Unstitched suits · 30 September 2026 · 4 min read
Using the neckline pieces and borders from your pack
How embroidered neckline patches, daaman borders, sleeve borders and trouser lace are used when an unstitched suit is stitched, and what to decide before cutting.
InspirationWhy placement comes first
The extra pieces in an embroidered pack are what make it look finished, and they are designed around a particular cut. The neckline patch sets the shape of the neck, the hem border suits a certain hem width, and the sleeve border assumes a certain sleeve length. Once the front has been cut, the choices narrow quickly, so the decisions about these pieces come before anything else.
If you are not sure what each piece is, start with our guide to what’s inside an embroidered lawn pack.
Neckline patches
A neckline patch, or gala, is usually applied on top of the front panel and edged neatly, and the neck opening is then cut to follow its inner shape. Because the embroidery is worked to a set outline, the patch largely decides the neckline. The depth and width can often be adjusted a little, but a completely different shape can cut through the motif. Our neckline styles guide shows the common shapes.
- Use it as designed: the simplest route, and usually the one the rest of the embroidery was planned around.
- Adjust it slightly: a touch deeper or higher, or with a keyhole or button opening added so it slips over your head.
- Combine it: a band collar or piping can frame a patch neatly. See our piping and trims guide.
- Leave it off: you can choose a plain neckline instead and keep the patch for another use, such as the back neck.
Hem borders and daamans
A daaman or hem border is sewn along the bottom of the kameez. The key question is whether it is long enough for the hem you want. A straight kameez has a narrower hem than an A-line or flared one, so the same border might go all the way round one and only across the front of another.
If the border is short, it can run across the front only, the front and sides, or be joined with a matching band at the back. Length is taken from the top of the pieces, so the border stays at the hem whether your kameez is knee or calf length, provided the front and back are long enough. To shorten a finished kameez with a border, see shortening without losing the border.
Sleeve borders, trouser borders and lace
The smaller pieces are just as worth planning.
- Sleeve borders: they sit at the sleeve hem, so they suit straight, cuffed or slightly flared sleeves best. Wide bell sleeves may need more border than the pack gives. Our sleeve guide has the options.
- Trouser borders: straight trousers and cigarette pants show a hem border well; on a shalwar it usually goes on the cuff at the ankle.
- Lace strips: can edge the kameez hem, the sleeves, the trouser hem or the dupatta.
- Motifs and small patches: often meant for the sleeves, the back yoke or the trouser hem. Tell us where you would like them.
Leftovers, and telling us what you want
You do not have to use every piece. A spare border can edge a dupatta or a pocket, and a motif can go on the back instead of the front. Keep the choice simple for the occasion: heavy trouser borders suit Eid, while a work kameez might use only the neckline. Our dupatta finishing ideas show other ways to use trims.
On the stitching quote form, photograph each patch and border next to the front panel and say where you want each one, or choose “advise me” and we suggest a placement that suits the pieces and your measurements. Everything is confirmed with you before cutting, and the unstitched suit stitching page explains the rest.
Common questions
Do I have to use the neckline patch that came with my suit?
No. You can leave it off and choose a plain neckline, or use it somewhere else such as the back neck. Decide before cutting, because the neckline shape is planned around the patch.
What if the border is shorter than the hem of my kameez?
It can run across the front only, across the front and sides, or be joined with a matching band at the back. Straight cuts use less border than A-line or flared ones, so the cut can also be chosen to suit the border.
Can a hem border be used on a longer or shorter kameez?
Yes, in most cases. The border stays at the hem and the length is taken from the top of the pieces, as long as the front and back are long enough for the length you want.
