Indian Summer & Why We Chose Mulmul Cotton
When temperatures cross 38°C and humidity has you second-guessing every outfit choice, fabric stops being a style decision it becomes a survival one. At Colors Of Love, we have spent years obsessing over this exact question. And our answer, again and again, is mulmul.
This is not a trend. Mulmul, also written as mul mul, or sometimes called muslin, is one of the oldest woven textiles in the world. It was traded on the Silk Route, coveted by royalty, and beloved by generations of Indian women who understood one simple truth: nothing breathes quite like it. We think that truth is more relevant today than ever.
What exactly is mulmul cotton?
Mulmul is a loosely woven, plain-weave cotton fabric made from fine, low-twist yarn. The result is an incredibly lightweight cloth, often 30 to 40 gsm (grams per square metre), compared to regular cotton which typically sits between 100 and 200 gsm. To put that in perspective: a full mulmul dress weighs less than most smartphones.
The open weave structure creates tiny air pockets throughout the fabric. These act as natural ventilation, allowing body heat to escape and air to circulate against your skin. It is, in the most literal sense, a fabric that breathes and in the Indian summer, that is everything.
Mulmul vs. other popular summer fabrics
| Fabric | Breathability | Weight | Feel on skin | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulmul cotton | Excellent | Ultra-light | Whisper-soft | All-day summer wear, travel, resortwear |
| Regular cotton | Good | Medium | Comfortable | Casual daily wear, cooler months |
| Linen | Very good | Medium–light | Textured, can feel coarse | Structured, editorial looks |
| Polyester chiffon | Poor | Light | Slippery, traps heat | Evening wear, short durations |
| Rayon / Viscose | Moderate | Light | Smooth but clingy when damp | Air-conditioned settings |
Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon are cheap and wrinkle-resistant, but they trap heat and moisture against your skin, the worst possible combination in a Mumbai June or a Rajasthan April. Even rayon, often marketed as “breathable,” clings when you sweat. Mulmul simply does not behave that way.
Why mulmul is particularly suited to India’s climate
India’s summer is not a single experience. It is the dry heat of Delhi in May, the humid coastal warmth of Chennai in March, the pre-monsoon swelter of Kolkata, the relentless sunshine of Goa. What these climates share is the need for a fabric that handles both heat and moisture and mulmul excels at both.
Because it is spun from natural cotton fibres, mulmul is highly moisture-absorbent. It wicks perspiration away from the skin and allows it to evaporate quickly rather than sitting trapped between fabric and body. This is the same property that made it the preferred fabric of Indian royalty for centuries and it is why we keep returning to it in our designs.
The skin-kind fabric
Beyond temperature, mulmul is also exceptionally kind to sensitive skin. The low-twist yarn softens further with each wash, meaning a mulmul dress feels more like yours over time. There are no synthetic fibres to irritate, no coatings to fade. It is cotton in its most honest, generous form.
Lightweight enough to pack, beautiful enough to wear everywhere
For anyone who travels and our dresses are designed with wanderers very much in mind, mulmul is a revelation. A tiered midi dress folds down to almost nothing in a suitcase. It does not crumple badly. It does not need ironing for most casual settings. It simply moves from bag to body to beach to dinner with remarkable ease.
Shop our mulmul cotton dresses:
Flamingo Pink — Mulmul Cotton Tiered Midi Dress →
Coral Peach — Mulmul Cotton Tiered Midi Dress →
Seashell Grey — Mulmul Cotton Tiered Midi Dress →
Sea Star — Tangerine Mulmul Cotton Puff Sleeve Midi →
How we design with mulmul at Colors Of Love
Choosing the right fabric is only the first decision. The second is understanding how to let the fabric do what it wants to do.
Mulmul drapes beautifully but does not hold structure. So we design with that — not against it. Our tiered silhouettes allow the fabric to fall in soft, airy layers that create movement and volume without adding weight. Our shirred bodices use the fabric’s natural stretch and softness to create a fit that adjusts to the body rather than constraining it. The result is what we call adaptive fit: a dress that genuinely works across a range of body shapes and sizes.
The Flamingo Pink Tiered Midi Dress is one of our clearest expressions of this philosophy. Three tiers of mulmul fall from a smocked waist, creating that effortless, floaty silhouette that works on a beach in Goa just as well as a rooftop dinner in Bombay. The coral peach version of the same design, the Coral Peach Mulmul Midi, has become one of our best-loved pieces.
For those who prefer something more neutral, our Seashell Grey Mulmul Midi is a case study in understated beauty. Grey mulmul is unexpectedly elegant, it catches light differently throughout the day, and pairs effortlessly with everything from tan sandals to silver earrings to a bold lip.
Caring for your mulmul dress
Wash gently. Hand-wash in cold water or machine-wash on a delicate cycle. Avoid hot water, which can cause shrinkage. A mild detergent is all it needs.
Do not wring. Mulmul is delicate when wet. Gently press out the water and lay flat or hang to dry in shade, direct sunlight can fade the colour over time.
Embrace the softness. Mulmul does not need to be ironed flat to look beautiful. A light steam or wearing it slightly lived-in is entirely intentional, with this fabric, that casual ease is part of its charm.
Expect it to soften. Unlike synthetic fabrics that degrade with washing, mulmul cotton becomes softer and more supple with every wash. Your favourite dress a year from now will feel even better than it does today.
The short version: Mulmul cotton is the best fabric for the Indian summer because it is ultra-lightweight, highly breathable, naturally moisture-wicking, soft on skin, and gets better with wear. It is also deeply rooted in Indian textile heritage, a fabric designed by this climate, for this climate.
A note on why we keep coming back to it
At Colors Of Love, we are not interested in fast fashion. We are interested in pieces you keep, that travel with you, that soften with your life, that feel like they belong to you rather than just sitting in your wardrobe.
Mulmul is that kind of fabric. It is also a fabric with a story, woven for centuries on Indian looms, traded across continents, worn by women who understood that true luxury is not stiffness and structure but ease and comfort and the feeling of moving freely through a hot afternoon.
We think that story is worth continuing. And we are glad to be continuing it in coral peach and flamingo pink and seashell grey.
👉 Shop all dresses at Colors Of Love →
👉 Browse the Vacation Wear — resortwear & vacation dresses →
Colors Of Love is an Indian resortwear brand making small-batch, adaptive-fit dresses in breathable natural fabrics. All our pieces are handcrafted and mindfully designed in India.
Questions about fabric or sizing? Explore our Fabrics page or our Sizing Chart.