Pakistani suits in Saudi Arabia: a buyer’s guide

Ready-made: quick, but cut for an average body

Pret is handy when you need something this week. Malls in the larger cities stock a few Pakistani labels, and plenty of brands ship to the Gulf from their own sites. The catch is the size chart. A brand’s medium is drafted around one set of proportions, and if you are tall, petite, fuller at the hip or simply like more ease, something will be off: a kameez that stops above the knee when you wanted mid-calf, sleeves that end on the forearm, or a chest that pulls when you sit down.

Before buying ready-made, compare the garment measurements on the size chart with a kameez you already like, not with your body measurements. Our page on body and garment measurements explains why those two sets of numbers are never the same.

Unstitched: lovely fabric, one job still to do

Unstitched two-piece and three-piece suits are where Pakistani textile design really shows off: printed lawn shirts, embroidered necklines, organza borders and chiffon dupattas. Relatives bring them back from Pakistan, and South Asian fabric shops in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province sell them too. The fabric is only half an outfit, though. It still has to be cut and stitched, and the quality of that work decides how the suit looks on you.

If you already have a pack waiting in a cupboard, our Stitching Only service for Saudi Arabia is built for exactly that. You send photos first, we confirm the fabric suits your design and that there is enough of it, and only then do you courier it to us in Pakistan. Our article on reading an unstitched suit label helps you check what a pack contains before you buy it.

Made to measure from Pakistan: what you control

With made-to-measure stitching, the pattern starts from your numbers. You enter your measurements on the quote form in centimetres or inches, choose the neckline, sleeve length, kameez length, trouser style and lining, and we confirm every detail in writing before anyone cuts. That makes it simple to build in the things women here often ask for: wrist-length sleeves, a raised neckline, a longer hem, or a looser body that sits comfortably under an abaya.

You can supply the fabric or ask us for it. With Fabric + Stitching for Saudi Arabia, we propose fabric with photos and a description in your quote, so nothing has to be posted to Pakistan. You can also start from a picture of a design you love, or from one of our own designs with a few changes.

What to check before you pay, whichever route

A few checks save most disappointments, whether you are buying pret in a mall or ordering a suit to be stitched.

• Length and sleeves: measure a kameez you like from shoulder to hem and from shoulder to wrist, and compare those numbers with what you are buying.
• Fabric weight: lawn and cambric for the heat, heavier weaves for winter evenings in Riyadh and the north. Our fabric guides describe each one.
• Lining: pale lawn, chiffon and net usually need a lining if you want the outfit to be opaque.
• The real total: for a website order from abroad, check whether customs duty and VAT will be added at the door. Our written quotes already include delivery, duties, taxes and courier fees, so nothing is collected on arrival.
• Timing: we take 5 to 7 working days to make an outfit once the quote is approved and paid in full, and courier time to Saudi Arabia comes on top of that.

How a first order works

Open the quote form for Saudi Arabia and add your design photo or notes, your city and your service option. A single kameez is fine. We reply with one written total in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling, whichever you prefer, and once you approve it you pay in full in advance by bank transfer, Wise or a card payment link. Our first order checklist lists everything to have ready.