How much does a custom abaya cost?

Which designs sit in each tier

The collection is ten shapes, each made with ten embroidery motifs. The tier depends on two things: how much cutting and finishing the shape takes, and how full the embroidery is. The kimono, bisht, tulip, lantern and layered shapes take more work than the tailored, butterfly and bell, and the cape and pleated shapes take the most.

Each design page shows its own price, so if you are unsure where a design falls, open it. The collection pages group the designs by shape, which makes it easy to compare, for example, every cape abaya side by side. This is how the 100 designs divide today:

• Essential, £80: the tailored, butterfly and bell shapes with the lighter motifs, which are Desert Jasmine, Olive Branch, Pearl Geometry, Rosebud and Arabesque. The Desert Jasmine butterfly abaya is a good example: black, cut wide with the sleeves and body in one, with cream jasmine flowers and gold leaves around the round neck and on the sleeves.
• Signature, £99: the kimono, bisht, tulip, lantern and layered shapes with those lighter motifs, and the tailored, butterfly and bell shapes with the fuller motifs, which are Iris, Acacia, Magnolia, Palm Arc and Wave. The Desert Jasmine kimono abaya sits here: open at the front like a long coat, with jasmine down both front edges and around the cuffs.
• Statement, £120: every cape and pleated design, and the fuller motifs on the kimono, bisht, tulip, lantern and layered shapes. The Desert Jasmine cape abaya carries its embroidery along the edges of the cape as well as down the front and on the cuffs.

What the written quote adds

The design price does not include delivery. When you order, we send a written quote that adds delivery to your address and any import duties, taxes and customs or courier fees for your country. That is why the same abaya has a different total in London and in Dubai: the garment price stays put, but the cost of getting it to your door depends on where you live. Once the quote is paid, nothing more is due when the parcel arrives.

The quote also sets out the design, the fabric, your measurements, any changes you asked for, the delivery arrangements, the processing time and our policies, so you can check every line before you pay. Making takes 5 to 7 working days after the quote is approved and paid in full. Shipping time is extra and varies by destination; our worldwide delivery page has more on it, and there are country pages for custom abayas in the UK and custom abayas in the UAE.

Your own design and Stitching Only are quoted individually

If you want an abaya from your own photo, sketch or description rather than one of our 100 designs, there is no fixed price. We quote it individually, in writing, once we have seen what you want. The same goes for Stitching Only, where you post us your own nida, crepe or chiffon after we have confirmed it is suitable. Our article on why made to measure has no price list explains the reasoning behind individual quotes. For abayas, the difference is that the collection designs now have published prices, while designs of your own and Stitching Only orders are still quoted one by one.

These are the things that move a custom abaya quote:

• How much embroidery, and where it sits. A band at the cuffs is a small job next to sprays over the shoulder, down the front and around the hem.
• The type of embroidery. Whether you want hand, machine or zari (metallic thread) work is part of the quote for a design of your own. Embroidered abayas made to measure shows the range.
• Beadwork or sequins. Both add to the quote, and we confirm in writing where your fabric and design can carry them.
• Extra layers. An inner dress or a train means more fabric and more sewing.
• Anything beyond the abaya. A matching scarf comes with every collection design. On a design of your own, a scarf or any other extra is listed in the quote.

Currency and payment

Our prices are set in pounds sterling, and customers in the UK pay in pounds. Customers in Dubai and the rest of the Gulf, in the US and in Europe choose US dollars, euros or pounds for their quote. While you browse, the site shows an approximate price in your local currency as a guide; the figure in your written quote is the one you pay.

Payment is in full and in advance, by bank transfer, Wise or a card payment link, once you have approved the quote. If you cancel before cutting starts, you are refunded minus any fabric already bought for your order. Once cutting has started there is no refund. The payment and cancellations page has the detail.

How to get an exact figure

For a collection design, open its page, choose your fabric, embroidery method and size, and send the order form with your country and city. You get back a written quote with one total covering the abaya, the scarf, delivery and import charges. You can start an order for the Desert Jasmine butterfly abaya, for instance, or browse all 100 designs on our custom abaya page.

For a design of your own, send your photos and notes and say which details matter most to you. If you are working to a budget, our guide to a custom abaya on a budget covers where to spend and where to save, and the custom abaya checklist lists what to include so the first quote is accurate.