Industry Glossary
With so many different clothing options to choose from, we have put together a glossary of the different modest fashion items of clothing you may hear about, giving you an insight into the world of Islamic clothing.
Abaya - An abaya is a loose fitting piece of clothing that can be worn open or closed and comes in many different designs, from plain styles to decorated with coloured embroidery or sequins.
Burqa - A burqa is a type of veil that completely covers the woman's body from head to toe, including the eyes with a mesh material.
Cape - The cape is a sleeveless piece of clothing that has slots for the arms to come out from without being covered by a traditional sleeve. A cape can be worn over the top of other items of clothing and is sometimes embellished or have delicate detail added from shoulder to toe.
Closed abaya - A closed abaya is a type of an abaya that has no opening at the front, meaning it doesn't show the inner or midi dress worn underneath it. Belts can be added as an accessory to the abaya to create shape within the design.
Farasha - A farasha is a style of abaya with butterfly sleeves and flowy fabric. It is a perfect clothing option for a special occasion, especially when you opt for a luxury embellished piece.
Hijab - A hijab is a piece of fabric that's worn to cover the hair and can be styled in many ways.
Inner slip dress - An inner slip dress is often a plain dress in neutral or dark colours, which can be worn under other items of clothing such as an abaya, cape, jilbab or farasha.
Jilbab - The jilbab refers to a specific style of cloak, which is loose fitting and covers the head and full body.
Kimono - A kimono is a type of open jacket abaya, worn over an inner dress and is typically loose with wide sleeves and can be tied around the waist with a belt.
Midi dress - A midi dress is a piece of clothing that goes to just below knee level, fastens at the front and is often worn over a pair of trousers.
Niqab - A niqab is a face veil and can either leave the eyes covered or uncovered depending on how a woman chooses to wear it. It's worn with a headscarf and tied behind the head.
Open abaya - The open abaya is similar to a loose fit jacket/kimono, which can be worn over an inner slip dress, or an outfit for layering to achieve a modest look. It can be accessorised with belts.
Turban - A turban is a more modern style of hijab using a long piece of scarf, that is wrapped around a woman's head. A traditional hijab covers the neck and chest, whereas a turban may not depending on how it is styled.