Under The Abaya

summer.. it's extremely hot now here in saudi.. i've noticed that most young ladies here wear skinny jeans under the abayas and i used to do it too.. but after boiling for a while i decided to try a maxi skirt and, boy, was it a relief! i mean, if all u need to do is just jump in and out of the air-conditioned car and into an air conditioned school/hospital/mall/friend's house, jeans r fine but if u need to take a taxi, even five minutes in this sun and humidity is an ultimate test.. and of course in 'omra jeans r a big no-no.. so for all those covered girls here's my suggestion of what to wear under the abaya in the summer :)

p.s.: don't forget a loose top ;)

Watch Out Your Abaya

this is a sticker they have on escalators in IKEA here.. i have never seen anything like it before, usually in europe they warn you about long coats and stuff, so it made me smile :)


and i'm wondering, do they have such stickers on escalators in other muslim counrties?

Black And Beige

Pantalon Abaya

here's a new abaya style from a saudi designer eman joharjy based in jeddah - pantalon abayas.. the designer claims it to be "the perfect hijab for active saudi women. Whether working hard at the office or while jogging, these exclusive abayas are made from great quality material with innovative design"

innovative? definitely.. however, i would still stick to the classic version of an abaya

what do you think? would you wear something like this?

Pink Hijab Day Outfit

i'm sure you've heard about global pink hijab day, which is coming october, 28 this year.. in case you haven't:

"Pink Hijab Day is intended to shatter stereotypes of Muslim women, as well as raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. All over the world, Muslims participated by wearing pink hijabs, pink ribbons, and donating to breast cancer foundations"

i liked the idea so much and this is what i'd wear on this day

Lace Is In!

abayas with lace look chic, feminine and simply gorgeous! don't you think?

Friday Night Out

Taraweeh

just keep it simple

Embroidered Abaya

a bit of delicate embroidery on an abaya makes it look very feminine while keeping it modest.. it would make a very nice outfit for going out on a friday night.. something like this

A Bit Of Pink

"This Abaya Is So Last Season!"

every woman in saudi arabia, be it a saudi or an expat, has a beautiful (or at least not ugly) abaya on her wish list

in riyadh women have to be more conservative in the choice of their abayas as there are some restrictions, prohibiting to wear colourful clothes.. however here in jeddah women like to wear abayas with all kinds of embroidery, crystals, lace and other colourful decorations

it turns out that most saudi women are willing to invest more in abayas than the average expatriate women.. they also buy new abayas more frequently, in almost every season, or have their own custom-made abayas, making sure that they follow the latest trends in abaya styles (saudi gazette).. yes, there are actually trends in black abaya styles! they are seasonal and apply to the abayas' designs, colours of decorations, fabrics, etc.

to be glamorous an abaya doesn't have to be heavily decorated, some stones or a touch of embroidery on the sleeves and the bottom will make it look stylish and elegant.. but above all, women here make sure the abaya fits well

abayas are priced according to their designs, embroidery, fabric, etc. the price may range from SR50 to more than SR1000

silk, polyester, georgette and satin are the popularly used abaya fabrics.. most of them are imported from japan, france, indonesia, korea, thailand and china, with those from japan being the most common and of good quality

just a few days ago i went to an abaya shop to buy a plain black lightweight abaya.. it's an emirati brand and the quality is great by the way! there were lots of women taking their measurements, talking to the tailors, looking through heeps of all kinds of decoration samples, choosing, ordering, trying abayas on... dozens of matching scarves on the racks and in glass showcases their crystals glittering in the shop lights, as though whispering "buy me.. buy me.." and tonnes of cartons with all kinds and sizes of abayas lined up on the shelves behind the counter.. looks something like this

isn't it just the abaya heaven?...

Black And Gold

i love this abaya! it's simple, yet feminine.. here's a somewhat fancy-pancy look for a date with your husband ;)

Butterfly Abaya

here's a day look for a butterfly abaya

Black Abaya

it is obligatory here in saudi arabia for all females over 13, regardless of their religion, to wear a black abaya when going out of their homes.. in some areas of the country it is also required to wear a headscarf, however here in jeddah it is not the case.. the reasonability of this rule has been discussed a lot, some find it annoying, unfair and even view the abaya as a symbol of opression of women in the country

i as a muslim don't mind wearing the abaya at all (as i choose to cover up anyway alhamdulillah), but i personally don't consider it to be the only appropriate type of islamic dress, or the colour black to be the only possible colour for an abaya.. anyway, as they say "when you go to rome, do as the romans do".. i like my black abaya, find it very comfortable and especially helpful when i'm in i-dunno-what-to-wear mood.. plus here i don't have to always wear a black scarf with it, so i can bring some variety to my outfit

here's how i like to wear my simple black abaya