Kameez hem width (daman): how to measure it

Measuring the hem of a kameez you own

Choose a kameez whose hem you like when you walk and sit, then:

• Lay it front up on a table and smooth it flat without pulling.
• Measure the front panel along the bottom edge, from one side edge to the other. If there are side slits, the front panel ends at each slit.
• On a straight hem, keep the tape straight. On a curved hem, stand the tape on its edge and follow the curve, and say that you did.
• Double the figure for the round measurement, and write both down: “daman 23 inches flat, 46 round”.
• Measure the slit as well, from the hem up to where it stops.
• Turn the kameez over and check that the back panel is the same width. Now and then it is cut a little wider.

Typical hem widths

These are general tailoring conventions, given as the round measurement compared with your hips. They help you recognise what you are looking at; your own number, or the figure agreed in your quote, is the one that counts.

• [Straight kameez](/styles/cuts/straight-kameez) with slits: hips plus 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm). With 40 inch hips, that is a hem of 42 to 46 inches round, or 21 to 23 flat.
• [A-line kameez](/styles/cuts/a-line-kameez): hips plus 8 to 20 inches (20 to 50 cm), often cut without slits.
• Short kurti: close to the hip measurement plus ease, because it ends at or just below the hip.
• Kalidar or anarkali frock: from about 2.5 metres to 5 metres and more (roughly 100 to 200 inches), described by the fullness you want more often than by a number.

Hem width, slits and your stride

A hem only has to be wide when it is closed. Side slits, called chaak, let the front and back panels swing apart, which is why a straight kameez can have a hem barely wider than the hips and still be easy to walk in. Our guide to chaak and side slits covers how high they open.

Without slits, the hem has to make room for a step, and the longer the kameez, the more it needs. As a rough rule, a closed hem at the knee wants about a metre (40 inches) round or more, and one at the calf or ankle nearer a metre and a half (60 inches). Stairs, car seats and sitting on the floor all ask for a little extra. If you want a long, slim kameez with no slits, say how you will wear it so the width can be judged.

What else sets the width

• Your hips. Without stretch, or slits that open from the hip, the hem cannot be narrower than the hip measurement plus ease.
• The fabric. Crisp cambric and khaddar stand away from the body, so the same hem looks wider than it would in soft lawn.
• Borders and lace. A border piece from an unstitched suit has a fixed length, and the hem is often planned around it. See using the borders from your pack.
• Fabric quantity. A gentle A-line normally comes out of a standard kameez piece. A much wider hem needs added panels or more cloth.
• The hem shape. A rounded gol daman measures longer along its curve than straight across.

Telling us the hem you want

There is no body measurement for the daman. It is a design choice, so give it in whichever way is easiest: a figure taken from a kameez you like, marked flat or round; a description such as straight, slightly A-line or full; or a photo. Add it to the notes on the quote form. We confirm what works with your fabric and length, and the agreed design is set out in writing before cutting, as the custom stitching page explains.