Abayas Are in Vogue

The recent Bride Show in Abu Dhabi has seen an impressive collection of embellished abayas. Two of them from Oshia Fashion Design were ultra luxurious and extremely stunning and were worth Dh 100,000 each. Abayas by Smooth Lady, Beauty Queen and Princess were also showcased in this show. Thus, we see that the world of fashion has open handedly accepted this ethnic Islamic wear. What originally started off as a traditional Muslim wear for ladies to cover themselves up completely in front of other men, is now been incorporated into the fashion world as a new trend.

Abayas are used to cover everything below the shoulders, only one's palms and feet are left bare. Traditionally these were available in black, but with changing times even the Muslim community has lost some of its rigidity and hence, they are also available in vibrant colors these days. These have been accepted by women of different regions too, and you will find women wearing them even in western countries where these are known as kaftans. These are in demand and are very comfortable too.

How is it different from a Jilbab?

Though an Abaya is somewhat similar to a Jilbab, they have their differences too. An abaya (traditional Muslim wear for women, especially for Middle Easter khaleeji women) is similar to a jilbab as both of them cover the entire body completely. The difference lies in their sleeves. The sleeves of a jilbab are stitched to the main body of the cloak, whereas an abaya is a single piece of cloak. Its cut itself includes the sleeves without stitching it. These have impressive necklines, sleeves and bases with heavy embroideries.

Their designs

These days this garment has been stylized in many ways by many designers. Some of the common designs are:

* They are usually made of light materials, like lexus crepe and satin.
* They can be open front throughout their entire length or they can be completely closed.
* Most of them come in stylish and intricate designs varying form geometric patterns to floral ones.
* They can also be designed with heavy embroidery in gold and silver.
* Many of these are also styled with beads, sequins, multi colored crystals, and Swarovski stones (for the high end designer ones)

East Essence is one store where you can find stylish eastern wear. They have an exhaustive line of modern and trendy Abayas and you can easily select from this impressive line something that suits your sense of style.