Pakistani Traditional Dress: Shalwar Kameez to Regional Wear

Pakistani traditional dress starts with the shalwar kameez, the national dress worn by men and women across the country: loose trousers gathered at the ankle under a long tunic, with a dupatta for women. On formal days and at weddings men add a waistcoat or wear a sherwani. Beyond that, every region has its own version, from the Sindhi ajrak and mirror-work cap to the Pashtun khet partug, the long Balochi jama and the woollen caps of the north.

This guide covers the national dress, how it changes from province to province, what visitors should wear, and where to buy a set.

What is the national dress of Pakistan?

The shalwar kameez is Pakistan's national dress, and the sherwani, achkan and kurta are counted with it as national garments. Since 1982, officials working in the secretariat have been required to wear national dress, which is why you see government officers in shalwar kameez and waistcoat rather than suits.

The shalwar is a pair of loose trousers, gathered at the ankle. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic, usually with side slits, and its length and cut follow fashion. Men's suits are typically plain cotton, wash-and-wear or khaddar in winter, worn with a waistcoat for anything slightly formal.

The sherwani is a long, fitted coat, buttoned to the neck, worn by grooms and by men at formal events. The achkan is a close relative. With either, many men wear the Jinnah cap, made of karakul lambskin and named after the founder of Pakistan, who made it a symbol.

What do Pakistani women wear?

Women wear the shalwar kameez in endless variations, with a dupatta, a long scarf worn over the shoulders or head. Summer suits are mostly printed lawn, a light cotton, sold as three-piece unstitched sets each spring; winter suits move to khaddar, linen and wool. Embroidery, block printing and mirror work run through every price range.

For weddings and festive days the cut changes. You will see:

• Gharara and sharara, wide, flared trousers under a short shirt, worn at weddings.
• Churidar, tight trousers gathered in folds at the ankle, under a long kameez.
• Lehenga, a full skirt with a short blouse and dupatta, worn mostly by brides.
• Trousers or cigarette pants under a kameez, now everyday wear in cities.

How does traditional dress differ by region?

Punjab

The Punjabi suit has a straight kameez with side slits and a shalwar that fits more closely at the ankle. In the countryside men still wear a kurta with a tehmat or lacha, a length of cloth wrapped like a sarong, and a turban, or pagg, for occasions. South Punjab's Multani and Bahawalpuri shalwars are much fuller, the Bahawalpuri one known for its deep folds. Women's festive wear may carry phulkari, Punjab's darned flower embroidery. The everyday shoe is the khussa, embroidered for weddings.

Sindh

Sindh's men are known for two things above all: the ajrak, a block-printed shawl in red and indigo, and the Sindhi topi, a round cap embroidered with mirror work, with an arch cut out at the front. Both are given as gifts of respect, and both come out in force on Sindhi Culture Day in December. Traditional Sindhi trousers include the suthan, narrow below the knee, and the kancha, wide at the ankle, and women's shirts, or cholo, are heavily embroidered with metallic thread, beads and mirrors. Our guide to Sindhi ajrak block printing explains how the real thing is made.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pashtun men wear the khet partug, a long, loose shirt over very full Peshawari shalwar, with a waistcoat, a turban, a kufi or a pakol, and the heavy leather Peshawari chappal, also called the kheri. Chitral has its own woollen cloth, patti, and the white Chitrali pakol; see our Chitrali cap guide. The Kalash women of Chitral wear long black dresses embroidered in bright colours with a cowrie-shell headdress; our Kalash dress guide describes them. The UK currently advises against all travel to the Kalash valleys and the N45 to Chitral, so check current advice before planning a visit.

Balochistan

Traditional Balochi men's dress is a long jama, a smock-like robe that once reached the heels, with a very loose shalwar, a long scarf and a cotton pagri. Balochi women's dresses are known for dense, colourful hand embroidery, often with mirror work. Our Balochi dress guide covers both.

Gilgit-Baltistan

In the north, the signature is the woollen cap: the rolled-brim pakol, which Wikipedia traces to the Gilgit and Astore valleys, and embroidered caps for women, including the fine cross-stitch caps of Hunza. Long woollen coats are worn against the cold. Our guide to Gilgit-Baltistan traditional dress goes valley by valley.

Azad Kashmir

The Kashmiri pheran is a long, loose woollen gown worn over other clothes in winter, often embroidered at the neck and cuffs. Kashmiri embroidery also appears on shalwar kameez and shawls. See our guide to the traditional dress of Azad Kashmir.

What should visitors wear in Pakistan?

Pakistan is a conservative country, and the safe rule is loose clothing that covers the shoulders and legs. For men that means trousers, not shorts, outside a hotel or the gym. For women it means long sleeves or three-quarter sleeves, a top that covers the hips, and a scarf to hand.

Many visitors, including Pakistanis from abroad, find a shalwar kameez the most comfortable thing to wear, especially in the heat. It is cool, it is modest without trying, and nobody looks twice.

• Mosques and shrines: women cover their heads, everyone removes their shoes, and men should not wear shorts. See our guide to mosque etiquette.
• The north: dress is relaxed in Hunza and Skardu, but villages are conservative, and evenings are cold even in summer. Our guide to what to wear in Gilgit-Baltistan has more.
• Foreign women: our guide on what to wear as a foreign woman covers headscarves and city-by-city differences.

Where can you buy Pakistani traditional dress?

Ready-made

Every city has brand stores selling ready-to-wear and unstitched suits at fixed prices, including Khaadi, Gul Ahmed, Sapphire, J., Alkaram and Bonanza Satrangi. This is the easiest route for visitors: you can try things on, sizes are labelled, and you will find men's kurtas and waistcoats in the same malls. New lawn collections arrive in spring.

Fabric and a tailor

Pakistanis mostly buy unstitched fabric and have it tailored. Lahore's Azam Cloth Market is one of the largest wholesale cloth markets in the country, and Faisalabad, the textile capital, has its own (see our Faisalabad cloth market guide). In Karachi, try Zainab Market and Tariq Road; in Islamabad, Jinnah Super. Tailors usually need several days, and in the weeks before Eid most stop taking orders altogether, so don't leave it late.

Regional pieces

Buy regional clothes where they come from when you can: ajrak and Sindhi topis in Hyderabad and Hala, khussa in Multan and Lahore, chappals in Peshawar, Rawalpindi or Charsadda, pakols in Gilgit and Chitral. The UK government advises against all travel to Peshawar and Charsadda after attacks in 2026, so most travellers buy chappals in Rawalpindi or Islamabad instead, and Pakistani travellers who do go should check local news and police advice first.

Which piece is worth buying?

If you buy one thing, make it something regional and handmade rather than a brand suit you could buy in any mall: a hand-printed ajrak, a mirror-work Sindhi topi, a pair of Peshawari chappals, a Hunza cap or a Kashmiri-embroidered shawl. They last, they travel well and they say where you have been.

If you want something to wear on the trip itself, a couple of ready-made cotton shalwar kameez from a brand store will do more for your comfort than anything else in your suitcase. For more ideas, see our guide to souvenirs from Pakistan and our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions