An abaya refers to the outer clothing that is worn above the daily
clothing by Islamic women in the Middle East and a few other countries. It is
full sleeved, floor length and thus covers the whole of the body of the person
wearing it. It is a loose and flowing garment worn to hide the body of women.
Other types of clothing like a veil or muffler can be worn along with Abaya in
order to cover the face and hair. Basically, there are two styles to wear an
Abaya which are- shoulder to bottom and head to bottom. Abayas can be either
plain or designer. Lately, a lot of women are preferring designed Abayas as the
plain ones have become old fashioned.
Embroidery and embellishments have become common in Abaya and look exceptionally
good on white Abaya. Embroidery,
beadwork, etc. can be done on the necklines, sleeves or at the bottom. Rest
remains on the woman’s discretion. Though a black Abaya is the traditional one,
nowadays, even white Abayas are in demand. They are very graceful and as the
colour white is getting more and more attention from the ladies, the trend is
setting in the city for the colour.
One thing which must be remembered before purchasing the Abaya is that you must check for the
type of cloth material of which the Abaya is made of, mentioned on the label or
the tag. There are two categories of cloth material- hand washed or machine
washed. The category must be chosen according to the consumer’s comfort. For
hand washing the Abayas, extra caution needs to be taken. For example, the use
of only cold water is prescribed and washing over the embroidery must be done
gently so that the embroidery or any beadwork is not damaged during the
process. When machine washing the Abayas, they must be separated and clubbed with
similar colours. This will help in preventing the colour to get on other
clothes being washed along with it. And serious precaution must be taken in
case of white Abayas. Washing white abaya with different coloured clothes might
lead to a change in the colour of the white abaya as well. The detergent used
must be a mild one and washing must be done keeping in mind the delicate nature
of Abaya cloth. In order to dry out the abaya, let the excess water flow and
gently hang the cloth. This will save the cloth material from any damage. Steam
press your Abayas to avoid taking extra care for the embroidered parts. In
order to avoid creases, fold the Abaya in a tender manner or hang it on a thick
hanger. After purchasing an Abaya, it must be kept in mind to always store it
properly so as to avoid damage and wear it with care for its long lasting life.