How to stop a dupatta slipping off your shoulder

Why some dupattas slide and others stay

• The surface: silk, satin and smooth chiffon or georgette glide over a kameez, especially a silky one. Cotton, lawn, khaddar and anything with a crinkle or texture grips.
• Stiffness: organza and stiff net do not mould to the shoulder. They perch on it and spring away as soon as you move.
• Bulk: a wide dupatta bunched into a thick roll behaves like a rope and rolls off. The same dupatta folded into flat pleats lies still.
• Uneven weight: a deep border, tassels or embroidery at the ends pull on whichever end hangs longer. If the front is longer than the back, the dupatta creeps forward until it falls.
• Your shoulders: a sloping shoulder gives the fabric a ramp, and a handbag strap on the same side pushes it off faster still.
• The neckline: a wide neckline leaves only a narrow strip of kameez on the shoulder, so there is less cloth for the dupatta to rest against.

Keeping it in place while you wear it

Pinning is not cheating; it is how most neat drapes are held. Fold the dupatta into even pleats about a hand’s width, lay them on the shoulder, and pin from inside the kameez so the pin catches the shoulder seam and the underside of the pleats. The seam is several layers thick and holds a pin without tearing, which a single layer of lawn or chiffon will not. Our guide to styling a dupatta for every neckline shows the drapes themselves.

• Use a small, sharp safety pin on fine fabrics and ease it between the threads. A blunt or thick pin leaves a pulled thread.
• Balance the ends. With a one-shoulder drape, let about as much hang down the back as the front.
• Pick a steadier drape on busy days. Worn across both shoulders, or round the neck with the ends in front, a dupatta has two resting points and stays on far better than on one shoulder alone.
• Carry your bag on the other side.

What to choose or ask for when you order

If you are having a suit made, most of the slipping can be designed out before the first wear.

• Fabric: for a dupatta you will wear all day, pick cloth with grip, such as lawn or another cotton, or a crinkled chiffon in place of a glassy one. Our chiffon guide covers how it behaves.
• Size: a narrower or shorter dupatta is lighter and easier to manage than a full-width one. Dupatta sizes and styles explains the usual dimensions.
• Edge weight: a light lace or border along all four sides helps a floaty dupatta hang down instead of drifting. Very heavy ends do the opposite, so keep both ends the same. See dupatta finishing ideas.
• A shoulder loop: a small thread or fabric loop sewn inside the shoulder seam of the kameez gives a pin something to hold without piercing the outer fabric. Ask for it in your quote, and we confirm what is possible on your fabric and design.
• The kameez itself: a matte kameez fabric, and a neckline that leaves a reasonable width of shoulder, both make the dupatta’s job easier.

Putting it in your order

With Fabric + Stitching we supply the agreed fabric for the outfit, and that covers the dupatta when the outfit has one. Write “a dupatta that stays put” in the notes on the quote form, say how you usually wear it, and the fabric and finish are agreed with you in the written quote before anything is cut.