Front-zip kurta: is a zip neckline practical?

How a zip neckline is put together

A slit is cut at the centre front, usually somewhere between a hand span and a little more in length, and the zip is set into it with a facing behind. The neckline above it is often a plain round neck or a band collar, which gives the zip a firm top edge to finish against.

There are two looks. An exposed zip shows its teeth on purpose, often metal, as a sporty or modern detail. A hidden zip is either a concealed zip, whose teeth roll to the inside, or an ordinary zip covered by a narrow placket flap. Our page on invisible and ordinary zips compares the two types.

Under a dupatta or hijab

Most of the comfort questions come down to the top of the zip. The pull rests at the throat, so on a high neckline it can press when you look down. A small fold of fabric over the top end, sometimes called a zip garage, stops it rubbing. Under a pinned hijab, a flat pull is better than a chunky one.

Exposed metal teeth can catch a fine chiffon dupatta or a hijab and pull threads. If you drape fine fabric over the neckline every day, a covered placket or a concealed zip is the kinder choice.

Fabrics that carry a front zip

The fabric has to be stiff enough to hold the zip straight and heavy enough not to be pulled down by it.

• Good: cambric, khaddar, linen, cotton twill and medium-weight blends.
• Possible with care: lawn, with a strip of light interfacing along the opening so the edges do not wave.
• Awkward: chiffon, georgette and voile, where the zip shows through and pulls the neckline down.
• Avoid where possible: heavily embroidered necklines, since the zip has to cut through or interrupt the work.

Exposed or hidden: choosing

Choose an exposed zip when you want it seen, on a casual kurta in a plain, firm fabric. Choose a hidden one for a cleaner look, on prints, or wherever a dupatta or hijab will rest. Give the length of the opening in your notes, the zip type and whether the pull should match the fabric or contrast with it.

On a new design, the custom stitching page explains how these details are agreed. On one of our own pieces, the neckline is among the changes you can request: ask to customise a design. Either way, the zip and opening appear in the written quote before anything is cut.