TRADITIONAL CLOTHING FROM THE

PROVINCES OF PAKISTAN

By: Iman Nadeem Zoqi

Even after so many years, Shalwar kameez remains to be the traditional clothing in Pakistani dresses.

It is true that our clothing has gone through various innovations and Pakistani dresses today are much different from what they used to be, but fashion only adds a little spice here and a little there to give Pakistani dresses a new look every year.

As you move from one province to another, you get to see a new flavour added into the Pakistani dresses. Every province’s traditional clothing has its own beauty and has a novelty into it. Today, when Pakistani dresses have evolved so much, people love to have possession of cultural Pakistani dresses because they have become such a novelty.

BALOUCHISTAN Balochis have maintained their traditional clothing till the present day. If you

look into history, you will not find a lot of difference in Balochi Pakistani dresses of today and earlier times.

The Pakistani dresses for Balochi women are truly exquisite. Pakistani dresses for Baluchi women have beautiful needlework done on the front and a large pocket at the front of the dress is also a cultural part of the dress. The needlework is done by the women themselves and the Balochi women are well-known for it.

SINDH Pakistani dresses show a new colour as you cross the boundaries of

Sindh. Although, the people of Sindh have not preserved their traditional clothing the way Balochi’s have, but you still get to see the traditional “Ajrak and Sindhi Topi” in rural areas of Sindh

Ajrak is a piece of cloth with a unique print on it with specific colors (Brown and maroon mainly) and Sindhi Topi is hat which is a significant part of sindhi Culture. The needle and mirror work done on Sindhi topi is popular all over Pakistan and people of all cultures like to possess it is not a part of National Pakistani dresses.

PUNJAB Punjab has evolved the most in term of Pakistani dresses. The

traditional clothing of Punjab used to be Lacha (Lower part of the dress, without any partition for legs), and Paranda (a colourful piece of accessory which women used to weave into their hair). Today, we see these only in some formal demonstration of cultural Pakistani dresses.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA Pathan women wear embroided Kameez with a farak with a

heavy Dupatta. Kashmiri phiran style kameez has heavy embroidary on the front neck of the kameez and is often made of wool.