Gown, shrug, coat or frock abaya: the names explained

The names, mapped to a cut

Each name describes three things at once: the overall shape, the front and the sleeve. Here is how they are most often used.

• Gown: closed front, shaped bodice with a waist seam or princess seams, a flared or gathered skirt and usually set-in full sleeves.
• Shrug: an open outer layer with no fastening, cut like a long cardigan and often sold with a matching inner dress, so the two read as one outfit. The shrug may be sheer, embroidered or a contrast colour.
• Coat: a structured open or buttoned front, often a collar or lapels, set-in sleeves and a straighter line. Our guide to the coat-style abaya covers collars and fastenings.
• Frock: a fitted bodice with the skirt flaring from a yoke or the waist in panels or gathers, much like the kalidar frock used for kameez. Lighter and younger in feel than a gown.
• Irani: used for different things by different shops. Sometimes it means a plain, loose closed abaya; sometimes one worn with a large matching wrap. Ask for a photo before relying on the name.

Telling a gown from a frock

These two are the ones most often mixed up. A gown usually takes its fullness from long panels that run from bodice to hem, so the skirt falls smoothly. A frock usually has a clear horizontal seam, at the waist or a yoke, with gathers or many kalis below it, so the skirt looks bouncier. Both need more measurements than a loose abaya, because the bodice has to sit close: bust, under-bust or waist, and the length from shoulder to that seam all matter.

If you like the flare without the close bodice, an umbrella or flared abaya gives volume from the shoulders instead.

Shrugs and inner dresses

A shrug abaya is really a two-piece outfit. The inner dress gives coverage and the shrug gives shape and decoration, which means you can make each piece earn its keep: the inner dress can be worn under a different outer layer, and the shrug can go over a plain long dress. Our article on the two-layer abaya explains how the two layers are planned and measured together.

Asking for one by its features

When you order, write the shop name if you like, then describe the cut in plain terms: closed or open, where the waist seam sits, how full the skirt is, the sleeve shape and the length. Add a photo, and a second one if the back is different. We make abayas to measure as Fabric + Stitching or Stitching Only, and any embroidery, lace or border is confirmed for your fabric and design in the written quote. Send your design through the quote form.