Style guide · Hemlines and slits

Chaak Design: Side Slits for Kameez and Kurtas

Also called chaak

Quick answer

Chaak are the side slits that let a kameez move when you walk and sit. On a knee-length straight kameez they usually start around the hip, but the right height depends on the length, the cut and how much coverage you want. Tell us the slit length measured up from the hem, and how you’d like the edges finished.

Illustration

What it is

Chaak are the openings at the bottom of the side seams. The longer and straighter the kameez, the more they matter: without them, a knee or calf-length straight kameez pulls across the hips when you sit and shortens your stride. On a straight kurti, a short slit at the centre front or back can be used instead of, or as well as, side slits.

Choosing the height

Think of slit height in relation to the kameez length and your knee. Above the knee, a short slit is usually enough. Once the hem falls at or below the knee, the slit must open far enough for your knees to bend and stride freely, so longer kameez generally need longer slits.

Low slits: just above the hem. More covered, and enough for an A-line or relaxed cut.
Hip-height slits: the classic choice for a knee-length straight kameez.
High slits: at or above the hip. Elegant over slim trousers, and slimming on a calf-length kameez, but they open when you sit.
No slits: possible on flared cuts such as a kalidar frock, where the hem is wide enough to move in.

Finishing the edges

Slit edges need a clean finish so they lie flat and don’t fray.

Facing: a narrow strip of the same fabric turned to the inside. Neat and nearly invisible; the usual choice.
Piping: a fine line of contrast colour along each edge, often taken from the print.
Lace: edges the slit and often continues along the hem; see daman with lace.
Patti: a flat band of contrast fabric or border framing the slit, sometimes squared off or pointed at the top.

Reinforcing the top, and fit at the hip

The top of a slit takes the strain every time you sit, bend or climb stairs, so it’s where a slit most often tears. Ask for it to be reinforced with a few extra rows of stitching, a small bar tack or a little square of fabric on the inside; a bow or motif on top is decoration only.

A kameez cut too close at the hips also strains the slits and makes them gape. Our guide to ease explains how much room to allow.

How to ask for it

On the stitching quote form, write the slit length in the design notes, measured up from the hem in inches or centimetres, or say where it should start, such as at the hip. Add the finish and a photo if you have one; measuring the slits on a kameez you like is the easiest way to choose. Or write “advise me” and we’ll suggest a height, confirmed in your design approval before cutting.

Common questions

How high should kameez side slits be?

On a knee-length straight kameez they usually start around the hip, but it’s a personal choice. Lower slits feel more covered and higher ones look more modern, so give us the length measured up from the hem.

Does an A-line kameez need side slits?

Usually shorter ones than a straight kameez, or none on a well-flared cut, because the flare already gives room to walk and sit.

Last reviewed 30 September 2026.