Abaya

Fashion designers across the globe are creating gorgeous looking abayas for every occasion. Leading Pakistani clothing brands such as Nishat Linen has a huge range of intricately designed abayas and jilabayas for women.

Traditional vs Modern Abaya

The traditional abaya was a long and plain black coloured loose garment that covered the entire body except for hands, face and feet. The head was covered with a scarf or a Hijab and in some cases, the face was covered with a Niqab. There was nothing stylish or trendy about traditional abaya as it was supposed to cover the body parts, jewellery and fashionable garments of a woman.

The modern-day abaya comes in a wide variety of designs and styles. It has evolved into a fashion statement and these days abaya wearing women around the world want their abayas to look stylish as well as modest. 

Material

Abayas are made out of a variety of light and flowy fabrics that include Nidha, Linen, Satin, Crepe, Silk, Georgette, Chiffon, Jersey and Cotton. For ladies who like slim fit abayas, jersey is the best choice of material. Ladies who live in the warmer parts of the world can opt for the 100% polyester variety commonly known as the Nidha material. It is perfect for the scorching summer heat and is a luxurious and soft fabric. The best thing about this Nidha is that it is breathable and gives a lovely fall to the garment. The only downside is the price as abayas made out of high-quality Nidha fabric tend to be very expensive.

Styles

All abayas are designed to cover a woman's silhouette. They come in various styles and designs that differ from region to region. Some abayas feature a front open or closed design and some come with a side slit or front buttons for easy movement. Women prefer embroidered and embellished variety over plain ones as they can be worn on all occasions.

The heavily embellished abayas have a mix of intricate embroidery as well as rhinestones, crystal work or stonework on them and are on the expensive side. Printed variety with geometric prints and artwork across the front or the helms is also widely liked.

The most commonly used colour in abaya manufacturing is black but these days they come in a wide variety of colours ranging from pastel hues, dark earthy tones to jewel-toned bright colours like Emerald green, Sapphire Blue, Ruby red etc.