Nida, crepe or chiffon: which abaya fabric to choose?

How the three compare

• Weight: chiffon is the lightest, nida is light and crepe runs from medium to heavy. Chiffon is usually worn as two layers, though, so the finished outfit is not always lighter than nida.
• Drape: nida moves softly and follows you loosely. Crepe falls straight and swings with its own weight. Chiffon floats, flutters and catches any breeze.
• Opacity: crepe is the most opaque. Nida is opaque in black and dark shades, while pale nida can show outlines. Chiffon is see-through in a single layer.
• Breathability: one layer of nida is thin enough for air to move through. Crepe is denser and holds more warmth. Chiffon is airy on its own, but how cool it feels depends on what is worn under it.
• Creasing: nida resists creases and usually recovers with a shake. The fine grainy surface of crepe disguises light creases. Chiffon creases softly and wants gentle steam rather than a hot iron.
• Embroidery: crepe is the steadiest base and carries fuller work and long motif lines. Nida takes light to medium embroidery well, though very dense work can pucker a thin cloth. Chiffon needs lighter, more open designs and support while it is stitched; see embroidery on chiffon and georgette.
• Care: none of the three likes a hot iron. Nida washes easily and dries fast. Crepe should be pressed from the reverse so its surface does not turn shiny. Chiffon is happiest washed by hand or on a gentle cycle, and never wrung.

Choosing by climate

For a Gulf summer, nida is the dependable choice in dry heat, because it is thin, dries quickly and needs no lining in dark colours. A light crepe suits anyone who wants more coverage and a smarter line, and chiffon over a light, breathable inner dress works for warm evenings. On the humid coast, choose a loose shape whichever fabric you pick. Our guide to abaya fabrics for Gulf summer heat goes further, and the UAE abaya page explains ordering from the Emirates.

For a UK winter, crepe earns its weight. It keeps out a cold wind better than the other two, stays neat under a coat and can be lined for extra warmth. Nida is the lighter option for heated offices and for wearing under a long coat, and chiffon belongs at indoor occasions. See winter abayas for UK and US weather and the UK abaya page.

Choosing by shape

The cut changes how each fabric behaves, so think about the shape and the fabric together:

• Cape: crepe holds the edge of the cape and keeps it sitting neatly on the shoulders. Nida gives a lighter, softer cape, and chiffon makes it float over an inner dress.
• Butterfly: the wide body falls in folds, light and soft in nida, deeper and heavier in crepe. Chiffon suits an evening butterfly worn over an inner dress.
• Tailored: crepe keeps the shawl collar and the long straight line crisp, which suits a minimalist abaya. Nida works for a lighter everyday tailored piece.
• Layered: the two flared layers of the sleeve show most clearly in a light fabric. Chiffon makes them float, and nida keeps them soft without any sheerness. See the Magnolia layered abaya.
• Kimono and bell: both work in all three. Nida suits a daily kimono such as the Olive Branch kimono abaya, and crepe lets a bell sleeve fall cleanly, as on the Acacia bell abaya.

Same price in all three, and only these three

On every design in our collection, nida, crepe and chiffon cost the same, as do hand, machine and mixed embroidery, so you can choose the fabric purely on how you will wear it. Collection abayas start from £80, each with a matching scarf. These are launch prices until 31 October. From 1 November the same three tiers cost £99, £125 and £150.

We make abayas in nida, crepe and chiffon only. If you would rather send your own fabric for Stitching Only, it needs to be one of the three, and we confirm it is suitable from your photos before you post it to us in Pakistan. Shape collections such as cape abayas and butterfly abayas show every design in each cut, and our guide to abaya embroidery motifs helps with the embroidery.

Seeing the fabric before you order

We do not send free fabric samples. Instead, with Fabric + Stitching, your written quote includes photos and descriptions of the fabric we propose, so you can see the colour and surface and read how heavy it is before you pay. Tell us how and where you will wear the abaya, and if you prefer fully matte or a little sheen, and we propose a fabric to match. Our page on choosing fabric and the article on why there are no free fabric samples explain more.

For each fabric on its own, read what nida fabric is, the crepe abaya guide and our guide to sheer chiffon abayas. When you are ready, pick a design and name your fabric on the quote form, or start from the custom abayas page. The measurements and every design detail are agreed in writing before cutting, and making takes 5 to 7 working days after the quote is approved and paid in full.