A pencil suit is a variety of

salwar kameez Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia. ''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...

. The suit follows the principles of a

pencil skirt A pencil skirt is a slim-fitting skirt with a straight, narrow cut. Generally the hem falls to, or is just below, the knee and is tailored for a close fit. It is named for its shape: long and slim like a pencil. Style The pencil skirt may be w ...

and merges it with the traditional salwar kameez. While salwars are loosely fitted pants, pencil suits have tightly fitted pants that follow the contours of the lady's leg. It differs from the

churidar Churidars, also churidar pyjamas, are tightly fitting trousers worn by both men and women in Indian Subcontinent. Churidars are a variant of the common shalwar pants. Shalwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow more ...

only in the lack of the ruches or the “churis” near the ankle. The kameez is of thigh length and has a side seam left open below the waist-line. This attire is often marched with a

dupatta The dupattā is a Hindu shawl traditionally worn by women in Indian subcontinent to cover the head and shoulders. The dupatta is currently used most commonly as part of the women's shalwar kameez outfit, and worn over the kurta and the gharara. ...

of matching or contrasting color. As with most designer suits, a pencil suit is also embellished with beads, mirror work,

zardozi Zardozi or zar-douzi or zarduzi (from Classical Persian زَردوزی ''zardōzī'', literally "gold embroidery"; fa, label=Modern Persian, زَردوزی, translit=zarduzi; hi, ज़रदोज़ी, tg, зардӯзӣ, ur, زردوزی ...

zari ''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make in ...

work. Simple and plain variants of the suit are also available for daily wear.

Description

The pencil

pants Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dr ...

are held up by a drawstring at the

waist The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On people with slim bodies, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso. ''Waistline'' refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appearan ...

. The pants are fitted tightly against the contours of the lady's leg and don't have any extra cloth. Usually it is made of stretchable material to aid the easy movement and not to cause any discomfort to the lady while sitting down. The pants completely narrow down towards the ankle and are held by a buttoned cuff at the ends. While conventional salwar kameez employs traditional cuts, crosscuts are used to stitch a pencil suit. This version of salwar kameez accentuates the curves of the female wearing it. The kameez of the pencil suit is stitched as that of a regular

kurta A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...

. Though the height of the kameez may vary according to the taste of the wearer, the usual style is to have it stitched at thigh length. A side seam is provided to aid easy movements and usually starts at the waist line. Different necklines are experimented with plunging

neckline The neckline is the top edge of a garment that surrounds the neck, especially from the front view. Neckline also refers to the overall line between all the layers of clothing and the neck and shoulders of a person, ignoring the unseen undergarmen ...

, boat line, high necks or mandarin neckline. It is customary to wear a dupatta along with a pencil suit though it is not mandatory. Nowadays the dupatta is just draped over the hands or used as a

fashion accessory In fashion, an accessory is an item used to contribute, in a secondary manner, to an individual's outfit. Accessories are often chosen to complete an outfit and complement the wearer's look. They have the capacity to further express an individual ...

. The dupatta are made in diaphanous, shimmery

fabrics Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

for this reason.

Pencil suits and Bollywood

Though the pencil suit was designed first by leading designers of the

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

industry, it became popularized only through

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

. After being adapted by some famous lead protagonists of Bollywood, pencil suits became fashionable. Apart from being worn in movies, the actresses opted for pencil suits to be worn at public functions and events too. This further accelerated the adaption of pencil suits into the wardrobe of college and officegoing ladies.

Differences between pencil suits and churidar

To a point the pencil suit can be called a variant of churidar; but a pencil suit differs very much from the churidar, whose name derives their name from the ‘churis’ or ruche they form as they end near the ankle. Pencil suit lacks any type of ‘churi’ or any extra cloth. Extra cloth is provided at the thigh in churidar to aid easy movements and comfort to the lady wearing it. There is no extra cloth provision in pencil suit, but for the ease of the wearer it is made of elastic fabrics that can stretch easily. {{Clothing Indian clothing Suits (clothing) Hosiery Trousers and shorts