Measuring for a custom abaya: body or garment numbers

Which route suits you

• Use an abaya you own if you have one whose width, length and sleeves you like, and you want the new one to feel much the same. It is often the easiest route for a plain abaya with custom sizing.
• Use body measurements if nothing you own fits the way you want, if your size has changed since you bought it, or if the new style is very different, for example a wide butterfly cut when your current abaya is straight.
• Send both if you can. Body numbers plus one well-fitting abaya, each clearly labelled, give us two views of the same person and make odd readings easy to spot.

The key numbers, measured both ways

Use one unit throughout, centimetres or inches, and keep the tape flat without pulling it tight.

• Length with shoes. Body: from the highest point of your shoulder by the neck, straight down to the floor, wearing the shoes you will wear most. Garment: from the shoulder seam by the collar down to the hem, then tell us which shoes you wear with that abaya and where the hem falls on you.
• Shoulder. Body: across your back from one shoulder point to the other. Garment: from one shoulder seam to the other across the back. If your abaya has no shoulder seam because it is a kimono or batwing cut, say so rather than guessing.
• Bust. Body: around the fullest part, level under the arms. Garment: straight across the chest from one underarm seam to the other, laid flat. Write down the flat width as measured and label it as flat, so it is never confused with a full round measurement.
• Sleeve. Body: from the shoulder point over a slightly bent elbow to where you want the sleeve to end. Garment: from the shoulder seam to the edge of the cuff along the top of the sleeve.
• Upper arm. Body: around the fullest part of the arm, relaxed. Garment: straight across the sleeve, laid flat, just below the underarm seam.
• Wrist or cuff. Body: around the wrist bone, or around the widest part of your hand if you want a narrow cuff with no fastening. Garment: across the cuff opening, laid flat.
• Hips. Body: around the fullest part of your hips and seat. Garment: straight across at the same level, laid flat. A straight abaya needs this to let you walk and sit.

Ease, fit preference and what you wear underneath

Ease is the room between you and the fabric. An abaya has a lot of it, which is why it moves well, but how much is a matter of taste. When you send body numbers, send them exactly as measured and do not add anything yourself; tell us instead whether you like the abaya roomy, relaxed or a little closer, and we allow for that. When you send garment numbers, the ease is already built in, so say whether you want the new one the same, slightly wider or slightly narrower.

Mention the layers you usually wear underneath. A long dress with sleeves needs more room in the upper arm than a thin top. Fabric matters too: chiffon floats away from the body, while crepe and nida fall more closely, so the same width can feel different, as how fabric changes fit and drape shows.

Writing it down so nothing is lost

Put each number on its own line with a label, the unit and its type, for example “Bust, body, 94 cm” or “Sleeve, garment, from shoulder seam to cuff, 58 cm”. Add a sentence on fit, such as “relaxed, worn over a long dress, flat sandals”. A photo of you wearing the abaya you measured, standing side on, helps us see where the hem rises at the front or the shoulders slope.

You can enter everything on the quote form, which accepts centimetres or inches. If anything on the form is unclear, our measuring help page explains how to ask before you submit.

What we confirm before cutting, and what we cannot promise

We read every number against the others. If a sleeve looks short for your shoulder width, or a garment bust seems to be a body bust, we ask before going further. The agreed measurements then appear in your written quote, labelled as body or garment, and nothing is cut until you have checked and approved them. Keep your tape handy when you read it.

We will be honest about one thing: an abaya made from measurements sent from far away, with no try-on in between, cannot come with a promise of a perfect fit. Careful numbers and a clear fit preference get you very close, and confirming them in writing removes most surprises. If the finished abaya does not match the agreed measurements or design, tell us in the 7 days after delivery and we correct or remake it without charge for the work; postage both ways is paid by you. Customers from Riyadh to Birmingham order this way, and our custom abaya service page has the rest of the process.