Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by men and women in South Asia, and Central Asia.
Shalwars are trousers which are atypically wide at the waist and narrow to a cuffed bottom. They are held up by a drawstring or elastic belt, which causes them to become pleated around the waist. The trousers can be wide and baggy, or they can be cut quite narrow, on the bias. Shalwars have been traditionally worn in a wide region which includes Eastern Europe, West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams are left open below the waist-line (the opening known as the chaak), which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. The kameez is usually cut straight and flat; older kameez use traditional cuts; modern kameez are more likely to have European-inspired set-in sleeves. The kameez may have a European-style collar, a Mandarin collar, or it may be collarless; in the latter case, its design as a women's garment is similar to a kurta. The combination garment is sometimes called salwar kurta, salwar suit, Punjabi suit, and Punjabi dress.
The shalwar and kameez were introduced into South Asia by arriving Muslims in the north in the 13th century: at first worn by Muslim women, their use gradually spread, making them a regional style, especially in the historical Punjab region. The shalwar-kameez is widely-worn by men and women in Pakistan, and is the country's national dress. It is also widely worn by men and women in Afghanistan, and some men in the Punjab region of India, and which it has been adopted since medieval times by women throughout India, and more generally in South Asia.
When women wear the shalwar-kameez in some regions, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. In South Asia, the dupatta is also employed as a form of modesty—although it is made of delicate material, it obscures the upper body's contours by passing over the shoulders. For Muslim women, the dupatta is a less stringent alternative to the chador or burqa (see hijab and purdah); for Sikh and Hindu women, the dupatta is useful when the head must be covered, as in a temple or the presence of elders. Everywhere in South Asia, modern versions of the attire have evolved; the shalwars are worn lower down on the waist, the kameez have shorter lengths, higher splits, lower necklines and backlines, and with cropped sleeves or without sleeves.
Description The shalwar are loose pyjama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the ankle. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic, often seen with a Western-style collar; however, for female apparel, the term is now loosely applied to collarless or mandarin-collared kurtas. The kameez might be worn with pyjamas as well, either for fashion or comfort. Some kameez styles have side seams (known as the chaak), left open below the waist-line, giving the wearer greater freedom of movement.
Styles The kameez can be sewn straight and flat, in an "A" shape designPadmavati, B (2009) Techniques Of Drafting And Pattern Making Garments For Kids And Adolescents or flowing like a dress; there are a variety of styles. Modern kameez styles are more likely to have European-inspired set-in sleeves. If the tailor's taste or skill is displayed, this will be seen in the shape of the neckline and the decoration of the kameez. The kameez may be cut with a deep neckline, sewn in diaphanous fabrics, or styled in cap-sleeve or sleeveless designs.
There are many styles of shalwar: the Peshawari shalwar, Balochi shalwar, Sindhi Chareno, Sindhi Kancha, Sindhi Suthan/Salwar, Sindhi Pajamo/Sorhi Suthan and Punjabi shalwar.
Although various regions of the Indian subcontinent now wear the outfit in its various forms, the outfit was originally only popular on a wide scale in Afghanistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent.Condra, Jill (2013). Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World. However, the shalwar kameez has now become popular across the Indian subcontinent.Rutnagur, Sorabji. M (1996) The Indian Textile Journal, Volume 106, Issues 9-12
Different forms The following are some of the styles of shalwar kameez.
Anarkali suit
The shalwar kameez known as the Anarkali suit is named after the legendary Mughal courtesan Anarkali.Condra, Jill (2013) Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World This suit has a timeless style which has become very popular. It is made up of a long, frock-style top and features a slim fitted bottom. This style of suit links the Indian subcontinent with the women's firaq partug (frock and shalwar) of northwestern Pakistan and Afghanistan and to the traditional women's clothing of parts of Central Asia.Condra, Jill (2013) Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World It also links to the Punjab region, where the Anarkali suit is similar to the angaB. N. Goswamy, Kalyan Krishna, Tarla P. Dundh (1993) Indian Costumes in the Collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles, Volume 5 Punjab District Gazetteers – District Attock Year Published 1930 BK-000211-0160 and the Peshwaz worn in Jammu.Kumar, Raj (2006) Paintings and Lifestyles of Jammu Region: From 17th to 19th century A.D.
Afghanistan suits The styles of shalwar kameez worn in Afghanistan include various styles of khet partug,R. T. I. (Richard Thomas Incledon) Ridgway (1997) Pashtoons: History, Culture & Traditions perahan tunban and Firaq partug worn by Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras. The shalwar tends to be loose and rests above the ankles.
Peshawari shalwar suit
The traditional dress of Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, is the khalqa (gown) which opens at the front,North-West Frontier Province (Pakistan). Information Dept Yearbook (1955) or shirt which does not open at the front, and the Peshawari shalwar which is very loose down to the ankles.Captain Hastings, E. G. G. (1878) Report of the regular settlement of the peshawar district of the punjab The Peshawari shalwar can be used with a number of upper garments and is part of the clothing of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Balochi suits The clothing of Balochistan, Pakistan includes the shalwar kameez which when worn by males consists of a very baggy shalwarPostans, Thomas (1843) Personal Observations on Sindh: The Manners and Customs of Its Inhabitants; and Its Productive Capabilities using large lengths of cloth. The kameez is also loose, and traditionally is long, with long sleeves.DostPakistan.pk but now can also be knee length. The present Balochi shalwar kameez replaced the earlier version which consisted of a robe to the ankles and a shalwar using cloth of up to 40 yards. The Pashtuns in northern Balochistan wear clothes similar to the styles worn in Afghanistan.
The female Balochi suit consists of the head scarf, long dress and a shalwar.
Phiran, poots and shalwar In Kashmir, the outfit consists of the phiran, poots and shalwar.
Punjabi suits The traditional shalwar kameez worn in the Punjab region is cut differently to the styles worn in Balochistan and Afghanistan and is known as a "Punjabi suit"Marwaha, Pritpal (2012) Shakahaari: The Vegetarian Gourmet Fine, Authentic Indian Vegetarian Cuisine with the kameez being cut straight and flat with side slits (which is a local development as earlier forms of kameez did not have side slits). The shalwar is wide at the top but fits closely to the legs and is gathered at the ankles.Kumar, Raj (2006) Paintings and Lifestyles of Jammu Region: From 17th to 19th century A.D The Punjabi shalwar is also cut straight and gathered at the ankles with a loose band reinforced with coarse material. In rural Punjab, the shalwar is still called the suthan, which is a different garment that was popular in previous centuries,Panjab University Research Bulletin: Arts, Volume 13, Issue 1 – Volume 14, Issue (1982) alongside the churidar and kameez combination (which is still popular).Mohinder Singh Randhawa. (1960) Punjab: Itihas, Kala, Sahit, te Sabiachar aad.Bhasha Vibhag, Punjab, Patiala. In Britain, Quote: "And in Bubby Mahil’s fashion store in London, white socialites and young British Asians shop for the Punjabi suits".. Quote: "Meena owns a successful textile design and fashion business in the Punjab, designing and selling high-end salwar kameez (Punjabi suits) ..." British Asian women from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent have brought the dress to the mainstream, and even high-fashion,Sheikh, Ibriz (27.05.2015) 'Dress over pants': Rest of the world finally catches on to Shalwar kameez trend appeal. The Punjabi suit is popular in other regions of the Indian subcontinent,Sorabji M. Rutnagur (1996) The Indian Textile Journal, Volume 106, Issues 9-12 McGilvray, Dennis B. (2008)Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka such as Mumbai and Sindh.Bakshi, SHri Ram (1992) Struggle for Independence: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit The popularity of Punjabi suits in India was extentuated during the 1960s through Hindi cinema.Ṿai, Shalṿah (2002) India's Jewish heritage: ritual, art & life-cycle. Marg Publications Punjabi suits are also popular among young women in BangladeshAlex Newton, Betsy Wagenhauser, Jon Murray (1996) Bangladesh: A Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit and are especially popular amongst school girls in India. The outfit is also popular in Afghanistan, where it is called the Punjabi.Staples, Suzanne Fisher (2008) Under the Persimmon Tre. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR Pia Karlsson, Amir Mansory (2007) An Afghan dilemma: education, gender and globalisation in an Islamic context. Institute of International Education, Department of Education, Stockholm University
Another common type of Punjabi shalwar kameez is the Patiala salwar which has many folds and originates in the city of Patiala.
Another style of the Punjabi suit is the use of the shalwar which hails from the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan, and is known as the Pothohari shalwar. The Pothohari shalwar retains the wideness of the older Punjabi suthan and also has some folds. The kameez is also wide. The head scarf is traditionally large, similar to the chador or phulkari that was used throughout the plains of the Punjab region.
Saraiki shalwar suits are Punjabi outfits which include the Bahawalpuri shalwar suit and the Multani shalwar suit.
The Bahawalpuri shalwar originates from the Bahawalpur region of Punjab, Pakistan. The Bahawalpuri shalwar is very wide and baggy with many voluminous folds. The material traditionally used for the Bahawalpuri shalwar and suthan is known as Sufi which is a mixture of cotton warp mixed with silk weft and gold threads running down the material.Extracts from the District & States Gazetteers of the Punjab, Pakistan, Volume 2 (1976) The other name for these types of mixed cloth is shuja khani. The Bahawalpuri shalwar is worn with the Bahawalpur style kameez, the Punjabi kurta or chola.1998 District Census Report of [name of District].: Lodhran (1999)