PUBLISHED
April 06, 2025
KARACHI:
How do you remember Eid back in the 1990s or early 2000s, when glittery frocks, neon-colored glasses, and colorful purses were a thing for children? The same children who are in their 20s or 30s now set new trends over Eid and bring in evolving trends over the years.
In Pakistan, Eid is a cultural celebration that combines tradition, fashion, and creativity, in addition to being a religious observance. Each year, on Chand Raat (the eve of Eidul Fitr), the bazaars and households are full of colour and bustling with feast and sartorial preparation for the big day. From the sweet scent of sheer khurma (vermicelli dessert) to unpacking and trying out clothes picked from the tailor shops and malls, Eid is for family gatherings where everyone shows off their new clothes.
There has been a change in Pakistani Eid fashion over the years. Even though the religious holiday inspires traditional looks, new fads arrive every year. For instance, this year, bright colour choices and retro fashion were found on retail racks in stores and the same were demanded of the local tailors.
The colours of Eid
Classic whites and soft pastels usually dominate Eid fashion, particularly for ladies. Colours like baby pink, mint green, ivory, and sky blue were popular in the early 2000s because of their sophistication and suitability for the warmth of summer. “Since last few years, because Eid was majorly in hot weather, the colours which were in trend were lighter, soothing and mostly pastels. But since the past two years, we have seen a trend towards brighter colours in lighter and breathable fabrics,” said Asad Ahmed, who has been in the fashion industry for 15 years. He also said that these lighter colors reflect simplicity and modesty, two qualities strongly linked to Ramazan, the end of which is marked by Eidul Fitr.
With a dominant shift in favour of bolder and brighter colour schemes over the past two to three years, jewel tones including mustard yellow, ruby red, royal blue, and emerald green, began to appear in clothing.
A beautifully balanced blend of the extremes was observed during Eid 2025. “Deeper hues like maroon and bottle green were heavily used, particularly in formal attire, even though lavender and blue remained popular with minimalists. This year, we have also seen silver and metallic embellishments that surprisingly gave clothes a modern, almost futuristic vibe,” shared Ahmed. Pakistan has a rich history of fashion, and Eid is frequently the ideal time for both consumers and designers to delve into the past and unearth buried treasures, he added.
The Farshi Shalwar
The farshi shalwar was popular during the Mughal era and later in the early years of Pakistani fashion. This Eidul Fitr it was back with a bang. All over social media, was worn by women pairing it with short kurtis and elaborately embroidered dupattas. With elaborate handiwork, mirror embellishments, and gota detailing, many designers jumped onto the bandwagon and brought the flared shalwar back into fashion. This trend gave many women’s Eid outfits an emotional resonance by bringing back memories of their grandmothers’ outfits.
Additionally, social media was crucial in spreading the trend. Many fashion influencers displayed their interpretations of the farshi shalwar, some with crop tops or peplum shirts, while others just tried to recreate their grandmother’s picture into reality. “I tried to copy one of my grandmother’s older photos where she was wearing a yellow gota short shirt with farshi shalwar probably sometime in the 1960s. When I wore the dress, my father remembered the picture I took reference from,” said 22-year-old Samar Faheem.
Shararas and ghararas never really left the fashion scene, but this Eid saw them being styled in innovative ways. Layered shararas with contrasting kurtas were among the popular picks for younger girls. Fabrics like tissue silk, organza, and jamawar added volume and grace. “We are four sisters, and Eid at our house is a grand celebration with fashionable clothes, mehndi, bangles, and what not. One of my dresses on Eid must always be a gharara, either cotton, silk, or any fabric according to the season. When my grandmother was alive she used to stitch for us and now we just keep the trend of wearing them every year,” Faheem reminisced.
Men and their trendy clothes
Over time, Eid attire for men has become more and more elegant. In place of the once-dominant white shalwar kameez, we now find a fusion of sophisticated detail and minimalism in their clothes.
The “lightening kurta” trend, so called because of its delicate metallic threads and soft sheen, was unquestionably this year’s biggest fad. These kurtas were perfect for daytime and evening wear because they shimmer softly in the light. “The fashion options for men are few and so their fashion trends change less frequently than for women. This year, many men have opted for lightening kurtas. Some went so far as to install battery operated LED lights in their kurtas,” said Mansoor Khan, a tailor who was asked to stitch a kurta that can accommodate LED lights in the sleeves and collar.
Other than that, many brands offered kurtas in pastel peach, ivory gold, and platinum grey with a subtle sheen. The ensemble was both regal and contemporary when worn with churidar pajamas or straight trousers.
Another significant trend this year was layering. Men chose open-front sherwanis with eye-catching buttons or textured or embroidered waistcoats over simple kurtas. Additionally, others decided to dress up their appearance with embroidered shawls, especially for formal events or Eid prayers. “Just because Eid has been moving towards better weather conditions, layering and shawls are making a return whereas until the last few years men were opting for lighter fabrics due to extreme hot weather,” said Khan.
Fashion is not just clothes
Without the appropriate accessories, a fantastic Eid ensemble is incomplete, and Pakistanis don’t hold back during Eid. It is one of the festivals for which people shop and plan for months.
Women continued to wear kolhapuris and khussas with hand embroidery, tassels, and mirror work. This traditional style is complete with beautiful jhumkas and matching potli bags. The use of belts with dupattas, a practical yet stylish accent that gave the ensembles a structured edge, was a more recent addition this year.
Men stick to wearing Peshawari chappals – from striking colours like midnight blue and brown to the usual tan or black – but some favoured loafers or simple chapals with their kurta pajamas.
Children’s Eid attire usually follows adult fashion trends with matching outfits for parents and children. Nowadays daughters twin with their mothers and sons wear clothes similar to their fathers’ dress.
Girls were spotted wearing miniature copies of Farshi ghararas and shalwars, frequently accessorised with bangles and floral hairpieces while boys wore light kurtas and even small waistcoats with elaborate embroidery, with ethnic shoes or soft leather sandals.
Tailors and turmoil
Without bringing up the tailoring frenzy that engulfs Pakistan during the final week of Ramazan, no Eid trends would be complete. This year was no exception. After the 15th of Ramazan, numerous tailors declined orders due to the tremendous demand.
What is interesting to see is that some tailors have seen an increase in requests for traditional shalwars and short-length shirts with unique cuts. Naeem Tailors in Bahadurabad, Karachi, said, “We had a lot of young women asking for the kind of designs their mothers wore in the ’90s, the demand started after the 10th roza, and eventually everyone came back to change their orders, which was more of like vintage styles came back.”
Fashion blogs and social media picked up the retro fad hype and then almost every one followed suit. Trending hashtags where everyone tagged and made memes of the trends and captioned their pictures with farshi shalwar trends this year brought attention to the diverse spectrum of fashions worn across the country.
By artistically repurposing existing clothing, numerous influencers also promoted sustainable fashion. Upcycled waistcoats and do-it-yourself dupatta belts were examples of the increased awareness of mindful fashion.
As Pakistani Eid fashion keeps developing. This year’s trends skilfully combined vintage fashion while embracing modernity, demonstrating once more that style is a celebration of joy, identity, and memories.
Eid continues to be the occasion when every Pakistani Muslim becomes a style icon in their own right, whether it’s a shimmering kurta bringing in the future or a farshi shalwar echoing the past.
