How to read an unstitched suit label: pieces, lengths and fabric

The piece list, line by line

Most labels list the pieces from top to bottom, in the order they are worn. These are the entries you will see most often.

• Shirt or kameez: either one continuous length, or split into a front, a back and sleeves, each with its own length. Brands say “shirt” for the kameez fabric, whatever the finished style.
• Embroidered or printed front: the front panel, with the embroidery or main print placed where the brand intends it to sit on the body.
• Back and sleeves: usually printed or dyed to go with the front, sometimes with a border already worked in at the sleeve hem.
• Neckline, border and motif pieces: listed as a neckline or gala patch, a daaman or hem border, sleeve borders or motifs. Patches are counted in pieces; borders are usually given in metres. Our guide to using neckline pieces and borders explains where each one goes.
• Trouser or bottom: usually a plain dyed length, sometimes with a printed or embroidered border or lace for the hem.
• Dupatta: the fabric (lawn, chiffon, organza, net or silk) and its length.
• Extras: some packs add an inner or lining piece, lace or buttons. If an extra is not on the label, do not assume it is in the pack.

Lengths, widths and units

Most Pakistani brands give lengths in metres, written as “m” or “mtr”. Some sellers, particularly in the USA, list yards instead: a yard is about 91 cm, so 2.5 yards is roughly 2.3 metres. Check which unit you are reading before you compare two suits.

When the shirt is split into pieces, the individual lengths matter more than the total. The front and back pieces set the longest kameez you can have once the shoulder seam and hem are allowed for, and the sleeve piece sets how long and how full the sleeves can be. A generous total does not help if the front is short. For typical quantities by garment, see our fabric quantity guide.

Width is the figure labels most often leave out. It varies by fabric and mill, and it changes what can be cut from a given length, so measure it from edge to edge or photograph a tape measure laid across it. Our guide to fabric widths explains why it matters.

Fabric names and finishes

The words in front of each piece describe the base cloth and how the design was applied. A few terms come up again and again.

• Printed or digital printed: the design is printed onto the fabric. Digital printing allows fine detail and many colours.
• Dyed: a solid colour, typical for trousers and plain backs.
• Embroidered: thread worked into the fabric, usually by machine on unstitched suits.
• Jacquard or dobby: a pattern woven into the cloth rather than printed on top.
• Lawn, cambric, voile, khaddar, karandi: the base fabric. Our lawn guide and cambric guide explain two of the most common.
• “Colour may vary slightly”: a standard note, because photography and screens change how colour looks. Judge the real fabric in daylight.

What to do with the label

When the suit arrives, lay every piece out and tick it off against the label. If anything is missing or a length looks short, contact the seller straight away with photos; it is usually far easier to sort out soon after delivery than months later.

When you are ready to have it stitched, photograph the label next to the pieces and upload both with your stitching quote. With the label in front of us, we can confirm whether the fabric is enough for the design you want before anything is cut. The unstitched suit stitching page explains the rest of the process.