Abayas by style
A butterfly abaya, often called a farasha, is cut as one wide piece, with the sleeves and body joined so the fabric falls in soft folds from the shoulders. These ten close at a round neck and pull on over the head, and each carries its embroidery around the neckline and along the sleeves, from cream jasmine on black to peach magnolias on ivory.
Design preview
Design preview
Design preview10 designs
Each design is made to order in your size or to your measurements. The pictures are design previews made before sewing, so the finished piece is confirmed in your written quote.
10 designs shown
£80Regular £99· 19% offDesign preview4 photosabayas
A black butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with cream jasmine flowers and gold leaves around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£80Regular £99· 19% offDesign preview4 photosabayas
An olive green butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with soft gold olive branches around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£80Regular £99· 19% offDesign preview4 photosabayas
A pearl grey butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with a fine cream diamond lattice around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£99Regular £125· 21% offDesign preview4 photosabayas · eid
A chocolate brown butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with gold and bronze palm fronds around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£99Regular £125· 21% offDesign preview4 photosabayas
A navy butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with soft blue irises around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£80Regular £99· 19% offDesign preview4 photosabayas
A dusty mauve butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with pink rosebuds on a cream vine around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£80Regular £99· 19% offDesign preview4 photosabayas · eid
A burgundy butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with gold arabesque scrollwork around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£99Regular £125· 21% offDesign preview4 photosabayas · eid
A deep teal butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with gold and teal waves with small shells around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£99Regular £125· 21% offDesign preview4 photosabayas
A taupe butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with cream acacia blossom and grey leaves around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
£99Regular £125· 21% offDesign preview4 photosabayas · eid
An ivory butterfly abaya with a round neck, embroidered with peach and gold magnolias around the neckline and on the sleeves. Comes with a matching scarf.
Design preview01
There is no set-in sleeve. The body and sleeves are cut together, so with your arms down the fabric hangs in folds at your sides, and when you lift them it opens out like a pair of wings. The widest part sits under the arm; at the wrist the sleeve is gathered in, so it narrows to your hand instead of hanging open.
That makes it one of the roomiest abayas we make. It passes over the bust, waist and hips without following them, which is why many women pick it when comfort comes first, or when they want something that still sits well if their shape changes.
Air moves freely through all that width, so the butterfly feels cool in Gulf heat. In a British winter there is room for a jumper or a long cardigan underneath without the abaya pulling across the back.
Design preview02
On this shape the embroidery follows the round neckline and runs along the sleeves. The neck band does not stop at the shoulders: it carries on around the back, so the design reads as a full circle from behind as well as from the front.
Think about your scarf when you choose. Wrapped high and loose, it lets the neck embroidery show between the folds; pinned low over the chest, it covers most of it and the sleeves do the talking. For a plainer abaya you can ask for the neckline embroidery only and leave the sleeves plain.
Hand, machine and mixed embroidery are one price. The tight lattice on the pearl grey design and the scrolls on burgundy come out crisp in machine work, while the irises, rosebuds and acacia blossom take on a softer, raised look by hand.
Design preview03
A butterfly abaya uses a lot of cloth, so the weight you choose changes how it behaves. Nida is light, matte and easy to care for, and it moves well in the folds. Crepe is heavier: the wings hang straighter and swing less, which some women prefer on windy days. Chiffon is the most fluid of the three, but in a cut this generous a slightly sheer fabric shows more, so a lining is worth adding.
For errands and the school run, the black jasmine, olive branch and taupe acacia designs are the practical ones, and the pearl grey lattice is calm enough for an office. Navy iris and dusty mauve rosebud suit visits and dinners. For Eid, the chocolate palm fronds, burgundy arabesque, deep teal waves and ivory magnolias carry the most gold.
04
Width is built into the cut, so length is the number that matters most. Pick your usual size from S to XL, or send your height and the length you want from the top of the shoulder to the hem, measured on your body or from an abaya you already own (tell us which). If you want less volume at the arm, ask for narrower sleeves: the outline gets slimmer while the body keeps its drape.
Each piece is made in Pakistan once the written quote is agreed and paid in full. Production takes 5 to 7 working days, then it is shipped to you, with delivery and any import charges already included in the quote.
In close-up
Necklines, sleeves and backs from this collection. Tap a name to see every view of that design.
Design preview
Design preview
Design preview
Design previewYour choices
Initials, a name or a monogram can be embroidered too: tell us the letters and where you would like them, and we confirm the size and thread in your quote.
Anything else you would like changed, ask in your quote request and we tell you honestly whether it can be done.
How to order
Delivery to the UK
Quoted and paid in pounds. Your quote includes delivery to your door and any import VAT, duty and courier fees, so there is nothing to pay when the parcel arrives. Ordering from the UK
Delivery to the UAE
Choose to be quoted in US dollars, euros or pounds. Delivery to any emirate and the import charges are included in the quote. Ordering from the UAE · the Gulf
Keep looking
Design preview10 designs
Design preview10 designs
Design preview10 designs
Design preview40 designs
FAQ
Yes. Farasha is the Arabic word for butterfly, and both names describe the same wide cut with the sleeves and body in one piece. Batwing is a close cousin, usually with a narrower sleeve lower down.
No. It closes at a round neck and goes on over your head, so there is nothing to fasten and nothing to blow open. If you would like a front opening, ask in your quote request and we tell you in writing whether it works with the design.
A little, because the sleeve is part of the body, so lifting the arm draws some fabric up with it. The gathered wrist keeps the sleeve close to your hand. If you reach up a lot, send your arm length with your measurements so the sleeve is cut to suit you.
Yes, a scarf in the same shade is included with all ten butterfly designs.
Ready when you are
Send the design you like with your size or measurements, and we reply with a written quote.
No commitment until you approve your written quote.
