people we know and pay fairly.
Wear something the earth coloured
Browse the collection, or tell us what you're looking for — we're a small team and we read every message.