The cultural dresses of Pakistan by province: Balochistan has the hand-embroidered Balochi dress (pashk). Sindh has the mirror-work shirt with ajrak and Sindhi topi. Punjab has the kameez with phulkari dupatta and the kurta with lacha for men. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the Pashtun khat dress for women and shalwar kameez with waistcoat for men. The Hazara community has the long Hazaragi dress, and Kashmir has the embroidered pheran. The shalwar kameez is the national dress.
Pakistani cultural dresses with names
| Region | Women | Men | Signature craft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balochistan | Balochi dress (pashk) with embroidered chest panel and front pocket, wide shalwar, large dupatta | Long loose shirt, very wide shalwar, turban (pag) | Doch embroidery, mirror work |
| Sindh | Cholo or kurti with mirror-work chest panel, shalwar, dupatta or ajrak | Shalwar kameez, ajrak shawl, Sindhi topi | Mirror work, ajrak block print, ralli |
| Punjab | Kameez with shalwar or ghagra, phulkari dupatta, paranda, khussa | Kurta with tehmat or lacha, turban, khussa | Phulkari and bagh |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Khat (long flared dress) with partug shalwar; black embroidered dresses with beads and coins | Shalwar kameez, waistcoat, Peshawari chappal, pakol or turban | Heavy neck and sleeve embroidery, beads and coins |
| Hazara (Quetta) | Long dress with embroidered yoke and side slits, full skirt, tunban, large scarf | Shalwar kameez, waistcoat, embroidered cap | Fine cross-stitch and herringbone embroidery |
| Kashmir | Pheran (long loose gown) with embroidered neck and cuffs, shalwar, headscarf | Plain wool pheran over shalwar kameez | Tilla, aari and sozni embroidery |
Balochistan: Balochi dress
The women's Balochi dress is a long, loose dress with a large hand-embroidered chest panel, a long front pocket (pado) and embroidered cuffs. The embroidery, doch, is made of tiny geometric stitches and can take weeks. Men wear a long shirt with a very wide shalwar and a turban. Baloch Culture Day is celebrated on 2 March. Read the full Balochi dress guide and designs.
Sindh: Sindhi dress
Sindhi women wear a shirt with a chest panel covered in mirror work and bright embroidery, with a shalwar and a dupatta or ajrak. Men wear shalwar kameez with an ajrak, the madder-and-indigo block-printed shawl, and the mirror-work Sindhi topi. Sindhi Culture Day falls in early December. Read the Sindhi dress and mirror work guide.
Punjab: Punjabi dress
Punjabi women wear a bright kameez with a full shalwar, or a ghagra for celebrations, with a phulkari dupatta, a paranda and khussa. Men wear a kurta with a lacha (tehmat), a turban and khussa. Punjab Culture Day is on 14 March. Read the Punjabi dress and phulkari guide.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Pashtun dress
The traditional Pashtun women's dress is the khat, a long shirt that flares out towards the ankles, worn over a loose partug shalwar. Village dresses are often black cotton embroidered heavily around the neck, sleeves and hem, and decorated with beads, buttons and coins. Men wear a shalwar kameez with a waistcoat, Peshawari chappal and a pakol cap or turban. Pashtun Culture Day is on 23 September. Read the Pashtun (Pathani) dress guide.
Hazara community: Hazaragi dress
Quetta is home to a large Hazara community. Hazara women wear a long, long-sleeved dress with an embroidered chest yoke and side slits over a full skirt and trousers, often in velvet with gold borders. Hazara embroidery is famous for very fine cross-stitch work. Read the Hazaragi dress guide.
Kashmir: Kashmiri dress
The Kashmiri pheran is a long, loose gown with wide sleeves. Women's pherans are embroidered at the neck and cuffs with tilla (metallic thread) or aari (chain stitch). Read the Kashmiri dress guide.
Culture day dress ideas for girls and boys
Culture days at school are one of the busiest times for cultural dresses, in Pakistan and in Pakistani schools in the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Ideas by province:
| Culture | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| Balochi | Hand-embroidered Balochi dress with dupatta | Long shirt, wide shalwar, small turban |
| Sindhi | Mirror-work kurti or frock, ajrak dupatta, bangles | White shalwar kameez, ajrak, Sindhi topi |
| Punjabi | Kurti or ghagra, phulkari dupatta, paranda, khussa | Kurta with lacha, waistcoat, small turban |
| Pashtun | Embroidered long frock or kuchi-style dress with shalwar | Shalwar kameez, waistcoat, Peshawari chappal, pakol |
| Hazaragi | Long velvet dress with embroidered yoke, fringed scarf | Shalwar kameez, waistcoat, embroidered cap |
| Kashmiri | Embroidered pheran, shalwar, headscarf, large earrings | Small pheran with shalwar and round cap |
Tip: hand-embroidered dresses take several weeks to make, so order early. Balochify makes Balochi dresses for girls and kids to order, and can tell you on chat whether it can make a Sindhi or Punjabi style.
Questions
What is the national dress of Pakistan?
The shalwar kameez is the national dress of Pakistan, worn by women and men. Each province has its own cultural version of it.
What are the cultural dresses of the four provinces of Pakistan?
Balochistan: the Balochi dress (pashk) with doch embroidery. Sindh: the mirror-work shirt with ajrak and Sindhi topi. Punjab: kameez with phulkari dupatta, and kurta with lacha for men. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: the Pashtun khat dress with partug shalwar for women, and shalwar kameez with waistcoat and Peshawari chappal for men.
What should a girl wear for culture day in Pakistan?
Popular choices are a hand-embroidered Balochi dress, a Sindhi mirror-work kurti with an ajrak dupatta, a Punjabi kurti or ghagra with a phulkari dupatta and paranda, or a Pashtun embroidered dress.
When are the culture days in Pakistan?
Baloch Culture Day is on 2 March, Punjab Culture Day on 14 March, Pashtun Culture Day on 23 September, and Sindhi Culture Day (Sindhi Topi and Ajrak Day) in early December, usually the first Sunday. Many schools also hold their own culture days.
Need a culture day dress?
Send us the child's measurements and the style. We confirm price and time on chat.
Explore more cultures
Balochi dress
Hand-embroidered designs for women, girls and kids. Our speciality.
Read →Punjabi dress
Phulkari dupatta, Punjabi suit, kurta and lacha.
Read →Sindhi dress
Mirror work, Sindhi embroidery, ajrak and topi.
Read →Pashtun dress
Pathani dress, the khat and kuchi-style embroidery.
Read →Hazaragi dress
Long Hazara dresses with fine cross-stitch embroidery.
Read →Kashmiri dress
The pheran, with tilla and aari embroidery.
Read →