What is a princess cut kameez, and who does it suit?

The two versions

The front is normally made of three panels, and the back is either cut the same way or left plain. Where the seam begins gives the two versions. Our article on yokes and panels shows how other panel layouts compare.

• Shoulder princess: the seam starts at the middle of the shoulder and runs almost straight down over the bust. It gives two strong vertical lines from top to bottom, which lengthen the figure.
• Armhole princess: the seam starts part of the way down the armhole and curves in over the bust. It is softer and less visible, and it shapes a fuller bust especially well.

Who it suits

A princess cut is for anyone who wants a kameez that follows the body without clinging. It is a less comfortable choice if you like your clothes loose, or if your size changes often. A shaped kameez depends on accurate measurements at the bust, waist and hip, and it shows a change at any of them sooner than a straight cut would. Our guide to ease explains how much room a closer cut still keeps.

• Fuller bust: the seam passes over the bust, so the shaping is spread along a curve instead of ending in a dart point. The front hangs straight instead of lifting.
• Defined waist: the panels narrow at the waist without a belt or a seam.
• Fuller hips: the seams release below the waist, so the lower part skims the hip and flares slightly, much as an A-line does.
• Petite frames: unbroken vertical seams add height.

Fabrics, and why busy prints hide it

Medium-weight woven fabrics with some body sew into smooth curves and hold them: cotton, cambric, linen, cotton silk, raw silk and jacquard all work. Very sheer fabrics show the seam allowances through the cloth unless the kameez is lined, and thick fabrics such as khaddar can make the curved seams look ridged.

Print is the bigger question. The whole appeal of the cut is those long clean lines, and on a busy print they vanish. Worse, every seam slices through the pattern, so large motifs are chopped into pieces and stripes or checks jump at each join. A curved seam cannot be pattern-matched the way a straight one can. Plain fabric, a fine texture or a very small all-over print shows the cut clearly.

The same goes for embroidered fronts from unstitched suit packs. The embroidery is worked on one flat piece, and princess seams would cut through it, so a straight or A-line cut usually serves that fabric better.

Asking for a princess cut

It is not one of the tick-box choices on our quote form, so send a photo of the style and mention the cut in your notes. Because the shape is closer to the body, two extra measurements help: the distance from the top of your shoulder to the fullest point of the bust, and from the shoulder to your natural waist. The size guide shows the standard ones.

Everything is arranged online, so careful measuring matters more here than on a loose cut. Share your design through Send Your Design and request a quote. We confirm in the written quote what is possible on your fabric and design, including whether a zip is needed.