Buying guides by country · 4 October 2026 · 4 min read
Designing your own outfit from the UK
How UK customers can have their own design made: turning a photo, sketch or idea into a clear brief, adapting one of our designs, and what is agreed before cutting.
InspirationYour design, made to your measurements
If you live in the UK and have an outfit in mind that you cannot find in any shop, you can have it made from your own design. Send a reference photo, a sketch or simply a written description through Send Your Design, add your measurements, and we reply with questions and a written quote that sets out every detail before anything is cut. The outfit is made in Pakistan and delivered to your UK address, from a single piece.
It works for shalwar kameez, kurtas, co-ords and Western pieces alike. The UK custom design page gives the overview; this guide is about making your idea easy to understand.
Where ideas come from
Most designs begin with a picture: a screenshot from social media, a family photo from a wedding years ago, a catalogue page or a dress you once owned and loved. Others start from a feeling, such as “a soft green kurta with a high neck, nothing flashy, for winter Fridays”. Both are fine starting points.
We work from your reference to make an outfit for you, in your size and to your brief. Tell us which parts of the picture you love, because the outfit does not have to copy all of it; often the neckline or the sleeve is the real reason you saved the photo.
Turning a picture into a brief
A clear brief saves rounds of questions. Include as much of this as you can:
- Photos from several angles if you have them: front, back and a close-up of any detail.
- What to keep and what to change: “same neckline, longer sleeves, no embroidery on the back”.
- The occasion and season, which guides the fabric and lining.
- Fabric: ask us to supply it, or tell us about the suit you plan to send.
- Embroidery level, if any: delicate, detailed or statement.
- Your measurements, in centimetres or inches, or a kameez that sits well to measure from.
Or start from one of our designs
If something on our designs page is close to what you want, you can ask for changes instead of starting from scratch: the pieces (adding a dupatta or waistcoat), the neckline, sleeves, kameez length, trouser style, lining and embroidery level, made with our fabric or yours. The embroidered karandi suit, for example, could be ordered with a different sleeve or trouser. The UK customisation page explains the choices.
Western shapes too
Send Your Design is not only for Pakistani clothes. Dresses, skirts, tops and trousers can be made to measure as well, which suits anyone who loves a high-street shape but never finds it in the right length or proportion. Our guide to made-to-measure Western dresses covers what to ask for, and the shirt dress shows a simple Western piece we already make.
What is agreed before cutting
Before you pay, the written quote lists the design, fabric, measurements, any embroidery and the total in pounds, including delivery and import charges. Some ideas depend on the fabric, such as heavy embroidery on a fine chiffon, and we tell you what is possible on your fabric and design rather than promising a technique. Colours can look slightly different on screen, so if a shade matters, say so. Design approval explains this stage.
Production takes 5 to 7 working days from approval and full payment, with shipping to the UK on top.
Starting from anywhere in the UK
From Cardiff to Belfast, the process is the same and entirely online. For more help with the brief, read how to brief a tailor with screenshots, visit the UK page for delivery details, and start a design quote.
Common questions
Can I send a photo of an outfit and have it made to my measurements?
Yes. Send the photo with notes on what to keep and change, plus your measurements, and we reply with any questions and a written quote listing every detail before cutting.
Do I need to draw a sketch?
No. A photo, a rough sketch or a written description all work. The more clearly you describe the neckline, sleeves, length and trousers, the fewer questions we need to ask.
Can you add embroidery to my design?
Embroidery can be added to an outfit we stitch at a delicate, detailed or statement level. What is possible depends on your fabric and design and is confirmed in your written quote.
Can you make a Western dress from my design?
Yes. Dresses, skirts, tops and trousers can be made to measure from a photo, sketch or description, just like shalwar kameez and kurtas. Every detail is agreed in your written quote before cutting.
