Styles and design · 8 October 2026 · 4 min read
Should you ask for extra seam margin in a new kameez?
Extra margin in kameez stitching lets it be let out later, but only at straight seams. Where it can be left, how it looks in sheer fabric, and when to skip it.
InspirationWorth asking for, in the right places
Asking for extra seam margin is worthwhile if you expect to want a little more room later and your fabric allows it. A wider allowance at the side seams, the underarm sleeve seams and any centre-back seam gives a tailor near you something to let out. It cannot be left round armholes or necklines, it may show through sheer fabric, and it takes a little more cloth.
This article is about planning the margin when you order. If you are trying to find room in a kameez you already own, see letting out a kameez.
What margin means
Seam allowance is the strip of fabric between the line of stitching and the cut edge. On an everyday kameez it is often around 1 cm (3/8 inch) once the edges are overlocked, because overlocking trims as it sews. Asking for margin means leaving more at chosen seams, commonly about 2 to 2.5 cm (3/4 to 1 inch), with the edge finished at that width instead of trimmed.
As a rough guide, letting out 1.5 cm on each layer at both side seams adds about 6 cm (2 1/4 inches) round the body. The old stitching line may leave faint holes or a fold mark, more visible on dark or crisp fabric.
Where it can and cannot be left
Straight seams can carry extra allowance; curved and enclosed ones cannot. The usual picture:
- Yes: side seams from underarm to hem, the main source of extra room.
- Yes: the underarm sleeve seam, if you may want wider sleeves later.
- Yes: a centre-back seam, where the kameez has one.
- Yes: the side or back seams of straight trousers. A drawstring shalwar adjusts at the waist anyway.
- No: armholes and necklines. A wide allowance on a curve has to be clipped to lie flat, which defeats the purpose.
- No: French seams and flat-felled seams, which are narrow by design.
- Limited: seams that cross a placed border or embroidery, where moving the seam shifts the motif.
Sheer and lined fabrics
In unlined chiffon, voile or very fine lawn, a wider allowance shows from the outside as a darker band running down each side. On some outfits that is acceptable; on a pale kameez it can look heavy. Our guide to non see-through fabrics shows how to judge how sheer your cloth is. In a lined kameez the lining hides the margin completely, though the lining then needs matching spare allowance so both layers can be let out together.
When it is not worth it
Skip extra margin when the fabric is only just enough for the outfit (check with our guide on how much fabric a three-piece suit needs), when the cut is already loose with plenty of ease, on light party pieces in chiffon, and on seams under heavy embroidery. If your shape is likely to change soon, an adjustable design may serve you better; maternity kurtas and adjustable fits covers ties, pleats and openings.
To ask, write it plainly in your notes, for example “please leave about 2.5 cm on the side and sleeve seams for letting out later”. With Fabric + Stitching we can allow for it when choosing the fabric quantity, and in either service we confirm it in the written quote when you ask for a quote. We do not alter garments once they are made, so the letting out itself would be done by a tailor near you.
Common questions
Will extra margin make the seams feel bulky?
Slightly thicker, but on lawn and cambric you are unlikely to notice. On thick fabrics such as khaddar it adds a little stiffness at the seam, which is another reason to keep it to the side seams.
Can margin be left for making the kameez longer?
Length comes from the hem, not the seams. A deeper hem stores spare length on a straight edge, though it cannot be done on a curved hem or under a border.
