The abaya which is also called “aba” is a long, loose-fitting cloak that is similar to a robe and dress combined that covers the whole body besides hands, feet and face (Dubai, 2023). The origin of the abaya dates back to over 4000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia (Orient, 2023). The abaya was originally worn by Arabian women to protect themselves from the severe weather conditions such as sandstorms in the deserted area of the Arabian Peninsula (Mirraw, 2023). Besides Dubai, the abaya is worn by women in the entire United Arab Emirates as well as surrounding countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and more (Hangzhou Garment, 2022). There are many types of abaya styles such as closed abaya, open abaya, butterfly abaya, kaftan- style abaya, kimono-style abaya and more, but the abaya style that this section is focusing on is the closed abaya (Mirraw, 2023). The different styles and colors of abayas give women a variety of options to choose from.
The closed abaya is one of the most popular abayas because of the convenience of the item. The closed abaya is convenient because one can simply throw on the abaya without having to have extra clothing under. With other abayas, additional clothing must be worn under which can be hot because of all the clothing layers that is worn (By Marlena, 2022). In addition, dark colors such as black, purple or green are the traditional colors of the abayas and since Middle Eastern countries are hot, the fabric plays a big part in this clothing piece to avoid one from being severely hot (Mirraw, 2023). The abaya symbolizes status and is typically worn by upper class women; however, Lazka will cater and sell abayas for every kind of women, not just upper class, with different colors, shades and sizes at the price of $60.
