Kurti and kurta: just the top
Start with the top, because every other name builds on it. A kurta is a long tunic shirt, usually at or below the knee, and a kurti is the shorter, often more fitted version for women. Bought on its own, either one is just a top: you choose the jeans, leggings, palazzos or shalwar that go with it.
When the same long shirt is part of a suit, Pakistanis usually call it the kameez, or simply the shirt. The kurti vs kurta guide covers lengths and fits in more detail.
Kurta set, salwar kameez and shalwar kameez
A kurta set is a kurta that comes with matching bottoms, usually straight pants, palazzos or a salwar; some sets add a dupatta. It is the name most Indian shoppers in the US type today, and it covers everything from a simple cotton set for work to a silk one for Diwali.
Salwar kameez is the older name for the full outfit: the kameez, the salwar (loose trousers gathered at the ankle) and usually a dupatta. Shalwar kameez is the same thing with the Pakistani spelling, and it is Pakistan's national dress. So a kurta set with a salwar and a salwar kameez are one outfit by two names, and which one you use mostly depends on the family you grew up in.
Salwar suit, Punjabi suit and other suit words
On both sides of the border this outfit is often just called a suit, and salwar suit means the same thing. A Punjabi suit usually pairs a shorter, fitted kameez with a full salwar, often a pleated Patiala, and a bright dupatta. You'll also hear straight suit for a kameez cut straight down, and Anarkali for a long kameez that flares out like a frock.
Many Pakistani shoppers call the whole outfit a dress, which is why listings in this shop say lawn dress or embroidered dress for a complete suit. The trousers can change the name too: a shalwar suit, a farshi shalwar suit with wide trousers that pool on the floor, or a palazzo suit.
Co-ord sets and palazzo sets
A co-ord set means a top and bottom made in one fabric or print, meant to be worn together. The word comes from Western fashion, and desi brands now use it for matching kurti-and-pants sets, often with a shorter or straighter top and no dupatta. That is why the shop's stitched lawn and linen 2-pieces also carry the co-ord set name.
A palazzo set is a kurti or kurta with wide, flowing palazzo pants, sold together. Pakistani shops may call the same thing a palazzo suit or palazzo dress. The pink georgette set in the shop is all of these at once: a co-ord set, a 2-piece suit and a palazzo suit.
2-piece vs 3-piece suits
Pakistani shops count the pieces. A 2-piece suit means a shirt and trousers; a 3-piece comes with a dupatta as well. Indian shops would call either one a kurta set, with or without a dupatta.
A 2-piece is handy when you want to wear your own dupatta, or none at all, and it is the usual choice for work and everyday wear. A 3-piece is a complete look as soon as you open the parcel, which makes it the easy pick for Eid, a dawat or a wedding. In the shop, the 3-pieces include an embroidered cotton suit and its zari Monar dupatta, a viscose flare dress that comes with viscose pants and a chiffon dupatta, and soft cotton and lawn 3-pieces for little girls.
All the names side by side
Use this as a quick translation guide. When two names fit one piece, the listing usually carries both, so search with whichever word you know. Every listing also shows the size plus garment measurements in inches (chest, hips, length), and a short WhatsApp video from Shagufta will show how a set is made up.
| Name | What you get | Bottoms | Dupatta included? | Who says it most |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurti | A short or mid-length top | None; wear your own | No | Indian shoppers |
| Kurta | A long tunic shirt | None; wear your own | No | Indian shoppers, for men and women |
| Kurta set | Kurta with matching bottoms | Pants, palazzos or salwar | Sometimes | Indian shoppers |
| Salwar kameez / shalwar kameez | Shirt, trousers and usually a dupatta | Salwar or shalwar | Usually | Both; shalwar is the Pakistani spelling |
| Salwar suit / Punjabi suit | A salwar kameez; Punjabi suits have a shorter shirt | Salwar, often Patiala | Usually | Indian shoppers, especially Punjabi families |
| Co-ord set | Matching top and bottom in one fabric | Pants or palazzos | Rarely | Everyone; the word comes from Western fashion |
| Palazzo set / palazzo suit | Kurti or kameez with palazzos | Palazzos | Sometimes | Palazzo set in India, palazzo suit in Pakistan |
| 2-piece suit | Shirt and trousers | Shalwar, pants or palazzos | No | Pakistani shoppers |
| 3-piece suit | Shirt, trousers and dupatta | Shalwar, pants or palazzos | Yes | Pakistani shoppers |
Shop the pieces
Updated October 2026
