JERSEY BALLOON SLEEVE ABAYAS: Oh how I love these. Number one, they are not hot at all, number two, they are cheap. As in $40-$60 USD. I have both black and numerous prints. They fit on over the head so are pretty hassle free (unless you are breastfeeding or shopping for clothes in a lot of different stores).
WIDE SLEEVE ABAYA (not to be mistaken with flared sleeve of kimono sleeved): In Oman, wide but not flared or kimono-sleeved abayas are major. I have the floral embroidered one pictured above from Al Motihajiba in black. While the colours are lovely, I wear the black one way more. And Al Motihajiba is quality---like $400-800 USD for an abaya so I wanted one that'll last me 10 years. I bought another one with green, red and white crystals one the sleeve for about $160.00 USD from a Kuwaiti abaya boutique in Madinat Qaboos in Muscat.
GRECIAN OR DAS STYLE: Crepe and jersey drapery is all the rage. I call this the Roman/Grecian style. We were the cheap jersey ones day to day but the crepe ones we tend to save for special occasion because they have alot of volume (and tend to stick out of car doors). I have one cheap (about 56.00 USD) jersey version like the one pictured top from the Omani souq, and one quality crepe with a satiny-sheen one like the bottom Noblesse Oblige one (about $340 USD) from Hanayen. All are plain black with oramentation of belts. Makes accessorizing more fun.
Comments
Jaskallah for posting some of the styles you mention, those cuts are adorable. I think I have mention on of the earlier message that I have few abayas I purchased from Arabisqe in Abu Dhabi and they are about USD 800 to 1000 price range and I'm afraid to hand wash them as the sales associate mention it should only be dry clean. I'm totally against the idea of wearing dry clean clothes cuz there's a health hazard. Could you please advice me if I should just take the risk and hand wash them with cold water. How do you wash your expensive abayas? Jasakallah for reading the long message. My email: Jasmin098@gmail.com.
sincerely,
Jasmin
But if your Arabesque abayas have feathers, fur, or very delicate and intricate french lace (some lace is not delicate so it can be handwashed) then drycleaning is the only way.
None of my abayas require drycleaning.
I will try to find less expensive ones but these tend to be more pricey.