Kurtas

Pick the length by the bottom you will wear

Length decides what a kurta can be paired with, so read it in centimetres or inches on the product page rather than trusting the word short or long.

• Hip length: works with jeans, cigarette pants and culottes. Check that it still covers you when you sit and bend.
• Knee length: the widest choice, with straight trousers, a shalwar, palazzos or jeans.
• Below the knee: suits straight trousers, tights, churidar or a narrow shalwar. A very wide palazzo can swamp a long flared kurta.

Brands measure from the shoulder or from the neckline, so the same stated length can fall differently. Hold a kurta you already own against the listed number. If you are petite, a very long kurta can overwhelm the frame; if you are tall, the shortest lengths tend to ride up.

Cuts: straight, A-line, front-open, angrakha and high-low

The cut sets how a kurta moves and how much room it gives at the hip.

• Straight: falls evenly from the shoulder, the easiest daily shape.
• A-line or flared: narrow at the shoulder, wider at the hem, with extra room when you walk or sit.
• Front-open or button-through: opens like a shirt and can be worn open as a light layer.
• Angrakha-style: an overlapping front panel that ties at the side, a traditional shape for festive days.
• High-low: longer at the back, shorter at the front.

Side slits add movement and a lower slit shows more of the bottom, so look at the model photo as well as the title. A plain straight kurta in a neutral shade is the easiest first piece because it works with most bottoms and dupattas you already own.

Kurta, kurti, shirt or kameez on a listing

Brands use these words loosely. Kurta and kurti are often used for the same garment, with kurti more often used for a shorter or more fitted piece, but there is no fixed rule, so rely on the stated length. A kameez is the long shirt of a shalwar kameez, and some brands sell it alone under the name shirt.

This page lists titles that say kurta or kurti and leaves out titles that also say suit, set, trouser, shalwar or dupatta. If you want a kurta with its trouser, look under ready-to-wear. If the piece is a shorter western-leaning top, see shirts & tops. Search spellings that shoppers use include kurti design, lambi kurti (long kurta) and kurta for jeans.

Sizing a kurta without trying it on

For a straight cut the hip measurement matters most, because a tight hip makes the hem ride up and the kurta pull across the seat. Measure your bust, waist, hip and shoulder and compare them with the brand's own size chart, since charts differ between brands. Our size guide shows how to measure.

Two details that sizing charts hide: the armhole and the sleeve. A snug armhole is uncomfortable under a dupatta, and a short sleeve cuts the arm at an awkward point. If you want more coverage, look for full sleeves and a hip-covering length. If you are between sizes, the larger one is easier for a tailor to take in than the smaller one is to let out. Check which sizes the brand still lists on its own page before you spend time comparing.

What one kurta really costs: add the bottom and the dupatta

A kurta is one piece, so the real cost of an outfit is the kurta plus a bottom plus a dupatta if you do not own them. Compare outfits, not single prices: a neutral kurta that works with two bottoms you own gives more wear than a printed one that needs a new trouser.

Find a bottom on trousers & shalwars and a dupatta on dupattas. Match colours in daylight photos where the brand shows them, because screens change shades.

If you are not ready to buy, save the kurta to your wishlist and switch on a price alert. It needs a signed-in account, and you receive at most two alert emails a day, only after our recorded price has dropped by at least 3% and Rs 50 since you set it.