A Punjabi suit is a salwar kameez by another name, but the measurement form your tailor in Ludhiana or Southall hands you uses words a chart in English never explains: teera, lambai, mohri, ghera. Here is the whole form translated, where each measurement is taken, a size chart in inches and centimetres, and how to send the numbers from another country without a single one being misread.
No measuring tape? Prop your phone, turn around twice, and the Silai scanner takes every measurement on this page in about two minutes, free, for men and women. Try the scanner
Use a soft tape over thin clothing. Give body measurements only; the tailor adds ease for the style you choose.
| Size | Bust | Waist | Hips | Kameez length | Salwar length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 81 cm (32 in) | 66 cm (26 in) | 89 cm (35 in) | 95 to 100 cm (37 to 39 in) | 95 to 100 cm (37 to 39 in) |
| 34 | 86 cm (34 in) | 71 cm (28 in) | 94 cm (37 in) | 95 to 102 cm (37 to 40 in) | 97 to 102 cm (38 to 40 in) |
| 36 | 91 cm (36 in) | 76 cm (30 in) | 99 cm (39 in) | 98 to 105 cm (39 to 41 in) | 99 to 104 cm (39 to 41 in) |
| 38 | 97 cm (38 in) | 81 cm (32 in) | 104 cm (41 in) | 100 to 107 cm (39 to 42 in) | 100 to 105 cm (39 to 41 in) |
| 40 | 102 cm (40 in) | 86 cm (34 in) | 109 cm (43 in) | 102 to 110 cm (40 to 43 in) | 101 to 106 cm (40 to 42 in) |
| 42 | 107 cm (42 in) | 91 cm (36 in) | 114 cm (45 in) | 104 to 110 cm (41 to 43 in) | 102 to 107 cm (40 to 42 in) |
| 44 | 112 cm (44 in) | 97 cm (38 in) | 119 cm (47 in) | 104 to 112 cm (41 to 44 in) | 102 to 108 cm (40 to 43 in) |
Ready-made suit sizes are the bust in inches. Stitched suits are cut to your own numbers, so a 34 bust with 40 hips is not a problem for a tailor, only for a label.
| On the form | English | Where it is taken |
|---|---|---|
| Chhaati | Chest or bust | Fullest part of the chest, level all round |
| Kamar, lakk | Waist | Natural waist, relaxed |
| Hip, kulhe | Hips | Fullest part of the seat |
| Teera, moddha | Shoulder width | Across the back, bone to bone |
| Baanh, aasteen | Sleeve length | Shoulder bone to wrist, elbow bent |
| Baazu | Bicep or arm girth | Fullest part of the upper arm |
| Baghal, armhole | Armhole | Around the shoulder joint |
| Lambai | Length | Side of neck to hem (kameez) or waist to ankle (salwar) |
| Gala | Neck, neckline | Base of neck; front and back depth |
| Patt, jangh | Thigh | Fullest part of the upper leg |
| Mohri, paincha | Bottom opening | Circumference of the ankle hem |
| Ghera | Flare | Hem width of a flared kameez, in metres |
| Chunni, dupatta | Dupatta | Length and width in metres and cm |
The words a Punjabi or Hindi speaking tailor writes on the measurement slip, and what each one means. Spellings vary from shop to shop; the meanings do not.
| Salwar style | Typical mohri | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Churidar | 18 to 22 cm (7 to 8.5 in) | ankle plus 8 to 15 cm to gather |
| Plain or straight salwar | 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) | ankle bone plus 1 to 2 cm |
| Semi-patiala | 30 to 36 cm (12 to 14 in) | ankle bone |
| Patiala | 36 to 41 cm (14 to 16 in) | ankle bone |
| Palazzo or sharara | 50 cm and up (20 in and up) | floor minus 1 cm in the intended shoe |
Finished ankle openings, ease included. Give the tailor the style and let them set the number.
Most Punjabi suits ordered from abroad are stitched from a form filled in one country and read in another, and the two mistakes that ruin them are units and vocabulary. Write cm or inches next to every number, never a bare 36, and use the translated form above so that teera and lambai mean the same thing at both ends. If the tailor's slip has a word you do not recognise, ask before guessing; a mohri written where the thigh should go is a salwar nobody can wear.
Photograph the form flat in daylight, or type it into a message with one measurement per line. Photos of handwriting on a phone screen are where 34 becomes 39. Better still, scan yourself on Silai: the tailor receives every body field on the form from a two minute phone video, in centimetres, with nothing to transcribe.
Give the style with the numbers. The same measurements make a straight-cut suit, an A-line, an anarkali with a two metre ghera, or a short kurti with a patiala, and the tailor cannot cut a style you did not name. Sleeve length, neckline depth, kameez length and mohri are the four words that save a fitting.
Scan yourself with your phone camera on Silai: about 2 minutes, free, no tape and no second person. You get every measurement on this page, and you can see your own sheet right now, no account needed.
No. Punjabi suit, salwar kameez and salwar suit are the same garment with regional names; the measurements are identical. The Punjabi form uses Punjabi and Hindi words for them, which is what this page translates.
Shoulder width, measured across the back from one shoulder bone to the other. It is the measurement a tailor will not guess, so take it with a helper or from a kameez that fits.
The circumference of the salwar's ankle opening. A churidar is cut snug, about 18 to 22 cm; a patiala wide, 36 cm and up; a plain salwar between the two. Name the style and the tailor sets it.
The ready-made size is your bust in inches: a 91 cm bust is a 36. Check the hips column too, and if they land two sizes apart, have the suit stitched; that is what the form is for.
Measure with a soft tape over thin clothing, write every number with its unit, translate the fields with the table on this page, name the style, and send a flat photo in daylight or a typed list. Or scan yourself on Silai and let the sheet travel with the order.
Yes. The Silai scan reads bust, waist, hips, shoulder width, arm length, thigh and the lengths in about two minutes; add the neck depths and the style notes by hand, because those are choices rather than measurements.
Saree blouse measurements · Kurta size chart, sizing and measurements · Lehenga measurements · Salwar kameez measurements · Gown and anarkali measurements · What measurements does a tailor need? · Men's kurta pajama measurements
Measuring the body itself? Body measurement chart: what size am I? · How to measure your bust or chest · How to measure your waist · How to measure your hips · How to measure your inseam and trouser length · How to measure sleeve length and arm length