Traditional female dresses on display at a store in Peshawar Saddar. — Dawn

PESHAWAR: The traditional Shalwar Qameez with mixed handiwork is in great demand and women visitors throng boutiques and stores in and around Peshawar city for buying new fabrics for Eid celebration. Abdullah, a salesman at a large cloth store in Peshawar’s Saddar Bazaar, told Dawn that most of the women preferred simple Shalwar Qameez with handiwork done on it.

“Peshawari party wears are gifted to friends and relatives on festive occasions as they are cherished for their original handiwork. Most women like it for its cultural touch and some for its simple look. Yet young girls adore it for its delicate threadwork,” the salesman observed.

He said that it took 25 to 35 days to prepare a single outfit as it involved delicate handiwork. He said that a single pair cost Rs1,500 to Rs12, 000 depending on quality of the stuff being used. He said that the handiwork was done mostly by male artisans.

“Only a single woman designer is working with us, the rest of 1, 000 are craftsmen who are skillfully carrying out the traditional handiwork on both local and imported cloth pieces,” he said. A potential buyer needed to place her order well in advance so that craftsmen could have enough time for flawless work, he said.

Peshawari party wears are gifted to friends and relatives on festive occasions

He said that mixed threadwork called haimir was done in several stages, including sequence, Cora, dapaka, naqashi, stone work and pita work on shafoon, China crinkle and linen cloth pieces.

Mahwah Afridi, a university student, told this scribe that young girls were also fascinated by traditional wears with handiwork. She said that light summer wears were fancy and attractive because of their colourful floral patterns reflective of the natural environment.

“Despite all modernity and new trends in women’s dresses, a typical lady would always love traditional work. It keeps us connected to our cultural values and social norms as dress and address could define us well,” Ms Afridi remarked. Traditional threadwork and embroidery was our dress indemnity, she added.

Amjad Khan, another salesman at a store on Arbab Road, stated that most women were attracted by suits decorated with fine embroidery done on front all over in a variety of colours like rosy, pink, maroon, plum, blue, skin, yellow, black, etc.

He said that a suit prepared on ‘order’ cost Rs30,000 to Rs40, 000 while a pair with simple work was available at Rs 2,000 to Rs4, 000.

He said that most stores were located in the Saddar Bazaar, on University Road and Arbab Road, while a number of fashion designers had set up fabric galleries at their residences in different localities in the city.

“We have a few fashion designers in Peshawar, they are creative in textures and elegance yet they need to do lot of hard work to compete in the local market.

Our traditional threadwork is much appreciated in Lahore and Karachi,” Mr Khan proudly said.

Rajid Ali, craftsman and also a fashion designer running his store in University Town, said that more elaborate and fancy dresses were detailed with gold threading and gold beads, and were prepared in many different colours on silk fabrics.

These outfits, he said, were usually worn on special occasions and weddings. He said that much embroidery was done on the bodice of the dress and the sleeves’ cuffs.

“A typical traditional Pashtun frock never comes with half sleeves. The length of sleeves can either end just below the elbow or continue down to the wrist. Sleeves are usually widened towards the cuffs.

Traditional Pashtun dress of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is usually loose fitted,” he explained. The craftsman said that belts were used to tighten up according to one’s adjustment.

He said that both formal and casual frocks were available in the Pashtun Afghani outfit.

“Some are called Kochi tribal frocks. Kochi is Pashto word, which means nomadic. They are usually made of printed linens while formal fancy frocks are prepared from brocade and velvet rich colours.” Mr Ali said.

Azra Nafees Yousafzai, a social activist, said that many women these days worked in offices and they didn’t have time to go through the stages of buying cloth and getting it embroidered and stitched. She said that even embroidered dresses were available in the stores as Pakhtun traditional dresses were colourful and bejewelled.

She said that it had a grace and charisma and a huge market in western societies.

“Due to its uniqueness, the foreigners are interested to buy and wear them with pride,” she said.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2015

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