Purple abayas from lavender to plum, cut in the purple you choose

01

Mauve and burgundy in the pictures, purple in the cloth

There is no purple abaya among our designs yet, and tinting a picture to fake one would only mislead you, so the previews show the two colours that sit closest. Rosebud is drawn in dusty mauve, a muted, greyish pink with a lean towards purple, embroidered with pale pink roses on a cream vine. Arabesque is drawn in burgundy, a deep red with enough purple in it to hint at plum, worked in gold. Neither is purple, so use them to judge the cut and the embroidery rather than the shade.

Purple itself is ordered like any other colour. Every abaya design we have can be cut in any colour, so choose a shape and a motif, write your purple on the quote request, and the shade of both the abaya and its scarf is stated in your written quote. Nothing is cut until that quote is approved and paid in full. The purple names you are likely to meet, and what each one usually means:

• Lavender: a pale purple with a blue and often slightly grey cast, calm rather than sweet
• Lilac: a pale purple tipped towards pink, warmer and fresher than lavender
• Mauve or dusty purple: purple muted with grey, the shade nearest the Rosebud pictures
• Orchid: a mid purple with plenty of pink in it, brighter and clearer than mauve
• Violet: a clean purple that leans blue, vivid without being harsh
• Plum: a deep purple with a red lean, a close relation of the burgundy shown here
• Aubergine: the darkest of the family, so deep it can look black indoors
• Dark purple or jamni: a rich, deep purple leaning blue, named after the ripe jamun fruit

02

A purple open abaya or a purple abaya dress

All ten shapes can be made in purple, and they split into two kinds. Six hang open down the front and go over your own clothes, the way a long coat does, so what you wear underneath can change from one day to the next. Four are closed at the neck and are the outfit in themselves, which is what most shops mean by an abaya dress. This is where the Rosebud vine or the Arabesque scrollwork sits on each:

• Kimono, bisht and pleated: open, with the motif running down both front edges and finishing at the sleeves; the kimono adds a small motif at the back of the neck and the bisht a line across it
• Tailored: open and the plainest, a long straight cut with embroidery only on the narrow shawl collar and the cuffs
• Cape and tulip: open, with the embroidery as the centrepiece; the cape is edged along its short shoulder cape, its front and its cuffs, and the tulip carries a spray from one shoulder down the front and onto its curved petal sleeves
• Butterfly and layered: closed at a round neck; the butterfly is cut wide with body and sleeves in one, gathered at the wrist and embroidered at the neck and on the sleeves, while the layered is an A-line with a shoulder spray and two flared tiers on each sleeve
• Bell and lantern: closed and neat; the bell has a short slit at the front of the neck, edged with the motif, and sleeves that flare at the wrist, and the lantern has a stand collar, a front placket and full sleeves drawn into a deep cuff

03

Embroidery thread, fabric and the scarf on purple

Change the ground colour and the embroidery needs a second look. Rosebud’s pale pink roses and cream vine show up well on mid-toned mauve, but on lavender or lilac they would be pale on pale; a deeper thread such as plum, dusty rose or soft gold brings them forward again. Dark purple works the other way round. Gold scrollwork, as drawn on the burgundy Arabesque designs, stands out clearly on plum and aubergine, and silver gives a cooler, crisper finish on violet or jamni. The thread colour on any of our abaya designs can be changed, and the one you pick is written into your quote.

A motif can also move to a new ground: the rosebud vine on a deep aubergine, say, or the gold Arabesque scrollwork on lavender. That is agreed in the quote as well, before cutting. If you are torn between metals, gold or silver embroidery sets them side by side.

Fabric changes how purple reads. Nida is smooth and matte, which gives an even, quiet colour. Crepe has a fine grain that holds the light, so a dark purple looks deeper in it. Chiffon is light and a little sheer, and a single layer of lavender or lilac chiffon lets light through and hints at what is underneath, so ask for a lining or pick crepe instead. All three are the same price, and is an abaya see-through in sunlight? covers what to check before you choose.

04

Wearing purple: undertone, pairings and occasions

As a rough guide, cool, fair skin looks fresh in lavender, violet and jamni; warm and olive skin in plum, orchid and the redder purples; deep skin wears both a bright violet and a near-black aubergine with real ease. There is a simple daylight check in finding your undertone.

Deep purple sits happily with gold, grey, black and mustard, and lavender and lilac with silver, white, grey and sage. With a plum or aubergine abaya, gold jewellery picks up the warmth; with lavender, silver and pearls are the gentler match. For the pale end, see colours that go with lilac; for the deep end, contrast colours for purple works for an abaya and scarf as much as for a suit.

Dark purple suits Eid, a dinner or a winter wedding you are invited to, and it looks rich under warm evening light; the Arabesque designs also appear among our Eid abayas. Lavender and lilac feel right in spring and for a daytime nikah or walima as a guest, festive without pulling focus from the couple, and walima guest outfit ideas has more on dressing for the day. Allow 5 to 7 working days of making once the quote is approved and fully paid, then shipping time, which differs from country to country; if you have a date in mind, tell us when you first write.