Kurta, kurti or kameez: what is the difference?

The three words side by side

None of these definitions is official, and usage shifts between Pakistan, India and shops abroad. This is how the words are most often used.

• Kurta: a straight cut, usually to around the knee, easy through the body, with side slits. It is worn by men and women. Necklines are often simple: round with a short placket, or a band collar.
• Kurti: the smaller form of the same word. It generally means a woman’s top that ends between the waist and mid-thigh, in a light fabric, worn with jeans, trousers or a skirt. In Indian shops it is also used loosely for women’s kurtas of any length.
• Kameez: the tunic of a shalwar kameez. It tends to be shaped to the body with set-in sleeves, can be straight, A-line or flared, and usually comes as part of a two-piece or three-piece suit.

Length, fit and slits: what really separates them

Length is the quickest clue but not a reliable one, because fashion moves hemlines up and down. A long kurti and a short kameez can have exactly the same measurement. Fit and purpose tell you more.

• Fit. A kameez is usually cut closer, with some shaping at the bust and waist. A kurta hangs straighter from the shoulder, and a kurti can be either.
• Slits. Kurtas and kameez that reach the thigh or beyond need side slits, or chaak, so you can sit and stride. A hip-length kurti often has none, or only short vents.
• What goes with it. A kameez is planned with its own shalwar or trousers and usually a dupatta. A kurta goes over shalwar, straight trousers or jeans, with the dupatta optional. A kurti is the one most often paired with jeans and other Western pieces.
• Occasion. Kameez covers everything from daily lawn suits to Eid outfits. Kurta and kurti lean casual, though fabric and finish can dress either up.

Why Pakistani shops say shirt

The word kameez simply means shirt, and Pakistani brands writing in English translate it that way. So the “shirt” in an unstitched suit listing is the kameez piece, a “shirt and trouser” set is a two-piece suit, and “shirt length” on a size chart is the kameez length from shoulder to hem. It does not mean a Western shirt with a stiff collar, cuffs and buttons down the front, although tunics made that way exist too.

If a listing says frock, it means a flared kameez. Our cuts guide describes those shapes, and the glossary translates the other tailoring words you will meet.

Which word to use when you order

For a made-to-measure order the label matters less than the numbers. Give the length you want, how close the fit should be and what you will wear underneath, and the same garment could be called any of the three. On our quote form you can ask for a three-piece shalwar kameez, a two-piece suit or co-ord, or a kurta or kameez as a single top, and the length is chosen as hip, mid-thigh, knee, calf or floor.

If a photo shows what you mean, send it with your quote request. The guide on how to measure for a kurta lists the measurements to take, and our custom stitching service explains how an order works.