Tips To Choose Best Pathani Suit [Top Brands]

What is a Pathani suit?

A Pathani Suit is an indigenous dress, similar in form to the Salwar Kameez and worn predominantly by South Asian men. Pathani suits can be crafted from a wide range of fabrics, including but not restricted to pure cotton, khadi, satin, viscose, wool, rayon and silk. More expensive Pathani suits have kurtas crafted from textured silk or fine embroidered cloth. As the name signifies, Pathani suits have evolved from very similar ethnic dresses worn by the Pathans (also called Pashtuns or Pakhtuns) of the Afghanistan and Pakistan regions.  Similar dresses have also been worn in the Punjab provinces of both India and Pakistan. Pathani suits are also widely worn during weddings and other ceremonies across South Asia. Whatever the style or occasion, Pathani suits are universally known for imparting an additional air of machismo to the wearer!

What are the Parts of a Pathani Suit?

A typical Pathani suit consists of two distinct articles of clothing –

1:- A Kurta, which is a loose-fitting shirt or tunic that is long (typical kurtas usually go over the knees). Kurtas are usually collarless (i.e., they have a Mandarin-style choker collar), although certain examples do come with regular shirt-like collars.

2:- A Salwar (also spelled Shalwar), which is a loose-fitting pair of trousers very similar to the South Asian Pajama (or Pyjama). A Salwar is traditionally wide around the top and gets progressively narrower so that it is narrowest around the ankles. Like a pajama, a Salwar is held around the waist via a strong braided cord known among the South Asian populace as a naada. Unlike a regular pair of Western trousers, a salwar does not come with pockets, buttons, belt loops or flies.

Additionally, a Pathani suit can also be paired with a vest or a Nehru jacket, especially in the colder seasons, although the same is optional. Dupattas are also widely paired by men with Pathani suits, especially during ceremonies.

What are the Different Types of Pathani Suits?

Some of the various styles of Pathani suits are:

• Sherwani Style Pathani Suits: These are the most popular types of Pathani suits. They are by tradition more expensive than their counterparts and as such, are worn only during special occasions like weddings. They are intricately crafted from expensive fabrics such as silk and embroidered cotton. Pop culture icons such as Bollywood actors, industrialists and other celebrities have vastly contributed to the rise in popularity of this style of Pathani suits during the early years of the 21st century. Sherwani style Pathani suits always come with Mandarin style choker collars. They are often paired with embroidered dupattas and waistcoats or Nehru jackets. They come in all sizes and colours.
• Afghani Style Pathani Suit: An Afghani Style Pathani suit typically consists of a kurta that has a regular shirt-like collar and full sleeves that are usually rolled up to just above the elbows. More often than not, the kurtas have two breast pockets with or without flaps. The Shalwars are usually the same colour as the kurtas. As the name suggests, these Pathani suits are extremely popular in Afghanistan, although they are fast gaining in popularity in the Indian subcontinent, especially among the Muslim population. They come in all sizes and colours.
• Punjabi Style Pathani Suit: Like their Afghani counterparts, Punjabi style Pathani suits also boast of regular shirt-like collars on the kurtas. However, the Shalwars are typically white or black and usually not the same colour as the kurtas. They come in all sizes and colours.
• Muslim Style Pathani Suits: Muslim style Pathani suits are very similar to their Afghani style counterparts in that both use regular collars, and both comprise kurtas and Shalwars of the same colour. However, Muslim style Pathani suits almost always consist of an additional vest. As with the other styles of Pathani suits, they come in all sizes and colours.

How to Choose the Best Pathani Suit

As with all other articles of clothing, choosing a Pathani suit has a lot to do with the intended usage by the wearer.

• Choosing The Best Pathani Suit for Weddings or Other Ceremonies: When choosing a Pathani suit for special occasions, exuding style and looking good have always taken predominance over other things. A whole plethora of designer Pathani suits are available, both online as well as in regular brick and mortar stores. A few things to consider when buying sherwani style Pathani suits are

1. Texture: Textured silks look very posh and can add major brownie points to your style quotient!
2. Quality of fabric: Always choose a high-quality fabric. Never sacrifice quality for style. After all, what good is an expensive looking outfit if it rips apart at the most inopportune moment!
3. Quality of stitching: Quality of stitching is just as important as the quality of fabrics used in your Pathani suit. Before buying a Pathani suit, check that the seams are even and sturdy. Pathani suits with loose hanging threads are a definite no-no!
4. Colours: Not all colours of apparel suit all types of occasions. Choose the colour of your Pathani suit wisely so as to thwart any embarrassing situation. It is always your safest bet to go for sober shades, and not experiment too much with wild colours.
5. Embroidery: Embroidered cloth looks amazing on a kurta and if you think you can pull it off, do not hesitate to pick a Pathani suit made from high quality embroidered fabric.

Last, but not the least, being comfortable in your favourite Pathani suit is a factor that should never be overlooked. After all, you only look confident when you are comfortable! So, if you aren’t comfortable wearing skin-tight Pathani suits, choose a different style.

• Choosing The Best Pathani Suit for Everyday Use: Just in case you are the type of person to fully indulge in Pathani suits as articles of everyday clothing, the parameters are very different from the ceremonial Pathani suits. Here, comfort plays a major role in deciding the outfit. Go for light and comfortable cotton ones. However, 100% cotton fabrics often wrinkle and if that’s not your thing, then go for Pathani suits made from rayon or linen. Also, check that the fabric and stitching of your Pathani suit are durable enough for regular use as well as frequent washing.

Top Brands of Pathani Suit

Two of the most revered Indian brands of Pathani suits are Fabindia and Manyavar. Fabindia is currently the largest private seller of ethnic Indian apparel in the country. Based in New Delhi, Fabindia was established in the year 1960 as Fabindia Overseas Pvt. Ltd. The company is unique in that it sources all its products from over 55,000 rural weavers and other skilled workers. Every piece of apparel sold by the company is natural, genuinely ethnic and affordable.

Manyavar, on the other hand, is a much newer company, established in 2008 by a young businessman named Ravi Modi. Mostly famous for its extensive collection of wedding wear, Manyavar now boasts over 4000 employees. The company makes sherwanis, kurta sets, traditional jackets, and ethnic wear for children.

While both Fabindia and Manyavar sell their merchandise online and through brick and mortar retail outlets, several reputed e-commerce companies such as Flipkart, Amazon and Myntra sell Pathani suits of various brands and ship them across the country.

FAQs: Pathani dress

Q. What is pathani dress called?

Ans. The Pathani suit is known by several names based on the geographical locations where it is worn. Some common names of the Pathani suit are

• Pashtun suit, used mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Khan suit or Khan dress, used mostly to refer to the attire worn by male Bollywood actors.
• Partoog kameez, a very close relative of the Pathani suit, worn in Afghanistan.
• Muslim suit, an everyday attire usually worn by Muslim men of all ages across mainland India.
• Perahan Tunban, another close relative of the Pathani suit, worn in Afghanistan.

Q. Do men wear pathani suits?

Ans. Pathani suits are male attire. Only men wear Pathani suits, although women wear a very similar attire known as the salwar kameez. The feminine salwar kameez is usually made from much lighter and softer fabric than the masculine Pathani suit.

Q. Which cloth is used for a pathani suit?

Ans. Pathani suits can be made from any kind of fabric. However, the most common fabric materials for making Pathani suits in India are:

• Khadi: Khadi is a kind of coarse cotton fabric that is spun and woven by hand. It is not only comfortable to wear but also imparts a distinct rustic and earthy look to the Pathani suit.
• Cotton: Cotton is extremely comfortable to wear, especially during the summer months. However, fabrics made from 100% cotton cloth wrinkle easily and are thus not very suitable for formal Pathani suits.
• Silk: A Pathani suit made from silk looks extremely expensive due to the unmistakable sheen of the fabric. Silk suits are very well suited for weddings and social gatherings.
• Wool: In colder climates, Pathani suits made from Merino or other types of wool are worn.
• Rayon: Rayon provides an almost wrinkle-free solution for making Pathani suits. This is where Rayon Pathani suits shine over cotton ones, besides being less expensive.
• Satin: Satin Pathani suits look shiny and posh like silk ones without costing nearly as much.
• Viscose: Viscose is another popular fabric for making Pathani suits.