Abayas

What is an abaya?

An abaya is a loose, full-length outer garment, traditionally worn as a robe over regular clothing rather than as the outfit itself. Open-front abayas fasten like a coat and layer over a dress or trousers; closed abayas pull on as one piece. Kimono and butterfly cuts use wide, dropped sleeves for a more relaxed drape, while a fitted or 'sharp' abaya follows the body more closely through the shoulders. Because it's an outer layer, an abaya is usually sized to fit over whatever's worn underneath, not to size. Fabric changes the season more than the shape does: across the abayas listed here, satin, linen, chiffon and crepe are the four that recur, with linen and chiffon reading as summer weights and crepe and satin holding structure in colder months. The vocabulary overlaps with neighbouring garments and is worth separating: a kaftan is cut wider and shorter and is often worn as the outfit rather than over one, a jilbab covers head and body together, and a khimar is a head covering, not an abaya at all. To tell a well-made abaya from a cheap one, check the shoulder first — on a good one the seam sits where your shoulder actually ends and the fabric falls straight from it, while a rushed cut drops the seam down the arm and the whole garment swings forward.