The mandarin collar has travelled far beyond its menswear and military-jacket origins this year, and in Pakistan it has arrived with a distinctly local sensibility. Rather than appearing on blazers, the shape is showing up on kurtas, where it feels less like a borrowed detail and more like an adaptation shaped by the way people already dress.
One brown kurta making the rounds pairs the mandarin collar with jute-cord frog closures instead of buttons, worn over a flared skirt. Co-ord sets are carrying the same idea forward, with mandarin-collar tops matched to trousers or skirts. The result is not a direct runway translation, but a version that works within local taste: modest necklines, relaxed cuts, and an emphasis on texture rather than print.
“This isn't a straight copy of the runway version. Designers are fitting the collar into clothes that already work for local taste: modest necklines, relaxed cuts, an eye for texture rather than print.”
That shift matters because it shows how a global detail can be absorbed without losing its character or its context. In Pakistan, the mandarin collar is being recast through silhouettes that feel familiar, while still giving wardrobes a sharper edge. It is this balance — between trend and practicality, fashion and familiarity — that gives the moment its appeal.
A few brands that caught our eye are La Pret (@lapretofficial), Nouri Pret (@nouripret) and Armas (@armas_clothing).
Now that the trend has landed here, expect to see more mandarin-collar kurtas and co-ords on regular wardrobes, not just runways.
- unravelld.
