Is your abaya see-through in sunlight or flash photos?

Why light changes everything

Indoors, light falls on the front of the fabric and bounces back to the viewer, so you see the cloth. When the sun or a bright window is behind you, light passes through the weave from the back and the cloth acts like a lampshade: anything denser than the fabric, such as your legs or an inner dress, shows as a shadow.

Flash photography does something similar from the front. The burst of light is very strong and very close, and the camera sets its exposure for that, so light can travel through a thin outer layer, reflect off what is underneath and come back. Pale or bright clothes under a dark abaya are the most visible, because the contrast is high. Night modes on phones, which brighten dark scenes, can have the same effect.

Two checks to do at home

Do both checks wearing the inner clothes you actually plan to wear with the abaya.

• The doorway check: stand in a doorway or in front of a bright window, with the light behind you, and ask someone to look from a few steps away, or prop your phone up and record a short video. Walk a few steps, because the outline often shows when the fabric moves against your legs.
• The flash check: in a dim room, take a photo of yourself in a mirror with the flash on, then another with the phone’s night mode. Look at the hips, the legs and the upper arms, where layers press closest to the fabric.
• For fabric before it is made up: hold a single layer up to daylight with your hand behind it. If you can see your fingers clearly, plan on a lining or an inner layer.

Fixes that work

Start with the simplest change and move on only if the checks still show through. Our guide on what to wear under an abaya has more ideas for heat and cold.

• A dark slip or inner dress: a long slip or a full-length inner dress in the same colour as the abaya removes most of the contrast. Avoid white or bright under a black abaya.
• Partial lining: lining the bodice, back and upper skirt solves most problems without making the whole abaya warm. Our article on lined or unlined abayas weighs it up.
• A denser cloth: a tighter weave or a slightly heavier weight. Thin chiffon and georgette almost always need a layer beneath; see chiffon and georgette abayas.
• Matte fabric: a matte surface scatters flash rather than lighting up, which also helps in photos.

Planning a new abaya with this in mind

If you are having an abaya made, mention where you will wear it: outdoors in strong sun, at events where photos are taken, or both. That tells us whether to suggest a denser cloth or a lining. With Fabric + Stitching we propose a suitable fabric in your quote; with your own fabric, a photo of it held up to daylight helps us judge it, and our page on non see-through fabrics explains what to look for. Lining is one of the choices you can ask for when we make your abaya to measure, and it is agreed in writing before cutting.