Fashion in Pakistan

Salwar Kameez History

Salwar kameez dates back to the 12th century since of Islamic or the Iranian era which was then followed by the Mughal empire in the region now called as India and Pakistan.During those days, men and women both were used to wear salwar kameez as part of the traditional dress but over the years Salwar Kameez has d its popularity in India and Pakistan and the salwar kameez is still getting worn in the continent.Salwar kameez is also known as salwar qameez and has evolved itself over the centuries in a mix of Indian and western wear.Salwar Kameez is popular as its comfortable to wear in day to day casual wear and also in weddings, functions and ceremonies. Salwar Kameez is being made with various fabrics like Georgette salwar kameez, chiffon salwar kameez, net salwar kameez, satin salwar kameez, cotton salwar kameez, silk salwar kameez and other fabrics including the latest trend of fusion fabrics which is mix of the above and synthetic fabric.

The Salwar Kameez has transformed itself over many years into various styles, designs and cuts so even the name has seen lot of variation over the decades. While the Salwar Qameez originated during the Mughal Empire when Urdu was the commonly spoken language of the era. But over the years Hindi as Urdu became less common and Hindi language became the common language of the present era the original name came as salwar kameez.Although In Pakistan where Urdu is still commonly used its still known as salwar qameez or shalwar, but in India and Punjab region of Pakistan its known as Salwar Kameez.The salwar kameez can be further categorized into:

1.Patiala Salwar Kameez - Patiala Salwar Kameez as the name suggests comes from Patiala in the State of Punjab in Northern India. The King of Patiala in earlier times had its Royal dress as Salwar Kameez or Salwar Qameez. The salwar kameez has lowers as salwar and long knee length top known as kameez. Now the dress is not getting worn by men but has classically transformed itself with new cuts and styling into women salwar kameez.

2.Churidar Salwar Kameez – Churidar Salwar Kameez is known for its sleek look. Churidar Salwar Kameez is preferred by lots of female as it looks elegant and gives shape to the body. This salwar kameez has body hugging salwar which is tightly gripped to the body like a stocking. Its comfortable to wear and is very narrow around the ankle area.

3.Cotton Salwar Kameez - The cotton salwar kameez comes in various fabrics like South cotton, blend of cotton and silk and pure cotton due to high production of cotton which is comfortable fabric in the Indian and Pakistani region as it's comfortable to wear in summers.

4.Designer Salwar Kameez - Designer Salwar kameez are made by fashion designers and normally have lots of hand embroidery work which is done in pearls, stones, beads and sequins. Although every designer has its own approach while designing a salwar kameez the basics still remains the same. The designer is known to give various cuts and styles around the neck, sleeves, kameez and churidar of a salwar kameez which can change the complete look of the salwar kameez.

5.Printed Salwar Kameez - These are called Printed salwar kameez as they are machine printed or digitally printed on all kinds of fabrics like Georgette, crepe, cotton, chiffon and other materials. The Printed Salwar Kameez has a wide range of designs from flowers to polka-dot to abstract to other prints. The latest in fashion are the digital prints on the printed salwar kameez which include variety of colors.

6.Punjabi Salwar Kameez - Punjabi salwar kameez, the name comes from Punjab an Indian state in the north western region of India. These salwar kameez are also known as Punjabi salwar kameez. Punjabi women are fond of bright colobright colored Salwar kameez and dupatta. The Punjabi suit consists of an upper known as Kameez, Dupatta which is a piece of cloth worn around the neck and lower known as salwar. The Salwar is comfortably loose around the waist till the ankle making it a very comfortable dress. The bright printed colors or heavy embroidery of stones, sequins and beads is must on a Punjabi suit.

7.Silk Salwar Kameez - The Silk Salwar Kameez is never out of fashion as its the fabric for special occasions like weddings, ceremonies, party or even get together. The silk salwar kameez gives a very rich look to the dress due to its shine. The silk used in salwar kameez has started coming in various combinations besides pure silk like Chiffon silk, pure silk, satin silk, paper silk, crepe silk and tussar silk.

8.Wedding Salwar Kameez - Wedding Salwar Kameez are heavy salwar kameez which means they have lot of hand embroidery all over salwar kameez including the kameez, salwar and the sleeves. The work is mainly of beads, sequin and stones. The work is similar to jaal work or iompletely filled up. One wedding salwar kameez may take many days of a hand embroidery person to make as the work is so delicate and intrinsic. The wedding salwar kameez gets the name not only due to the hand work involved in it, but also due to its heavy work it can get worn in wedding and other functions.

9.Bridal Salwar Kameez - The bridal salwar kameez is for bride to wear on her wedding day or prior to the wedding day on a ceremony. This salwar kameez is normally in pink or red color due to the auspicious occasion. The salwar kameez is heavily done up with hand embroidery work with stones and other material.

Pakistan: Traditional Clothing

Although many different cultures may have found their way into Pakistan, certain things remain unchanged despite various influences. Here’s a look at the traditional clothing of Pakistan that remains to be the most favored ensemble out here.

Despite the presence of certain conservative areas in Pakistan, one can see the effect of many cultures in the society off late. Pakistan today, shows a mix of various cultures and traditions seen in the dressing as well as food habits of a person. Pakistanis display a strong attachment to cricket (although the national sport is field hockey) and fanatics completely immerse themselves into this game. Off late, Pakistani music has also made a mark especially in India. ‘Junoon’, a Pakistani rock group has recently established its own identity in India. ‘Strings’ tasted success with their song ‘Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar’ and had many more songs to their credit following this track. Despite the success of Pakistani songs and singers (of the likes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) particularly in India, Indian movies face a Government ban regardless of their popularity with Pakistanis! There are many factors that help to establish the identity of a nation despite all these influences. Be it the language or the sense of dressing, there are many more things, which speak volumes about the culture of a particular nation.

With the effects of globalization; currently, Pakistan also tends to be heavily influenced with cultures from the west. One can even witness a mixture of various cuisines out here. Even then, most families stick to their traditions and customs. This is probably why you can find a blend of the modern cultures and traditions in Pakistan.One feature still prevalent in Pakistan is the traditional clothing seen out here. There are many women and men who prefer to stick to traditional clothing of Pakistan although a majority wears western attire. Pakistani clothing, like Indian clothing, holds significance during many ceremonies and festivals celebrated throughout the year. Various forms of Pakistani traditional clothing are on similar lines to those spotted in India! Here’s a detailed look at the traditional clothing of Pakistan.

Traditional Clothing of Pakistan:Salwar kameez (shalwar qameez) is the national dress of Pakistan. Salwars are loose trousers designed in various styles. Originally, the salwars were flared towards the bottom with embellishments or fancy cutwork. Today, there are many variations of the same.

At times, the bottom of the salwar is narrow and fitting. The salwar kameez is important especially during the festivals celebrated in Pakistan, for men as well as women. Salwar kameez is also popular due to the comfort factor. The salwar is tied at the waist with the help of a drawstring and more recently; elastic is also used for the same purpose. The fit is generally baggy or tapering. Narrow tight fitting salwars are known as churidars. These have become a rage in the recent years even in India. The kameez is large and loose fitting tunic worn with the baggy salwar. Men as well as women wear the same attire, with a difference in the colors used, fits, silhouettes and the kind of embellishments used. Interesting patterns woven with lace are used to add femininity to the kameez. Women also use a dupatta with the salwar kameez.

Dupattas are long yards of cloth available along with the salwar kameez because their color and pattern is coordinated as per the entire ensemble. Women also wear scarves or shawls with the salwar kameez that is used to wrap around the head and neck area. A variety of synthetic or cotton fabrics are used in the creation of the salwar kameez.

Although the sherwani originated in India during the 18th century, it is also the national dress for men in Pakistan. Off late, sherwanis designed for women are gaining popularity. A sherwani is a long coat worn with a salwar. Sherwanis are generally made from heavy fabrics. The achkan is yet another important dress of Pakistan. An achkan is a long jacket, which also originated in the 19th century in India. These are long sleeved coats reaching all the way to the knees. At times, achkan can even go lower. Apart from the traditional clothing worn by Pakistanis, on similar lines with India, one can see other forms of western attire as well. But the traditional clothing definitely has a strong foothold in the modern society even today.

Wedding Dresses