Which abaya for which occasion? A practical guide

The four choices behind every occasion

Each occasion below is described by the same four things, so it helps to know what each one changes:

• Shape: closed shapes such as the tailored, butterfly and lantern stay put on busy days; open shapes such as the kimono, tulip, cape and pleated show what is underneath and feel dressier. Sleeve width matters as much as the body: narrow for work and hosting, wide or layered for being a guest.
• Fabric: nida is light and forgiving for daily wear, crepe has more body for structure and heavier work, and chiffon is the floaty, dressy one, usually lined or worn over an inner dress.
• Embroidery level: from none, through light work at the cuffs or neckline, to full borders down the front and on the sleeves. In our collection, hand, machine and mixed embroidery are the same price.
• Colour: dark and neutral shades for practical settings, richer or paler ones for celebrations. Any of our designs can be made in any colour, agreed in the quote.

Prayer, Ramadan and Eid

The religious calendar brings three very different needs, from the plainest abaya of the year to the most festive.

• Umrah and prayer: a loose, closed shape in light, opaque nida, with sleeves that stay at the wrist and a hem that clears the ground. Leave it plain, or nearly plain, so it is easy to wash in a basin and dry overnight. Black hides marks; white needs an opacity check. Our Umrah abaya guide covers packing and washing. This is clothing advice only, not religious guidance.
• Ramadan iftar and evenings: a lantern sleeve gathered into a deep cuff stays out of the food when you host, and a wider bell or tulip sleeve suits evenings as a guest. Nida for warm nights, crepe where they turn cool. Light embroidery at the collar and cuffs, in a soft colour such as dusty mauve, as on the Rosebud lantern abaya. Our guide to abayas for Ramadan evenings goes into sleeves and fabric.
• Eid: the day for a fuller shape and more embroidery, such as an open kimono, tulip or cape in crepe, or chiffon with a lining, with work down the front edges and on the sleeves. Burgundy, olive or ivory all feel festive; the Arabesque tulip abaya, burgundy with gold scrollwork, is one example. Our Eid abaya ideas, the Eid abayas collection and the Eid occasion page have more.

Family celebrations, engagements, weddings and dinners

Here the abaya is part of the occasion itself, and photographs are almost certain. If the wedding is your own, our bridal abaya planning guide covers the extra decisions.

• Family celebrations: a birthday, a new baby, a relative’s graduation at home. You will sit, serve and hold children, so a closed butterfly or bell shape in nida with moderate embroidery at the neckline stays comfortable and still looks dressed. Navy with soft blue, as on the Iris butterfly abaya, suits an afternoon with family. The weekend and gatherings page has more ideas.
• Engagement parties: usually photographs, standing and greeting, in a hall with strong light. A layered or tulip shape in crepe or lined chiffon, with fuller embroidery and perhaps sequins at the front edges, agreed in the quote. Deep teal, blush or champagne photograph well under warm lighting.
• Weddings as a guest: a cape or pleated shape in crepe, with the fullest embroidery you are comfortable in, in a jewel tone or the colours the family has chosen. Check the colour plan with the hosts first. Our wedding guest abaya guide covers colour and length, and the wedding guest abayas collection gathers designs picked for guests.
• Formal dinners and evening events: you are seated most of the night, so put the detail at the shoulders and cuffs. A cape in crepe, with zari, beadwork or sequins agreed in the quote, in black, burgundy or chocolate brown. Our guide to evening abayas with beadwork, sequins and zari explains where the shine should sit.

One abaya, several occasions

Most wardrobes do not need a separate abaya for every line above. An open-front kimono abaya in a mid colour, with moderate embroidery at the front edges and cuffs, can go to the office over a plain inner dress, to an iftar over a softly coloured one and to a family celebration with a dressier dress and a patterned scarf. The Palm Arc kimono abaya, chocolate brown with gold and bronze palm fronds, is an example of that middle ground.

The inner dress and the scarf are what change the mood. Ordering an abaya with a matching inner dress gives you one dressy pairing, and a plain scarf you already own in a contrast colour gives you another. Every collection design comes with its own matching scarf, so the set always has one calm option.

Ordering for a particular date

If the abaya is for a set date, put it in the event date field on the quote form so we know what you are working towards. Making takes 5 to 7 working days once your written quote is approved and paid in full, or once your fabric reaches us with Stitching Only, and then the abaya is shipped. Shipping time varies by destination, so we cannot promise a delivery date; leave a comfortable margin. Our pages on how long stitching takes and worldwide delivery explain each stage.

UK quotes are in pounds; in the Gulf you choose US dollars, euros or pounds, and the total already includes delivery and any import duties and fees. Our abaya pages for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and the UK give the details for each country. Our collection abayas start from £80, with a matching scarf. These are launch prices until 31 October. From 1 November the same three tiers cost £99, £125 and £150.