Styles and design · 8 October 2026 · 4 min read
What is a kaaj? Buttonholes on a kameez explained
Kaaj is the Urdu tailoring word for a buttonhole. How a stitched kaaj compares with a fabric loop or a decorative button, and what to state when you order buttons.
InspirationKaaj means buttonhole
Kaaj (also written kaj) is the word tailors in Pakistan and north India use for a buttonhole: the small slit, reinforced with close stitches all round, that a button passes through. “Kaaj button” on a tailor’s note means a working button with a buttonhole, as opposed to a button sewn on for show.
On a kameez, kaaj usually means the buttonholes down a placket at the neck, but it covers any buttonhole: on cuffs, on a shirt-style front or on a waistcoat.
Three ways to fasten a button
A button can be held by a kaaj, by a loop, or not held at all. The choice changes how the front looks and how easy it is to use.
- Stitched buttonhole (kaaj). A slit edged with dense machine or hand stitching, with a short bar at each end. Neat, strong and flat. It needs a firm area of fabric, usually a placket backed with interfacing.
- Fabric or thread loop. A thin tube of fabric (a rouleau) or a worked thread loop on one edge, catching a button on the other. Loops suit edge-to-edge openings, soft fabrics and round potli buttons, and look more traditional.
- Decorative button. Sewn on with no buttonhole, purely for the look, while the opening is closed some other way (a hidden press stud, a hook or a side zip) or does not open at all.
Which one suits your kameez
Flat buttons on a straight placket look sharpest with a kaaj; this is the shirt-like finish you see on office kurtas and on a button-front shirt dress such as our shirt dress. Round, raised or covered buttons usually sit better in loops, because they are awkward to push through a slit. Chiffon and other very fine fabrics struggle to hold a stitched buttonhole without a firm backing, so loops or decorative buttons with a hidden fastening are common there.
Think about use as well as looks. If you need to open the neck often, for example for nursing, working buttonholes all the way down are practical. If the neckline is wide enough to pull over your head, decorative buttons keep the look without the fuss. More on plackets and button styles is in kurta plackets and buttons.
What to state in your order
Buttons are a small detail that is easy to get wrong in a written description, so give the specifics.
- Working (kaaj or loop) or decorative.
- Number of buttons and roughly how far apart, or where the first and last sit.
- Button size, as a diameter in millimetres if you know it, and type: flat, round, covered or metal.
- Whether the buttons are your own (send them with your fabric) or should be chosen to match.
- Buttonhole thread: matching the fabric or a contrast.
Sending the request
Placket and button details are not named options on our quote form, so add them to the notes and attach a photo of the front you like. If you are supplying your fabric through Stitching Only, mention any buttons you plan to send in the same parcel. The quote form takes everything in one go, and the finished front is agreed in the written quote before cutting. Other words a tailor may use are collected in our stitching glossary.
Common questions
Should buttonholes run up and down or across?
On a narrow placket they usually run up and down, in line with the placket. On cuffs and waistbands they run across, because that direction takes the pull of the fastening better.
Can buttonholes be made on chiffon?
They can, with a firm backing on the placket, but they are delicate and can fray with use. Loops, or decorative buttons with a hidden fastening, are often more practical on very fine fabric.
Why does a buttonhole need a bar at each end?
The bars stop the slit tearing further when the button is pushed through again and again. They are a sign of a properly finished buttonhole.
