What is a Nehru jacket and where does the name come from?

The Nehru jacket is a waistcoat with a mandarin collar — straight, without a lapel — inspired by the jacket that Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, habitually wore. Fabindia Roma has offered this model since 1999, reinterpreting the traditional Indian cut in handwoven tweed wool.

How is the tweed wool of the Nehru jacket made?

The tweed wool is hand-spun and handwoven on artisanal looms in India. The yarns are dyed and interlaced to create tweed’s characteristic irregular surface. Each Nehru jacket displays slight variations in texture — a mark of the manual craftsmanship that makes every piece unique.

What is the difference between the classic Nehru jacket and the fitted version?

The classic Nehru jacket has a straight, relaxed cut that suits all body types. The fitted mandarin-collar jacket has a shaped line with darts and a defined waist, designed to follow the body closely. Both share the mandarin collar and artisanal tweed wool construction.

How do you wash a tweed wool Nehru jacket?

Dry cleaning is recommended to preserve the structure of the tweed wool. Between washes, hang the Nehru jacket on a broad hanger and air it in a ventilated space. Do not iron directly on the fabric: use a damp press cloth at a moderate temperature.

Which garments pair well with the Nehru jacket?

The Nehru jacket pairs with Pintuck cotton shirts for a structured look, or with a kurta in Indian cotton for layering that stays closer to tradition. Complete with a wool and cashmere shawl on colder days.

Artisanal Tweed Wool Nehru Jacket

Nehru Jacket

A clean line that rises along the neck and closes without a lapel: the Nehru jacket is a waistcoat t...

A clean line that rises along the neck and closes without a lapel: the Nehru jacket is a waistcoat that speaks of restraint and character. Tweed wool handwoven on an artisanal loom, the mandarin colla...

The collection features Nehru jackets with a straight, relaxed cut, each with its own chromatic personality. The Almora Nehru jacket in grey tweed wool plays on cool tones with light gradations and an inner striped cotton lining that reveals its careful construction. The Devon Nehru jacket in beige tweed wool offers warm, natural tones instead, with a colourful striped lining that adds a lively detail to the reverse. Both Nehru jackets share the same structure: straight cut, mandarin collar, button closure.

Born as a sleeveless jacket inspired by the wardrobe of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Nehru jacket has become a classic of men’s layering. Fabindia Roma has offered it since 1999, reinterpreting the traditional Indian style for a contemporary look through the choice of fabrics and the precision of matched linings.

The Nehru jacket is worn over a Bibi shirt in printed cotton for a textural contrast between the compactness of wool and the lightness of block print cotton. With an Indian cotton scarf at the neck and an artisanal cotton bag, the look gains depth without losing material coherence.

Every Nehru jacket is crafted in India by artisans specialised in tweed production. The wool is spun, dyed and woven following techniques handed down through generations: the result is a fabric with an irregular, living texture that is impossible to replicate by machine.