For the women who followed their husbands over from the South Asian sub-continent to Bradford in the post-war years, life was about to change forever.

Settling in a new country, with friends and family left behind, many women were isolated at home. Most had no grasp of English and, unlike their husbands who came here to work in mills and on public transport, they had no experience of employment.

But what these women did have were dressmaking skills, passed down from generation to generation.

In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, many women in Bradford’s South Asian communities made clothes for themselves and their families, and also ran dressmaking services from their homes. The world of home sewing empowered them in several ways, from adapting and tailoring fashion trends to earning a small income and getting to know other women.

Now a heritage project is putting the spotlight on elder women who were early settlers in Bradford and worked as seamstresses. Their memories are being recorded, to be preserved in an oral history archive.

Bradford community centre Womenzone has secured £49,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project, which focuses on the history of traditional South Asian garment the shalwar kameez and its role in women’s identity.

The project is the brainchild of Womenzone manager Rubina Khalid. “When women followed their husbands over in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, the one skillset they had was dressmaking. They made shalwar kameez with intricate designs in colourful fabrics,” says Rubina. “Over the years, these skills have been passed from mothers to daughters, but they have been slowly fading away.”

In the Fifties onwards, home sewing enabled South Asian women to broaden their social structure, leading to the growth of communities and social networks among women.

“This was a time when women were expected to remain within the home and didn’t have many opportunities to meet other women. Dressmaking gave them a social outlet. Through making clothes, they developed links outside their immediate structure,” says project co-ordinator Mandeep Samra. “These women are now in their 70s and 80s and we feel their stories should be told.”

The heritage project, looking at how the shalwar kameez has changed over the years and its association with the British cotton industry from the early 1950s, will be launched next month at a fashion show, with live music from Bradford-based South Asian arts company Kala Sangam.

“We’re inviting women to wear their finest outfits,” says Mandeep.

As well as recording the history of traditional dress, the project is aimed at inspiring younger women to sew and keep their heritage alive.

“Today’s women tend to dress in mainstream western attire. The shalwar kameez has become more of a celebratory dress and often comes ready-made, with many ordered online. Home sewing skills are no longer being passed on,” says Mandeep.

“When we initially talked to girls about this project, they weren’t interested. They thought the shalwar kameez was old-fashioned, but that was before they checked out the amazing designs on our Facebook page. We’re trying to show that these garments can be cool and funky, too. Many contemporary designs in India and Pakistan are based on traditional shalwar kameez, and over the years it has adopted western and global styles.

“We hope to create a legacy of young girls taking up sewing, and even looking at designing and making clothes as a potential career.”

Adds Rubina: “Dressmaking is a particularly valuable skill in a recession. Women didn’t just make their own clothes – they also made curtains, bedding and other soft furnishings for their homes.”

The project explores how the shalwar kameez is viewed by non-South Asian families.

“Somen women don’t like wearing it for work and feel that if they wore it for a job interview, it could hinder their chances,” says Mandeep.

“We want to show that this garment isn’t about religion – it’s a design rooted in the climate of India. It is loose-fitting but modest, elegant and very colourful, made with intricate designs, from fabrics such as silk, satin or cotton depending on the time of year it is worn. It has its own accessories, too.

“Bradford was built on fabric-making and people still come here to buy material from places like Bombay Stores. Dressmaking is a heritage interwoven with Bradford’s past.”

The heritage project has three strands, one of which is recording memories of early settlers in Bradford. “We’ll be visiting community centres and talking to women about their experiences; why they came here and how they lived and worked. We want younger people to interview their mothers and grandmothers, too. The recorded memories will then go to the West Yorkshire Archives, to be preserved for future generations,” says Mandeep, who is working with a team of women involved in activities at Womenzone.

They have forged links with an initiative called Time And Place, uncovering stories behind portraits taken at Manningham’s old Belle Vue Studios, popular with migrant communities from the 1950s to the 1970s, and bringing them up to date. As reported in the Telegraph & Argus, Bradford photographer Tim Smith is collecting stories to be made into short films for new digital arts channel The Space.

This weekend, arts agency Fabric is hosting Tell Us Your Story days, inviting people to look through Belle Vue pictures and share experiences.

“Some will have had portraits taken there, others may recall relatives talking about it,” says Mandeep. “We hope some of them will also get involved with our project.”

The second strand involves reminiscence sessions. Artist Naomi Parker has been recruited to lead workshops stimulating discussion and memories of the home sewing heritage, leading to an exhibition – the third strand – later this year.

This summer, Naomi will lead a 12-week dressmaking project, and the resulting shalwar kameez-inspired garments will be on show at the exhibition.

Also on display will be photographs of women wearing shalwar kameez through the ages. “We’d love to hear from anyone who has photos in family albums of early settlement days in Bradford onwards,” says Mandeep. “We’re also calling out to any tailors or seamstresses with a story to tell.

“This project will enable women of all ages to share experiences and explore the significance of the shalwar kameez and how it has changed over time. By bringing elder women’s stories to life, and engaging younger women, we hope to preserve this unique heritage.”

The heritage project will be launched at Womenzone, Hubert Street, Laisterdyke, on Tuesday, May 29 from 11am. It is a women-only event. For more information, visit facebook.com/womenzonecc, or e-mail MandeepSamra@womenzonecc.co.uk. Tell Us Your Story events are on Saturday and Sunday at Fabric’s city centre venue, Handmade In Bradford.