Pakistan’s culture is rich in people’s traditions and represents the history of the region. The people and society of Pakistan are unique in their way of life, ideology and ethics. Pakistani clothing reflects the culture of Pakistan and the culture of the clauses that are in the Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pashtun) and Kashmir areas of the country.
The clothing culture of the Pakistani people is rich in various influences of thousands of years old heritage. Clothing is the identity of any nation. Clothing is present in every regional culture, reflecting the climatic conditions, lifestyle and specific style which gives it a distinct identity in all cultures.
Pakistan’s national dress:
The shalwar kameez is the national dress of Pakistan and is worn by men and women in all five provinces. Since 1982, all government officials working in the Secretariat have been required to wear the national dress. Each province has its own style of wearing shalwar kameez which is famous for Sindhi shalwar kameez, Punjabi shalwar kameez, Balochi shalwar kameez and Pashtun shalwar kameez.
Pakistani women wear shalwar kameez which are decorated in different styles, colors and designs with different styles and embroidery designs. The shirt can vary in sleeve length, shirt length, neckline. Long straight cut trousers, Patiala shalwar, tulip trousers, churidar, cigarette pajamas, samosa pajamas or plain trousers.
Most Pakistani men wear shalwar kameez and some people also wear karta and shalwar Pakistani vest. Karta is an important part of traditional dress in Pakistan. It looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring. The length of the kurta extends to the wearer’s knees. Can be worn with trousers or jeans. Men also like to wear vests with crusta and shalwar kameez and pajamas. This makes the dress look very attractive.
Sherwani is basically a long coat that is usually below knee length. It is best worn for this special occasion and sets you apart from the rest of the world. It is a combination of traditional dress with a symbol of Eastern aesthetics and cultural ethics. Sherwani is the most common dress in men’s weddings. It is usually made of fine thread, gold or embroidery. In general, gold, white and black sherwani are commonly used.
After the independence of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah often wore Sherwani. Following in his footsteps, most people and government officials in Pakistan, such as the president and prime minister, begin to wear regular black sherwanis over shalwar kameez for state occasions and national holidays.
Regional Clothing
In regional attire, the Baloch wear thick fabric shalwar kameez and with very wide shalwars protect themselves from the dry Sulaiman range and the hot winds of the Kharan Desert. They wear long-sleeved Balochi turbans, often white to protect their heads from the sun’s rays.
Sindh
Sindhi people wear traditional Sindhi hats and shalwar kameez with beautiful locally made designs. Punjabi men wear simple shalwar kameez, shalwar and dhoti karta according to the Punjabi climate. Along with the shalwar kameez, a thin cloth turban is also used, especially in the rural areas of Punjab where it is called turban. Khosa is also used with dhoti karta. In Pashtun dress, people wear traditional professional slippers.
By women’s religious dress we mean the dressing in which they try to cover all parts of their body except the face and hands when they go out of the house. Most women cover their heads with a dupatta or chador, or in whole or in part, but religious women prefer to wear a scarf, burqa or hijab.
The Sindhis are wearing a version of a shalwar called Sothan which had a shirt called Chola. Other traditional clothing includes Sindhi hats and Ajrak beautiful designs that are made locally. Men also traditionally wear dhoti.
Sindhi women wear lenga and choli called gaji which is a mountain shirt worn in the hilly areas of Sindh. Gaji consists of small, square panels, embroidered on silk and sequins. Sindhi dress shows embroidery using a mirror.
Punjab
Punjabi men wear straight cut Punjabi shalwar kameez, karta, dhoti and longi. Other Punjabi shalwar styles include Pothohari Shalwar, Multani Shalwar and Bahawalpuri Shalwar which is very wide and rich in many layers. A thin turban is also worn especially in rural areas of Punjab where it is called turban with khusa.
Punjabi women wear straight cut Punjabi shalwar kameez which they often wear. In rural areas, Punjabi women wear Pothohari shalwar, Patiala shalwar, Lacha, Gagra, Karti, Lehenga and Phulkari.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)
In Pashtun dress, people wear traditional Peshawar slippers. Traditional men’s Pashtun clothing includes Kheet Pratap and Peshawar shalwar. Men usually wear traditional headgear with a traditional forehead hat, turban.
In urban areas, women usually wear shalwar kameez. Pashtun women usually wear shalwar kameez and in some areas, especially in the tribal areas, women wear partak pratog. In the Kalash area, women wear long embroidered shirts.
Balochistan
A Baloch wears long robes such as smoky frocks up to heels, loose shalwars, long sheets or dupattas, cotton turbans and mostly shoes that float underfoot.
The clothes of the people of Balochistan consist of different types of shirts and shalwars, turbans, shoes and scarves on the head. Baloch women wear heavily embroidered shalwar kameez and dupatta with embroidery in which they work on glass. Balochi Dutch, a popular Balochi dress, is very expensive and takes months to complete a Balochi suit.
List Of National Clothes Of Pakistan:
Shalwar kameez
Sherwani
Sindhi Ajrak or Cap
Punjabi kurta and tehmat
Saraiki Turban
Saraiki Kurta
Peshawari Turban
Lehenga Choli
Churidaar Pajama
Ghagra choli
Dupatta
Lehenga style sari
Sindhi lehenga, choli
Phulkari
Kalash women traditional clothing
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