Shopping for Shalwar Kameez

Who wants to talk more about Shalwar Kameez? Shopping, Tailoring, Choosing a design?

My first shalwar kameez - 2 of them, actually - were brought to America as gifts by my mother- and father-in-law. A dark blue one with gold accents, and a purple one from really wrinkly fabric. Both had elastic waisted regular shalwars, and very striking, holes-cut-out and beaded necklines. I liked them allright, I guess. I'd never given much thought to shalwar kameez before, and I don't even think I'd seen any other than the plain white ones M wore only twice before. That's part of the hazard of dating a desi guy - most of his friends will be guys and you might not get  lot of exposure to the desi women's experience. 

Over time, of course, I knew more desi women and got a chance to see more ladies shalwar kameez. There are so many different styles and choices! Being completely foreign to shalwar kameez, I couldn't even tell which people were fashionable or weren't. (I probably still don't.) In fact, lots of you left comments on the first post about shalwar kameez and mentioned different sytles like evergeen, flapper, anarkali - and I have no idea what those mean even NOW! (although some of you gave really good descriptions, thanks!)

I rarely get to buy my own shalwar kameez anyway. They are so so SO expensive in America, and I've only been to Pakistan twice. When I did go to Pakistan, I shopped for a lot of different shalwar kameez. The first time I bought mostly cotton outfits, and then when I got back I realized I had very little to wear to a dinner party. So the second time I bought mostly nicer outfits. 

Unfortunately I think my style tends toward the crappy stuff. My family calls my style "Lalukhait-y" after a market in Karachi where I guess more lower-income people shop. (Although I have never shopped for clothes in any market except Hyderi Market.) I once bought a pair of shoes with bells all over them and someone in M's family told me I shouldn't be wearing them, they were too ugly and unfashionable. Ha! 

Luckily, I've found that two of M's cousins are really good shopping buddies. One is REALLY fashionable and so kind and patient with me, so she always helps guide me to a nice choice. She also helped me find a good tailor. The other is older, and probably less fashionable, but she's such a good bargainer that I take her when I'm buying the really expensive stuff like shararas and sarees. 

As far as the cut of the outfit, I prefer a little longer kameez, or shirt. In America, these days all I see from the young girls at the desi parties we go to (which are usually a mix of more recent immigrants and 2nd generation born in America) are shorter kameez and a ghair or patialashalwar - which are big pants that have all these pleats either all around the hips or all through the thigh area. My hips aren't exactly the slimmest part of me, so I'd be afraid to wear so much fabric at the hip or thigh because it might look like my hips were never ending rolls of fabric. I like my kameez a little longer, too, because it covers up a multitude of sins. So it seems I'll continue to be unfashionable until my hips get smaller, or more likely, until fashion changes up again.

As far as designs, I've always like tribal looking prints and hand embroidery. Classic, simple. Nothing neon or electric yellow. For some reason desis think that shocking orange or pink looks good with my skin tone, but I can't stand it. Also, I don't like prints with geometric shapes - which seem to be pretty prevalent. I feel like a geometry equation. I like litte embroidered flowers and paisley. I found a couple of pictures of some of my favorite outfits (all headless, of course!)

The first ever shalwar kameez I bought myself at a desi store in Houston. It cost like, $75, I think.

The first shalwar kameez I bought in Pakistan. I like the simple, traditional floral pattern. (and notice that M is subversively putting his hand on my knee even though were sitting in the street outside a cafe. Scandal!)

One of those terrible geometric patterns they're always trying to get me into.

One of my favorite outfits! I even used the dupatta/scarf part of this as a tablecloth sometimes! I love that it's mostly simple, but with just a hint - the borders - of heavy embroidery.

A nicer outfit that was supposed to be a tight-fitting churidar pants style, but the tailor messed it up. I loved the color and the delicate white embroidery.

One of the more recent purchases, I still wear this one a lot. Also, the baby standing on our luggage as we were trying to finish up our packing for the return trip from Pakistan last year.

A family shalwar kameez photo! (Also, another outfit picked out by my mother-in-law; you can tell by the color.)