Shop Bridal Pishwas and Peshwas Dresses

Over a lehenga or with trousers

Over a lehenga, the pishwas is the top layer of a lehenga set, typically finished with a dupatta. Only the lower skirt shows, a cancan layer can hold it out, and two worked layers give the most coverage and the most weight: take a practice walk in your wedding shoes. With trousers, the pishwas carries the silhouette alone: lighter, easier to sit and dance in, and well suited to the mehndi. For the other form, ask before you order: under Full Custom Design we confirm whether the design allows it and price anything that adds fabric or labour first.

How a pishwas differs from a gown, anarkali or angrakha

A pishwas is fitted through the bodice and then cut in kalis, tapering panels such as 12 or 14 to a skirt, which fan out into a deep, swinging flare; more kalis and a longer hem mean a wider swing. Unlike a gown, worn on its own with a dupatta (see our bridal gown shapes), a pishwas always sits over a lehenga or trousers. An anarkali takes the same fitted-and-flared idea into a lighter, usually shorter cut: see our anarkali suits. An angrakha bodice wraps across and ties at the side; some pishwas borrow it, and our bridal angrakha styles show it in full. Other cuts: every bridal silhouette we make.

Colour and handwork through the wedding days

For Nikkah looks, ivory, white and pale shades such as tea pink, peach, lilac or ice blue sit well with silver, antique silver or rose-gold work. Gold with gold work, and peach or aqua with silver or rose gold, suit the walima (see our Walima outfits); mustard and emerald in multicolour thread belong to the mayun and mehndi, crimson red with gold keeps the baraat traditional, and black and gold suits an evening function. Organza holds the flare crisply, net and chiffon fall softer, and dabka, zari, nakshi, salma sitara, kora, pearls and sequins carry the work.

Ordering from the UK or Europe

Choose a standard size with our size chart, taking the larger size if you fall between two, or Custom Size, stitched exactly to your measurements; our team contacts you after you order to collect them. Measure the length in the shoes you plan to wear. Delivery times count calendar days from the day after you order and cover stitching and shipping:

• Normal Delivery: up to 3 months, free
• Rush Delivery: up to 30 calendar days, £59
• Super Rush Delivery: up to 14 calendar days, £199

European addresses get the same times, priced in pounds sterling, with the delivery charge shown at checkout. Import charges are normally prepaid by us; if a courier ever asks you for customs, duty or tax, send us the receipt and we refund the verified amount. A bridal order cancelled within 24 hours is refunded in full; after that, and before dispatch, 35% of the amount paid is deducted. Full terms: our delivery information page.

Pishwas questions

How much does a bridal pishwas cost?

Every design shows its price in pounds, and you can sort the range by price. A pishwas over a lehenga uses more fabric than one with trousers, and fabric and handwork count too. Changes that add fabric, embroidery or labour are priced before work starts; Rush Delivery (£59) or Super Rush Delivery (£199) to a UK address is added only if you choose it.

Pishwas, peshwas or peshwaz: which is right?

All three are spellings of the same name, written from Urdu into English letters, and they describe one garment: a fitted bodice over a deep, panelled flare, sometimes called a kalidar pishwas after the kalis in its skirt. Whatever the spelling, check the length and whether it comes with a lehenga or trousers.

Can I see my pishwas while it is being made?

Yes. Ask us on WhatsApp for progress photos and close-up videos while it is being made. They let you check the colour and how densely the dabka, zari and pearls are worked across the bodice and the kalis, which is hard to judge from product photos alone.