Abaya vs burqa: are they the same garment?

What each word means, region by region

The word burqa covers at least three different things, which is why a photo is worth more than the name. Here is how the two terms are used.

• Abaya, in the Gulf: a long outer robe from shoulder to ankle or floor, traditionally black, worn over everyday clothes with a separate headscarf such as a shayla. It covers the body, not the head or face.
• Burqa, in South Asia: in everyday speech, the outer coat a woman puts on to go out. It is usually a stitched gown with separate sleeves and a buttoned or zipped front, often sold with a scarf in the same cloth and sometimes with a separate face veil. Many families use burqa and abaya for the same garment.
• Burqa, in Afghanistan and in much English-language news: a single garment, also called a chadari, that falls from the crown of the head over the whole body, with a mesh panel in front of the eyes.
• Burqa, in parts of the Gulf: confusingly, the word can also mean a traditional face mask worn by some older women, which is not a robe at all.

How the cuts usually differ

Leaving the all-covering chadari aside, the practical comparison is between the Gulf-style abaya and the South Asian coat-style burqa. Plenty of garments sit between the two, but these are the usual differences.

• Shape: Gulf abayas tend to be wide and flowing, often with the sleeve cut in one with the body. The South Asian burqa is usually narrower and more coat-like, with a shoulder seam and a set-in sleeve.
• Front: an abaya may be open like a cloak, closed and pulled over the head, or held with a few hidden snaps. A burqa normally fastens down the centre front with buttons or a zip.
• Neck: abayas often have a plain round or V neck with no collar. Burqas more often have a small band or shirt-style collar.
• Head covering: an abaya is worn with a scarf chosen separately. A burqa is commonly sold as a set with its own scarf, and older styles have a cape-like top piece over the head and shoulders.
• Fabric: no real difference today. Both are mostly cut from the light, opaque cloths described in our abaya fabrics guide.

Shopping with both words

Online, the two words lead to different shelves. Listings headed burqa, mostly from South Asian sellers, tend to show buttoned coat shapes and sets with a scarf. Listings headed abaya, especially from Gulf sellers, show more open robes, wide sleeves and butterfly cuts. Both are usually sized by length in inches, so the number on the label tells you how long the garment is, not how wide.

Describing what you want in a quote

Since the names overlap, describe the garment by its features. We make abayas to measure in Pakistan and ship worldwide, and a clear description is what lets us quote accurately. A photo of a garment you own or have seen says most of it at once: upload it on the design quote form with your measurements, taken as described in how to measure for an abaya.

Anything beyond the robe itself, such as a head piece or a face veil, is something to ask for in your quote, and we confirm in writing what is possible on your fabric and design before you pay. With the photo, tell us:

• whether the front is open, closed, buttoned or zipped; our guide to open-front and closed abayas shows the options;
• whether you want a collar and a set-in sleeve, as on a coat-style abaya;
• how wide you like it through the body and at the hem;
• the full length from shoulder to floor in your usual shoes;
• whether you would like a scarf in the same cloth quoted with it.