salwar kameez Where to shop

[bawabod]

Hi I am looking to find a contemporary salwar kameez for an informal occasion I live in the southeast so can get into london etc I have no idea what is currently fashionable and what would be suitable attire for a religious occasion in a friends house Any advice welcome .

[Argeles]

Hi babawod, churidar or pyjama style salwar kameez are very fashionable (long line blouse often reaching below the knees, with trousers of a legging-type appearance). If you Google it, you will see what I mean. In my opinion, they are very elegant, beautiful and flattering.

When is the ceremony and what religion & occasion will the outfit be for? I am asking when, as if you have a few weeks or months to sort out an outfit, you could buy some material and take it to an Asian tailor and get it custom made (approx £25 depending on complexity of style and how embellished the fabric is). This is what most Asians do. Beware though, Ramadan is approaching and the tailors get very busy during this time.

Ebay is also a great option. A lot of sellers show photos of the finished product & you send them your measurements & they custom make it for you. You can also buy ready made suits and nearly new ones too.

Rupali is a good website with lots of sales and offers & they sell jewellery & accessories too.

Green Street, East London and Southall are good places for the whole outfit and accessories. With Ramadan starting in a couple of weeks, there will be lots of offers on clothes and fabric - more so in Green Street, as this has a higher population of Muslims than Southall. Unze is brilliant for shoes (they have an online shop too).

If it's for an Islamic Nikkah (wedding vowels with the Imam), I'd advise that you look for an outfit with long sleeves and try and do a hair style that won't flatten too much with the wearing of the dupatta (headscarf that comes with the suit). You can drape it around your neck most of the time, but when the Imam arrives & the vowels will be said, you'd need to cover your head (doesn't need to be worn tightly, but has to cover all hair).

Remember that you may need to remove your shoes in the home, depending on the religion & ceremony, so maybe don't make your shoes the 'star item!'

I'd avoid wearing white (associated with funerals). Some Asian brides do wear it now, so it'd avoid clashing with them (if it's a wedding ceremony). Potentially avoid red or pink as a main colour too if it's a wedding ceremony (lots of brides traditionally wear it).

Please let me know the answers to the above & I'll have a think & see if I can help you any more. I'm white & my DH is British Asian.

[ButtonsAndBows]

Above poster responded better than I could What type of event and religion make a difference. Be careful where you shop because some shop keepers will direct you to the most expensive things (I found this out the hard way) . Southall is always a sure bet to find something suitable, or online like Rupali as poster suggested as they are ready made.

[justasecond]

If you are near London, I would head to a Khaadi store in either Westfield. They have really great contemporary and tasteful Asian clothes

[justasecond]

meant to say there is no UK website but you can look at the styles
here I would go for a style with sleeves if it is a religious occasion in the home.

[Buttock]

Loads of websites:

Haniyas.com
Hennamehndi.com

Something a bit more special and may take time for delivery is Anita Dongre. She designed Kate's dress for her India tour. Some long tunics are quite reasonable for about £100. Her style is gorgeous.