Sherwani, prince coat or waistcoat: which suits his age?

Three layers, three levels of formality

All three go over a kurta. A waistcoat is sleeveless and ends at the hip. A prince coat has sleeves and a band collar and usually ends around the hip or upper thigh, a shorter, lighter cousin of the sherwani. A sherwani is the full, knee-length formal coat of a Pakistani wedding. Our kurta, kameez and kurti guide describes each.

The right one depends less on what looks grandest and more on how old he is, how long the event runs, the season, and whether he has a special role.

Age by age

• Under one: a soft waistcoat over a knit set or light kurta, or nothing at all.
• One to three: a waistcoat, or a short prince coat with poppers. A full sherwani is possible but needs to be built for a toddler.
• Four to seven: a prince coat, or a lighter sherwani cut above the knee. Old enough to keep it on for photos, young enough to want it off by dinner.
• Eight to twelve: a full sherwani is very manageable, especially for the baraat, and many boys this age love the grown-up look.

Season and event length

In a summer or monsoon wedding, a waistcoat is the coolest option at any age, because the arms stay free. A prince coat or sherwani in raw silk or cotton silk is manageable; in velvet, it is only for cold nights. For a long baraat, choose the lightest layer that still suits the event, or plan for him to take the coat off halfway through, with a good-looking kurta underneath.

For mehndis, most families go for a waistcoat in a bright colour. Sherwanis and prince coats tend to be kept for the baraat, nikah and walima.

Special roles

If he is walking with the groom, carrying the rings or standing in formal family photos, a sherwani or prince coat that coordinates with the groom’s outfit looks lovely, and it is worth planning early. If he is a guest, a waistcoat over a smart kurta shalwar is entirely appropriate and far more comfortable.

Customs and expectations vary between families, so ask what the rest of the family is planning before you choose.

Coordinating with the family

Whichever layer you choose, coordination matters more than copying. If the groom wears an ivory sherwani, a little boy in an ivory kurta with a gold waistcoat reads as part of the family in photos without needing the full outfit. If the family has chosen colours for each event, a waistcoat is the easiest piece to change between events, worn over the same kurta.

Send photos of the adults’ outfits with your request, so the colour and embroidery can be picked up in his.

Which gets worn again

If you are watching the budget, one good kurta and a waistcoat usually give the most wear across a year of family events.

• Waistcoat: goes over any plain kurta, for Eid, nikahs, school events and dawats. The most reusable.
• Prince coat: reusable for other weddings and winter Eid.
• Sherwani: mostly for weddings. Choose a colour that works for more than one family event, and it may be passed to a younger brother or cousin.

Ordering

Tell us his age, the event, the season and which layer you are considering in your custom request. For fit details, see our guide on how to measure a child for a shalwar kameez. We confirm the price and making time before anything is made.

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