Using a kameez that fits as your template

Garment numbers are not body numbers

A tape round your bust gives your body measurement. The same point on a kameez that fits includes the ease, the extra room for movement, so it is always larger. If garment numbers are read as body numbers, the ease is added a second time and the new kameez comes out loose. Label them clearly. Our guide to ease explains how much room different fits allow.

Check the kameez really fits where it matters. One you love the length of but which pulls across the bust is still useful for lengths, just not for the chest. You can mix sources freely: body measurements for some points, garment measurements for others, as long as each is labelled.

How to measure the kameez

Lay the kameez flat on a table, front facing up, with any buttons or hooks closed. Smooth it out without stretching it, then measure these points. Double any width taken straight across the front.

• Chest: straight across, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) below the armholes. Double it.
• Waist: across the narrowest part, if the kameez is shaped. Double it.
• Hip: across at the top of the side slits, or at the widest point if there are none. Double it.
• Shoulder: turn the kameez over and measure across the back from one shoulder seam to the other.
• Armhole: stand the tape on its edge and follow the curve of the seam from the shoulder point to the underarm, on the front and then the back, and add the two.
• Kameez length: from the highest point of the shoulder, where the shoulder seam meets the neckline, straight down to the hem.
• Sleeve: from the shoulder seam to the end of the sleeve along the top fold, then across the upper sleeve just below the armhole and across the sleeve hem. Double both widths.
• Front neck depth: from where the shoulder seam meets the neckline, straight down to the lowest point of the front neck.
• Slits: from the hem up to the top of the side slit.

Trousers work the same way

For trousers, measure a pair you like: the outside seam from the top of the waistband to the hem for length, and the hem opening laid flat and doubled for the trouser bottom. For fitted styles, add the front rise, from the waistband down the front seam to the crotch point. Our trouser fit guide explains why the rise matters for straight trousers and cigarette pants but rarely for a shalwar.

Measure it or send it?

Measuring at home is quicker, and your kameez stays with you. Posting it to us in Pakistan gives the fullest picture, including details you might not think to measure, such as the shape of the armhole or where a dart sits, but it adds an international shipping stage to your order. It makes most sense when the fit is hard to describe, or when you want a new kameez based closely on an old favourite. Choose “Send a garment that fits” on the form and we confirm the sending arrangements with you before you post anything; our guide to posting fabric for stitching has packing tips that apply to garments too.

Whichever you choose, tell us what you would change. “Same fit, but 5 cm longer” or “same, but a little looser at the hips” is exactly the kind of note that turns a good template into a better kameez. Then add your fabric and design choices; the custom stitching page explains how it all comes together.