What is a farshi shalwar? The floor-length cut

How it differs from a shalwar and a palazzo

From the waist to the knee it behaves like a generous shalwar: pleats or gathers at the waistband, a roomy seat and soft folds down the leg. The difference is at the bottom. The paincha, the opening at the hem, is far wider than usual and is often finished with a deep turned band, rows of stitching or a layer of stiffening, so that it stands open and keeps a clean edge at floor level.

It is easy to confuse with a palazzo, which is also wide and long. A palazzo is a smoother trouser that falls straight from the hip like a skirt. A farshi shalwar has the pleated top, deeper seat and structured hem of a shalwar, so it looks fuller at the hip and weightier at the floor. For the other floor-length styles, see sharara, gharara or palazzo.

Kameez length and slit height

Because the shalwar is the feature, it is normally worn with a shorter kameez than usual, from hip length to just above the knee. A top that ends on the thigh shows the pleats falling from the waistband and leaves the full sweep of the leg in view. A calf-length kameez covers the very part that makes the style worth having.

A short kameez needs little or no slit. If yours reaches the knee, side slits that open from around the hip stop it pulling across the pleated fabric underneath and let the shalwar show; our guide to chaak and side slits explains how slit height is measured. A straight or gently A-line cut keeps the top calm, since the volume is already below.

If you are petite, a shorter kameez and one colour from waist to floor help the outfit lengthen you instead of swamping you. Kameez length for your height goes into the proportions.

Walking, stairs and other practical limits

A hem on the floor looks elegant standing still and needs managing everywhere else. Be honest about where you will wear it.

• Measure in the shoes you will wear. A hem set for heels drags in flats, and a hem set for flats sits above the foot in heels.
• Stairs and kerbs: lift the front slightly with one hand, as you would a long skirt. Going down is harder than going up, because the back of the hem trails behind you.
• Outdoors: the hem gathers dust and soaks up water from wet ground. Pale colours and delicate fabrics show it first.
• Escalators, car doors and pedals: keep wide hems clear of moving parts, and gather the fabric before you drive.
• A calmer everyday version: ask for the hem to end at the top of the foot or at the ankle bone. It keeps the wide line but stays off the ground.

Fabric and how to ask for one

A farshi shalwar takes much more cloth than a standard one because the leg never narrows. The trouser piece in most unstitched suits is cut with an ordinary shalwar in mind, so it is often not enough alone; our article on a suit that is short of fabric covers the options. Fabrics with some weight, such as cambric, cotton silk, raw silk or a firm lawn, hold the hem open. Very light chiffon collapses unless it is lined.

Farshi is not among the named trouser styles on our quote form, so send a photo and ask for it. Give your waist-to-floor length in shoes, the hem width you like and the kameez length, and the written quote confirms what is possible in your fabric and how much it needs. If you already own the fabric, start with unstitched suit stitching or a Stitching Only quote, and wait for us to confirm the fabric before you post it.