Does a kameez need a zip? Side zip or back zip

A two-part test with a tape

Woven fabrics such as lawn, cambric, raw silk and chiffon have no stretch, so the numbers decide it. Two things have to get through.

• The body: find the smallest measurement of the kameez between bust and waist. To go on over the head, that part has to pass your shoulders and then your bust. If the waist of the kameez is smaller than your bust measurement, it will stick.
• The neck: the neckline has to pass over your head. A wide or deep neck does. A close round neck, a band collar or a high back neck needs a slit, a button and loop or a short opening of its own.

Side zip or back zip?

Both do the same job. They differ in what they open, how they look and whether you can fasten them alone.

• Side zip: set into a side seam, usually the left, from below the armhole towards the hip. It is out of sight from the front and back, leaves embroidery, prints and a decorated back neck untouched, and you can do it up yourself. It does not open the neck, so the neckline must still pass over your head, and on very fine fabric the zip tape can make the seam sit slightly stiff.
• Back zip: runs down the centre back from the neck. It opens the neck as well as the body, so it allows a high, close neckline, and the kameez goes on easily. It is harder to close alone, it divides any design on the back, and long hair can catch in it.
• Concealed zip: either position can take a concealed zip, where the teeth are hidden inside the seam and only a small pull shows. It suits light and medium fabrics; thick, heavily embroidered or beaded seams may need an ordinary zip or a different fastening.

Fastenings that are not zips

If you dislike zips, a closely shaped kameez can open in other ways: a front placket with buttons, a back neck slit with a button and loop, hooks at the side, or ties as on an angrakha. Each changes the look, so it is a design decision as much as a practical one. Our article on kurta plackets and buttons compares them, and nursing-friendly kurtas covers openings chosen for access.

Avoiding a zip altogether

The simplest way is to choose a cut that does not need one. A straight kameez, an A-line kameez or a kaftan shape that measures at least as much at the waist as at the bust will pull on, provided the neck is wide enough. The ease guide helps you decide how much room you like. A frock-style cut that hugs the upper body and flares below it, like a kalidar frock, is where an opening becomes necessary.

What to say in your order

State your preference and your reason: “side zip, I dress alone”, “no zip, please keep it loose enough to pull on”, or “back zip is fine, the neckline must be high”. Ask for it in your quote, and we confirm what is possible on your fabric and design, including whether the shape you want can go on without an opening. For a design of your own, start with Send Your Design and the quote form; the fastening is agreed in writing with the other design details before cutting.