Shalwar kameez

Shalwars are trousers which are atypically wide at the waist but which narrow to a cuffed bottom. They are held up by a drawstring or elastic belt, which causes them to become pleated around the waist.^[4] The trousers can be wide and baggy, or they can be cut quite narrow, on the bias. Shalwars have been traditionally worn in a wide region which includes Eastern Europe,^[10][11] West Asia,^[12][13] Central Asia, and South Asia. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic.^[14] The side seams are left open below the waist-line (the opening known as the chaak^{[note 1]}), which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. The kameez is usually cut straight and flat; older kameez use traditional cuts; modern kameez are more likely to have European-inspired set-in sleeves. The kameez may have a European-style collar, a Mandarin collar, or it may be collarless; in the latter case, its design as a women's garment is similar to a kurta. The combination garment is sometimes called salwar kurta, salwar suit.^[16][17]


The shalwar and kameez were introduced into South Asia by arriving Muslims in the north in the 13th century: at first worn by Muslim women, their use gradually spread, making them a regional style,^[18][19][20] especially in the historical Punjab region.^[17][21][22] The shalwar-kameez is widely-worn by men and women in Pakistan,^[23][24] and is the country's national dress.^[25] It is also widely worn by men in Afghanistan,^[26] by women and some men in the Punjab region of India, from which it has been adopted by women throughout India,^[27] and more generally in South Asia.^[28]


When women wear the shalwar-kameez in some regions, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck.^[29][30] In South Asia, the dupatta is also employed as a form of modesty—although it is made of delicate material, it obscures the upper body's contours by passing over the shoulders. For Muslim women, the dupatta is a less stringent alternative to the chador or burqa (see hijab and purdah); for Sikh and Hindu women, the dupatta is useful when the head must be covered, as in a temple or the presence of elders.^[31] Everywhere in South Asia, modern versions of the attire have evolved; the shalwars are worn lower down on the waist, the kameez have shorter lengths, higher splits, lower necklines and backlines, and with cropped sleeves or without sleeves.^[32]