When you buy fabric by the meter, the length is what you choose – but the width decides how far that length goes. Two fabrics with the same price per meter can work out quite differently for a full suit.
Common widths in Pakistan
- 36–40 inches: some traditional and specialty fabrics.
- 44 inches: typical for lawn, cambric, chiffon, karandi and many women's fabrics.
- 58 inches: typical for wash & wear, cotton, khaddar, marina and many men's suiting fabrics.
Why width changes the length you need
A tailor lays out the pattern pieces – front, back, sleeves, shalwar panels – across the width of the fabric. Wider fabric fits more pieces side by side, so you need fewer meters. Narrower fabric means pieces go one after another along the length, so you need more.
As a rough rule, a men's shalwar kameez that needs 4.5 m of 58-inch fabric may need closer to 5 m or more in a narrower width. For women's shirts the difference is usually around half a meter.
How to compare prices fairly
Look at the cost of the whole outfit, not just the price per meter. For example, 4.5 m of a wider fabric can cost less overall than 5.5 m of a narrower fabric with a lower per-meter price.
Where to find the width on Kapray Walay
Every product shows its width in the Fabric details table, along with the suggested lengths for a shirt and a full suit. When in doubt, add 0.5 m – it is cheaper than a second order. See our meter guide for outfit-by-outfit lengths.