The Evolution of Abaya Trends

Different styles of the modern abaya


The abaya is a outwear, a cover with buttons, laces, and clips to close from the front. It comes in various designs and styles for Muslim women and girls of all ages to wear while going out of the house. It is meant to cover the whole body to not make the body prominent for others to see. It is most of the time worn with a scarf or veil, but some women opt to wear it with a turban as well. The abaya is the most popular dress in the Muslim world and probably the best one among the other conventional clothing styles.
Earlier, an abaya used to be a plain black gown with almost no fancy accessories. However, with the passing time and encouragement from the women all across the Gulf region, the abaya has transformed into more like fashionable attire. Since it is the only piece of clothing that can be worn outside like malls and hospitals etc., women tend to experiment with their abayas by trying out different styles and with accessories like pearls and fancy buttons.
There were times when only black abaya was in fashion and it was also loved by everyone. However, nowadays, abayas are found to be in almost every color which women like to wear for parties, formal occasions, and casual wear. Moreover, abayas do not have to be necessarily buttoned from the front. In fact, an abaya looks classier when it is embroidered from the front as well. Its volume seems to be increased and it appears great if worn with heels.
Different styles to try with abaya in modern day.
As mentioned above, the abaya trends also keep changing with the clothes and jewelry etc. Here are some of the current abaya trends followed by renowned celebrities and native women all around the UAE and Middle East.

-The sleeves:
The abaya sleeves can be in the bell shape, straight, fitted, or lose fitted from the end.
-The accessories:
Abaya accessories include buttons, pearls, laces, fancy ribbons, and belt on the waist. All of these things enhance the abaya’s ordinary look and make it exceptional even when the gown is otherwise simple.
-The Robe:
The robe is a popular abaya style and is usually worn as formal wear. The reason for this is that the loose robe makes it difficult to handle the gown for a longer time period.
-The butterfly:
The butterfly style abaya is one of the trends that has not lost its charm even after years of women adopting it as one of the most fashionable abaya designs.
-The over-coat:
The over-coat abaya is usually loose from the front and back because it’s not tightly tied up to give it that royal look while walking and sitting. It looks best at formal events.-Chest-fitted:Chest-fitted abaya is usually worn by thin women paired with a scarf tied up tightly on the head.

Abaya is a national attire for women all across the Middle East. It has become a source of pride for the natives, which makes it a priority to be worn with style and fashion while fulfilling its main purpose.