Fabric guide
Pakistani Fabric Guide: Lawn to Velvet, by Season
Quick answer
Choose fabric by season first. For Pakistan’s summer, lawn is the coolest everyday choice and cambric suits milder days; for winter, khaddar, karandi, marina and heavier linen are the everyday fabrics, with velvet for occasions. Names are used loosely from brand to brand, so check the label for the fibre before you buy or send anything.
Summer, mid-season and winter fabrics
Pakistani brands build their collections around the seasons. Lawn collections usually launch in late winter and spring, ready for the heat, and winter collections arrive in the autumn in heavier fabrics. Broadly, the fabrics in this guide fall like this.
- Summer: lawn is the staple, a light, breathable cotton for the hottest months. Fine linen is cool too, though it creases.
- Mid-season: cambric has more body than lawn for milder days and air-conditioned offices, and light khaddar suits the cooler shoulder months.
- Winter: khaddar, karandi, marina and heavier linen for everyday warmth, and velvet for winter occasions and Eid.
Where sources disagree
Fabric names in Pakistan are used loosely, and even careful brand glossaries don’t always agree. Where they differ, we say so rather than pick a side. The label on your fabric is always the final word.
- Karandi: described as cotton and silk, as a mix of cotton, silk and wool, or with no fibre stated at all.
- Marina: described as a brushed cotton by some sources and as a blend by others.
- Khaddar: sometimes called handwoven, which labels rarely confirm, and its fibre varies too.
- Linen: some brands sell it for summer and others for winter. The weight matters more than the name.
- Cambric: placed anywhere from summer to mid-season, spring and autumn, or early winter.
Choosing fabric for Fabric + Stitching
With Fabric + Stitching, we supply the fabric as well as making the outfit. Tell us the season and the occasion, the colours you like and how light or warm you want it to feel, and add a picture of the look you want. We propose fabric, with photos and a description in your quote, and agree it with you before cutting. There are no free samples, so the more you tell us about the weight and feel you like, the closer our proposal will be.
Checking fabric for Stitching Only: send photos first
With Stitching Only, you supply the fabric: an unstitched suit from any brand, or fabric bought by the metre. Before you send anything, send us daylight photos of each piece and a clear photo of the label, which shows the composition and the lengths. We confirm the fabric is suitable for your design and that there’s enough of it, and only then do you send it. Tell us, too, whether any piece has been washed.
Fabric guides
- LawnWhat Pakistani lawn is, why it’s the summer staple, when it needs lining, how to pre-wash and care for it, and how to have a lawn suit stitched to measure.
- CambricWhat cambric is, how it differs from lawn, which seasons it suits (brands disagree), and the cuts, finishing, pre-washing and care that suit a cambric suit.
- KhaddarKhaddar is a thick, textured winter fabric. What it is and what labels don’t say, how it wears, the cuts that suit it, and how to pre-wash and care for it.
- KarandiKarandi is a crisp, grainy winter fabric. Why brands describe its fibre differently, how it wears, which cuts suit it and how to pre-wash and care for it.
- MarinaMarina is a soft, lightly brushed winter fabric. What labels say about its fibre, how it drapes and wears, the cuts that suit it, and how to care for it.
- LinenLinen for kurtas and suits: what brands mean by linen, why sources disagree on its season, living with creases, the cuts that suit it and how to care for it.
- VelvetVelvet (makhmal) for winter and Eid: what it is, how the pile affects cutting and pressing, the cuts that suit it, lining, and how to care for and store it.
Before cutting: pre-washing and colour
Cotton-based fabrics such as lawn, cambric and linen can shrink a little in their first wash, so the usual advice is to pre-wash or soak the plain pieces before cutting, the same way you’ll wash the finished outfit. Leave embroidered panels, velvet and anything labelled dry clean only as they are. Our pre-washing guide explains how, and a quick colour-fastness test shows whether deep colours are likely to run.
Care in brief
The care label always comes first. Beyond that, most care advice agrees on a few habits. Our care guide goes into more detail.
- Lawn, cambric and other cottons: a cool wash with a mild detergent and no bleach, dried in the shade and ironed on medium while slightly damp.
- Embroidery: washed inside out, by hand or on a gentle cycle, and ironed from the reverse. Heavy hand embroidery such as zardozi, dabka or sequins is dry clean only.
- Velvet: never iron the pile; steam it instead.
- Storage: breathable cotton bags rather than sealed plastic, somewhere cool, dark and dry.
Common questions
Which fabric is best for summer in Pakistan?
Lawn is the most popular choice: a light, breathable cotton that stays cool in the heat. Cambric has a little more body and is less see-through, and fine linen is cool too, though it creases.
What are the main winter fabrics in Pakistan?
Khaddar, karandi, marina and heavier linen for everyday wear, and velvet for winter occasions. Their fibre and weight vary from brand to brand, so check the label.
Can you stitch fabric I already have?
Yes, with Stitching Only. Send photos of each piece and the label first; we confirm the fabric is suitable and that there’s enough for your design before you send anything.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
