Kushuthara fabrics feature an extensive variety of patterns, with weavers drawing on a large number of motifs that they employ in unique combinations. Alongside geometric designs such as diamond, floral and lattice shapes — associated with Bhutan’s national emblems — they commonly feature auspicious Buddhist motifs such as swastikas. The kushuthara used for making kushungs also included human and animal figures as motifs, which are rarely used today. Kushuthara fabrics traditionally feature dense patterning on the entire surface, which makes them extremely time- and labour-intensive, with each one traditionally taking up to a year to weave. To reduce the time as well as the cost involved in the production of the textile, modifications have been made, such as reducing the size of the motifs and limiting the pattern to the ends or corners of the textile while leaving the middle panel relatively empty. 

Some of the earliest examples of kushuthara fabric are seen in the kushung, a centuries-old garment that was worn by women belonging to the Lhuntse and Trashiyangtse districts. This comprises two kushuthara panels sewn together lengthwise and folded over at the shoulders, with a hole cut out for the head and neck. The edges on the sides of the body were sewn together leaving an arm hole on each side. Today kushuthara is mainly worn as the kira, an unstitched garment for women that is wrapped around the body and fastened at the shoulders. For a kira, three kushuthura panels are sewn together lengthwise and the edges are given long fringes. It is worn so that the warp stripes run horizontally.

While little is known about their origins and early development, kushuthara and the kira were popularised in Bhutan after Ugyen Wangchuck ascended the throne as the first king of Bhutan in 1907 and the women of his family were seen wearing the dress. The family were keen patrons of local textile traditions and hailed from Kurtoe, an early centre of fine kushuthara weaving. As the Wangchuk women wore the kira using kushuthara for formal occasions, the fabric and the dress were adopted by other members of the nobility and gradually other classes, with the kushuthara itself evolving to become more accessible to the masses. In 1989, the kira was declared Bhutan’s national dress; women wear the kira in a variety of textiles, and typically wear kushuthara kira on special occasions.

While it is the older women with decades of training who traditionally undertake elaborate kushutharas, the younger generation is being encouraged to pursue the craft, particularly as traditional kushutharas have found a profitable market today. Popular within the country for its use in the national dress, the fabric has also gained international recognition. While the most highly valued kushuthara are made by small-scale weavers, particularly in Khoma, their demand has led to several weaving centres producing these fabrics using synthetic materials on a larger scale.