Kaftan width: how to measure cuff to cuff

The two numbers a kaftan depends on

A classic kaftan is two wide panels, front and back, joined across the shoulders. The sides are not sewn edge to edge. Instead, two inner seams run from somewhere below the shoulder down to the hem, set in from the edges, and everything outside them becomes the sleeve. That is why a kaftan needs two kinds of measurement: the total width, which decides where the sleeves end, and the position of the inner seams, which decides how the body fits.

If you want the look rather than the numbers, our article on the kaftan-style kameez describes the shapes and fabrics that suit it.

Measuring cuff to cuff on your body

You need a helper for this one. As a rough guide, a woman about 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) tall measures around 125 to 130 cm (49 to 51 inches) from wrist to wrist and 95 to 100 cm (37 to 39 inches) from elbow to elbow. Remember that these are taken with your arms raised. When your arms hang down, the fabric drapes and the sleeve edge falls nearer the shoulder, so a kaftan that is wrist to wrist when flat looks like a long, loose sleeve when worn.

• Stand with your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height.
• Decide where you want the sleeve edge: wrist, forearm or elbow.
• Your helper measures from that point on one arm, across the back of the neck, to the same point on the other arm.
• Write the result with its end points, for example “wrist to wrist 127 cm”.

Placing the inner side seams

The body between the inner seams has to pass easily over your hips. Take your hip measurement, add the ease you want (15 to 25 cm, or 6 to 10 inches, is usual for a relaxed kaftan) and halve it. That is the distance between the two seams on each panel. With hips of 102 cm (40 inches) and 20 cm of ease, each panel measures 61 cm (24 inches) between its seams. Our guide to ease in a kameez explains how much room each cut usually has.

The other figure is the drop: how far below the shoulder the inner seams begin. A classic kaftan starts them 23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 inches) down. A deeper drop gives a looser batwing feel but can show more at the side when you lift your arms, so many people wear a slip or inner underneath.

How the fabric width limits the size

Each panel is usually cut as one piece across the full width of the cloth, minus the selvedges. On 44 to 45 inch fabric that gives about 108 to 110 cm, which reaches a little past the elbow on most women. On 58 to 60 inch fabric you get about 142 to 148 cm, close to the wrists. A wider kaftan needs an extra strip joined at each side, which can be hidden in a print or used as a feature. Our fabric widths guide lists the common widths.

If you have a kaftan you already like, lay it flat and measure its edge-to-edge width, the distance between the inner seams, the drop and the length, as our guide to measuring clothes that fit you shows. Then send those numbers, with a photo, through Send Your Design on the design quote form. We confirm the size your fabric allows in the written quote.