Do abayas shrink in the wash? Fabric by fabric

Fabric by fabric

Check the label for the main fibre, then for the lining and trims, which matter too. If a cotton lining shrinks inside a polyester shell, the hem puckers; if the shell shrinks, the lining starts to show. Lace and cotton piping can draw up along an edge. Fibre by fibre, this is what to expect:

• Polyester (nida, most abaya crepes and similar cloths): barely shrinks in cool or warm water. Very hot water, a hot dryer or a hot iron can distort or glaze it, which is heat damage, not ordinary shrinkage. See what nida is.
• Cotton: shrinks most in the first wash or two, mainly in length, and more in hot water or a tumble dryer. Loosely woven cottons move more than dense ones.
• Linen: behaves much like cotton and relaxes again slightly with pressing. Our linen and cotton abayas guide goes further.
• Viscose and rayon: the least predictable. They can lose several centimetres in length if washed warm or agitated, and they are weak while wet.
• Crepe in viscose or wool: the tightly twisted yarns that give crepe its grainy surface contract when wet, so the cloth draws up. It often eases back with steam and gentle pressing. Polyester crepe is far more stable; see the crepe guide.
• Blends: somewhere between their parts. A polyester and cotton mix shrinks less than pure cotton.
• Knitted jersey: cotton and viscose jerseys shorten in the wash and then lengthen on the hanger, so the hem is a moving target.

If your abaya has already shrunk

With viscose and crepe, much of the lost length can often be coaxed back. Dampen the abaya evenly, lay it flat and ease it gently lengthwise with your hands, then press with steam on the reverse, working from shoulder to hem, and let it dry flat. Do not pull hard on wet viscose; it tears.

Cotton and linen that shrank in a hot wash give back only a little. If the hem was made with a deep turn-up, it can be let down by anyone handy with a needle, though a line may show on dark cloth. From then on, wash cool and dry on a hanger in the shade. The routine in how to wash an abaya keeps further change to a minimum.

Sending your own cloth: wash it first?

Tell us on the quote form whether the fabric has been washed; we confirm suitability and quantity before you post it.

Whether to wash cloth for a Stitching Only abaya depends on the fibre again:

• Cotton, linen, viscose and blends of them: yes. Wash the length the way you intend to wash the finished abaya, dry it, press it, and only then measure it for quantity, because it will be shorter than when you bought it.
• Polyester abaya cloths: no need.
• Wool crepe, silk and anything labelled dry clean only: do not wash. Say so in your notes, and plan to dry clean the finished abaya.
• Not sure what it is: send photos and any label first. Our article on pre-washing fabric before stitching explains how to decide.

Should you allow extra length?

Do not quietly add centimetres to your length measurement. If the cloth is pre-washed or polyester, your true shoulder-to-floor length and chosen clearance are all that is needed. If it is a natural fibre that could not be washed first, say so and ask for an allowance, such as a deeper hem, to be agreed in the written quote for your made-to-measure abaya. That way the figure is recorded once, in one place.