The short answer: you need eight measurements for a perfectly fitted Pakistani outfit — chest, shoulders, sleeves, waist, hips, trouser length, kameez or dress length, and lehenga or skirt length. Take them in centimetres with a fabric tape over well-fitted clothing, have someone help you, and you will get a better fit from 4,000 miles away than most people get off a rail.
The eight measurements, step by step
- Chest: around the fullest part of the bust, tape level and snug but not compressing. Breathe normally.
- Shoulders: across the back, shoulder bone to shoulder bone — the measurement most people get wrong alone, so use a helper.
- Sleeves: from the shoulder bone down to where you want the sleeve to end, arm slightly bent.
- Waist: around the natural waistline — the narrowest point, usually above the navel. Do not measure where your jeans sit.
- Hips: around the fullest part, feet together.
- Trouser length: from waist to ankle bone along the side of the leg.
- Kameez/dress length: from the shoulder point down to your chosen hem.
- Lehenga/skirt length: from the waist to the floor in the footwear height you plan to wear — heels change everything.
Our size chart page includes an in-depth video demonstrating each of these, and every product page carries the measurement form at checkout.
Five mistakes that ruin remote sizing
- Using a metal DIY tape — it cannot follow body curves. £2 fabric tape only.
- Measuring alone — twisting to read the tape changes the number. Recruit a helper for shoulders and lengths.
- Measuring over bulky clothes — thin, fitted clothing or the underwear you will wear on the day.
- Guessing heel height — decide footwear before submitting floor-length measurements.
- Rounding optimistically — submit real numbers. Garments are cut to what you send, and honesty fits better than hope.
What happens after you submit
Your outfit is cut and stitched to your numbers with a 3–5 inch alteration margin sewn into the seams — insurance for the natural fluctuations of a wedding year. Production takes 6–10 weeks (full timeline here), you receive a video of the finished piece for approval before dispatch, and if anything needs a minor local tweak on arrival, the margin makes it a simple job for any tailor. Unsure about anything mid-form? Book a video consultation and we will take you through it live.
Prefer a standard size?
Compare your numbers against our UK size conversion chart, which maps UK 6–20 to centimetre measurements and explains where conversion helps and where it misleads. For children’s outfits, use the dedicated children’s size chart.
Frequently asked questions
Should I measure in centimetres or inches?
Centimetres — they are more precise for tailoring and are the standard our workshop cuts to. Our forms accept both, but cm removes rounding errors.
How tight should the tape be?
Snug against the body without indenting the skin. You should be able to slide one finger underneath.
What if I am between decisions on length or sleeves?
Longer. Taking fabric in or up is easy; adding it is not. The alteration margin covers refinement later.
Can I update measurements after ordering?
Contact us as soon as possible — changes are straightforward before cutting begins, which is another reason to order early in the 6–10 week window.
