By: Melina Khan
One of my favorite parts of Pakistani culture is the fashion. Though often heavy, itchy and uncomfortable, the outfits I’ve grown up wearing are always showstoppers. They are glimmeringly beautiful while also being flattering and modest.
Traditional Pakistani women’s dress is the shalwar kameez. To break it down, the word shalwar is defined as “loose, pajama like trousers”, with the kameez as the long shirt worn over it. Men wear the shalwar kameez too, but theirs are much more simple than the women’s. Women often also wear a dupatta, which is a scarf-like accessory worn over one shoulder or both.
The shalwar kameez is what it sounds like from its definition - a long shirt over pants. But it’s the designs of the shalwar kameez that make them so special. To show you what I’m talking about, I’m sharing my top five favorite ones I’ve ever worn.
The fuchsia overload
I’m only including this one for obvious reasons - the hair. This was from a wedding during my hair dying phase when I was eleven and the matching outfit really speaks for itself. The earrings are a good touch too.
The goldilocks
This is another special hair feature. Though it’s hard to tell, my bleached locks are a perfect accent for the yellow-gold in the dress.
The pearly pink
This is one of my favorites because of the pearl detail on the sleeve. Paired with the light pink, this look is fresh and elegant.
The emerald
I love the emerald-gold combination and how it compliments my skin tone.
The red gold and blue
Normally, I don’t love the red-blue combo but this one is subtle enough to work. I wore this to a wedding in California a few years ago, hence the palm trees.
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