My in laws will go to Lahore to get a valima dress.
Any recommendations for good shops? They’re thinking of getting something where the kaam is already done and we just need to get it stitched. However, I’m afraid that they won’t get quality if they do that.
When I went to Karachi, the dresses on which kaam was already done, were really cheap. I ended up going with Shakeel’z on Tariq Road - we custom designed the dress to our budget and were able to pick out the cloth so that it was pure banarsi and pure chiffon.
And I don’t know that my in laws have that kind of time..: they haven’t booked tickets even for their flights to Pakistan.
They plan on going in September and picking out the dress there.
Any recommendations on stores where the kaam is good and the prices aren’t bad and maybe the kaam is already done and you can pick it up and just go?
Hi PCG, how did you find the quality of the dresses at Shakeelz?
I looked up a few dresses of theirs online and liked them and also the price range is not that bad.
Please share your experience
Wedding Asia in liberty
Sana safinaz in cavlary
Moon banarsi in cavalry
A no. Of quality bridal dresses will be available in shops situated on MM Alam road, they will be expensive though
Shakeel'z in Karachi is a great option honestly. I got my dress done for 2600 dollars, and I could have gone cheaper if I picked a less intense design, so if your budget is lower, he could do something for 2000 dollars easily. Depends on your price range, and your taste. He learned I was a doctor, so maybe he hiked my price up, I'm not sure. It's a very pretty dress, with lots of kaam on it. If I had gone to a so-called "designer", they would have charged me 5-6k minimum just because of their name.
Shakeel'z is a good option - they have quality cloth, they talk to you personally, and they sit down with you and will even design the outfit per your taste, and they will advise you on what will and will not look good. So don't go in there with a specific design in mind because they may warn you it won't look right on you. ex. they asked I stay away from thick borders because they saw my frame and they could tell what would look right on me.
They also refused to speak to anyone who doesn't have the bride in company - because they need to see you in person. I'm seeing some people here writing that they're communicating with a shakeel's online, but there are like 3 rip off boutiques on Tariq Road alone just a few blocks down from the original Shakeel's.
The original is across Dolmen mall on Tariq road, and their name is Shakeel'z Coutour - with a "z" not an "s". Ask for Sikandar - he's the main man there. Shakeel is his brother actually, and I was told Shakeel was the tailor present. My family has been going to them since my mother's generation at least, so they know the original one and they know the fakes.
There probably are fakes online. They don't sell bridals on the internet when I asked them, but they agreed to let me have access to their son's whatsapp for future formal needs if they arise. So I don't think they're actually online selling anything - you may be coming across fakes if there are people online using "shakeel'z" name.