Balochi Dress: What Men and Women Wear

Traditional Balochi dress for men is a very wide shalwar, a long loose shirt and a turban called the paag, often with an embroidered waistcoat or cap. Women wear a long, loose embroidered dress with a shalwar (pajamak) and a large embroidered headscarf. The embroidery, usually silk-thread chain-stitch and small mirrors, is what makes a Balochi dress recognisable at once.

This guide explains each part of the outfit, how it differs between men and women, when people wear it, and how to buy something that is genuinely Baloch rather than a machine copy.

What do Baloch men wear?

The men's outfit is built around a shalwar cut extremely wide, about 2.2 metres across in the traditional pattern, so it uses a large length of cloth. The shirt (kameez, or in older descriptions the jama) is long and loose with long sleeves. In older forms it reached down towards the heels.

The turban is the most visible piece. Its Balochi name is paag, and in Brahui, which is spoken in the central part of the province, it is called dastar. There are several ways of tying it.

Other pieces you will see:

• Embroidered caps. The chakan doz is a hand-embroidered cap, traditionally worn by nobles, with needlework covering the fabric. Many caps also include small pieces of mirror in the pattern.
• A waistcoat, often embroidered, worn over the kameez, especially on cultural occasions.
• A woollen shawl or coat in winter.
• Shoes with a narrow toe, in older descriptions.

What do Baloch women wear?

The women's outfit has three parts: a long loose dress, a shalwar called the pajamak, and a large headscarf. The scarf is often the finished piece, carrying embroidery along its borders.

The dress is where the needlework is concentrated. The characteristic embroidery is silk-thread chain-stitch worked in local designs. One reference counts 118 basic Balochi embroidery designs, which gives a sense of how much variety exists. Patterns and colours differ between regions and families, and a skilled eye can often tell where a piece comes from.

Gold traditionally completes the outfit. Wikipedia lists heavy earrings fastened with gold chains and a gold brooch that fastens the dress at the chest.

Is there a difference between regions?

Yes, though the overall pattern is shared. Balochistan is large, with Baloch, Brahui and Pashtun communities and coastal Makran, the mountains and the plateau around Quetta all having their own habits. What you see in a Quetta bazaar will not be identical to a dress made on the coast.

We have not found a reliable single source that maps every regional style, so treat any guide that claims a firm rule ("this pattern is only from X") with caution and ask the seller where a piece was made.

When is Balochi dress worn?

Everyday clothing in much of Balochistan is a plainer shalwar kameez. The full embroidered form appears at weddings, festivals and on Baloch Culture Day, celebrated on 2 March each year. Dawn's 2020 report described people across Quetta, Gwadar, Turbat and Panjgur wearing traditional turbans, shalwar kameez and embroidered waistcoats, with folk dances, songs and parades.

Our Baloch Culture Day guide covers the events. If you are in the province around 2 March, you will see the clothing at its fullest.

How to buy a Balochi dress

The safest starting point is Quetta. The city's main bazaar areas, including Jinnah Road and Sariab Road, have shops advertising Balochi dresses, and online listings for Quetta and other cities are also common. Before you buy, look at a few points:

1. Handwork or machine work. Hand-embroidered pieces are slower to make and cost more; machine copies are uniform and cheaper. Ask which you are looking at.
2. The back of the embroidery. Look at the reverse: chain-stitch done by hand should be tidy, not a tangle of loose threads.
3. The price. Listings for Balochi suits range from a few thousand rupees to tens of thousands, and prices change. Be sceptical of a very low price for a "hand-embroidered" piece.
4. Fabric and finish. Check that the mirror work is firmly attached and the fabric is not thin.
5. Where it was made. A reputable seller will tell you.

Do not rely on one shop's word for authenticity. If handwork matters to you, buy from a seller who can name the maker or the area. Our post on Quetta's dry-fruit market covers another good place to shop in the city, and our experiences page lists other culture-led ideas.

Is it safe to travel to Balochistan?

Balochistan as a whole carries official advisories. The UK government advises against all travel to Balochistan, and foreign-passport holders should check their own government's advice because it can affect insurance. Pakistani visitors do travel to Quetta and other towns, and there are also rules such as night-travel restrictions. Check local news and police advice before you go, and see our guide on whether Balochistan is safe to travel to.

If you cannot go, Balochi dress is also sold in Karachi and online, though the same authenticity checks apply.

Is it worth buying?

If you want a genuine piece, yes: a hand-embroidered dress is a lasting, wearable piece of craft, and buying directly supports the makers. It is less suited to someone who wants a cheap costume, for whom a machine-made copy is fine as long as you know it is one.

Frequently asked questions