Turning a sari into a kameez, kurta or dress

What a sari gives you to work with

Most saris share a few features, though the proportions vary a great deal from one to the next.

• A long length, narrower than much dress fabric: plenty of fabric overall, but the width limits how wide a single piece can be cut.
• Borders along one or both long edges: these can become a hem, cuffs or a neckline trim if the design is planned around them.
• The pallu: the decorated end that falls over the shoulder when the sari is draped. It is often the most striking part and can become a front panel, a yoke or the lower part of a kameez.
• Sometimes a blouse piece: an attached or separate length in a matching or contrast fabric, useful for sleeves or a yoke.

Outfits that tend to work

Because the fabric is long but narrow, designs made of several narrower panels tend to use it well. A kalidar or panelled kameez or an A-line kameez can carry the border right around the hem. A straight kurta with the pallu across the front is simpler and lets a bold design speak for itself. A dress with a flared skirt is another option.

Many sari fabrics are sheer: chiffon, georgette, fine silks. A kameez or dress in those usually needs a lining, and trousers usually come from a separate plain fabric. Our chiffon guide and georgette vs chiffon explain how these fabrics behave. If you would like a dupatta too, say so; a sari rarely has enough left for a full dupatta after the kameez, but a narrower stole sometimes fits.

Before you decide on a worn or inherited sari

Check the fabric closely in good light. Older saris can be weaker along the folds where they have been stored for years, and colour can fade unevenly where light has fallen on them. Hold each section up to a window, look for thin areas and small holes, and photograph anything you find.

Think hard, too, about whether you are ready to cut it. Once cutting starts, the change is permanent and the order can no longer be refunded; our payment and cancellations page has the full terms. If the sari has sentimental value, it can help to choose a design that keeps the pallu and border visible, so the original is still recognisable.

What to send with your quote request

On the Stitching Only quote form, include the following, and choose “advise me” if you would like a suggestion.

• Photos of the whole sari spread out, and close-ups of the border, the pallu and any blouse piece.
• The length and width, measured flat, in centimetres or inches.
• A picture or description of the outfit you want, and which part of the sari you want to feature.
• Your measurements, entered on the form. The size guide shows how to take them.

Where it is made and how it reaches you

Your sari is stitched in Pakistan after you send it to us, and the finished outfit is shipped back to you, with delivery and any import charges already in the written quote. Production takes 5 to 7 working days once the fabric arrives and the quote is paid. The unstitched suit stitching page covers the full Stitching Only route, and pages such as Stitching Only in Singapore or in Malaysia explain ordering from there.