What width of lace suits a daman, sleeve or trouser?

How height and kameez length change the choice

A band of lace is a horizontal line, and horizontal lines shorten whatever they cross. On a petite frame, a wide daman border can make the kameez look as if it ends twice, so narrower lace, about an inch, keeps the length reading as one line. Taller wearers can carry 3 or 4 inches at the hem without losing proportion.

The kameez matters as much as the wearer. A 4 inch border on a 40 inch kameez is a clear feature with room round it. The same border on a 28 inch kurti takes over the whole garment. Our guide to kameez length for your height helps you settle the length first.

Fabric weight

Lace should never be heavier than the edge can hold. On lawn, chiffon and georgette, a wide or dense lace drags the hem and makes it ripple, so stay narrow or choose a light net or organza lace. Cambric, linen, khaddar and other firm fabrics carry wider and heavier bands comfortably. Sheer lace looks narrower than it measures, because the fabric colour shows through it, while solid guipure and metallic lace look wider. Our guide to types of lace describes each kind.

Using more than one width

When lace appears on several edges, vary the width in a clear order. The daman usually takes the widest band, the sleeves about half to two thirds of that, and the trouser hem and neckline the narrowest. Three edges all at the same width tend to look heavy, while one wide band supported by two slim ones looks planned. The daman with lace and sleeves with lace pages show both edges.

How to state a width in a quote

A number alone leaves room for misunderstanding. Four details remove it:

• The unit: inches or centimetres, written out. The quote form accepts either.
• Visible width: say that you mean the width that shows once the lace is stitched on, measured at its widest point if the edge is scalloped.
• Which edge: daman, sleeve, neckline, trouser hem or dupatta, with a width for each.
• On the fabric or beyond it: lace laid on top of the hem keeps the garment at its measured length. Lace that hangs below the edge adds its own width, so say whether your kameez and sleeve lengths include it.

Where to put the request

Lace and borders belong only to outfits we stitch. Put the widths in your notes on the stitching quote form, with a photo if you have one, and we confirm what is possible on your fabric and design in the written quote. The custom embroidery page explains how lace, borders and embroidery are quoted together.