Before you choose: questions and answers

Order on the online store at novellaabaya.com: choose the design, size and length, then complete your order at checkout. Or send the design number and your measurements on WhatsApp and we will arrange the order with you in the chat. Ready sizes work both ways; made-to-measure orders are arranged on WhatsApp.

Delivery within Qatar costs 50 QAR, added at checkout before you pay. We confirm the delivery time on WhatsApp when you order, so send your area and the design number. If the abaya is for a fixed date, mention the date in the same message.

Yes. Novella ships from Qatar to every Gulf country: 150 QAR to Saudi Arabia and 100 QAR to the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, added at checkout. We confirm the delivery time and any customs duties for your country on WhatsApp. If you are ordering made to measure from outside Qatar, send your measurements with the unit, the design number and your chosen length in one WhatsApp message.

Yes. Novella ships worldwide, including Egypt, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and Asia, for 100 QAR, added at checkout. We confirm the delivery time and any customs duties in your country on WhatsApp before you order.

Current designs in the Novella store range from 280 to 700 Qatari riyals, and each abaya shows its price on its page. The price is the same for every size from XS to XL and every length from 50 to 60. Delivery is added at checkout. If you want a special change to a design, ask on WhatsApp about whether it is possible and what it costs before ordering.

We confirm exchange and return terms on WhatsApp before you order, so ask about them with the design number you chose. If you order made to measure, check your measurements twice before sending, and use the measuring guide in our journal if you are unsure of a number.

You pay when you complete your order at checkout on novellaabaya.com, where the available payment methods appear before you confirm. If you order on WhatsApp, ask about the available payment methods in the same chat before confirming your order. Never share card details in a WhatsApp message.

An abaya is a long, loose robe that women wear over their clothes when they go out. It is the usual outer garment for women in Qatar and across the Gulf, worn with a shayla over the hair. Most abayas are black, open at the front or closed, in cuts such as flared, bisht and blazer; the abaya cuts guide explains each one.

A black shayla is the calmest choice with a black abaya and lets the abaya's own detail show. If you want colour, pick one shade and repeat it in your bag or shoes, such as beige, camel, light grey or maroon. If the abaya has embroidery or lace, choose a plain matte shayla.

Start with a black abaya with a clear detail, such as a metallic pattern, gold-toned buttons or lace, then keep the shayla plain in a soft fabric. Add a small bag and heels, and take your length measurement in those heels so the hem clears the floor. One statement piece of jewellery is enough.

Choose a plain black or navy abaya with a straight or lightly shaped cut, a neat collar, front pockets and a fabric that does not crease easily. The Novella collection includes blazer-collar abayas and others with front pockets and an adjustable waist belt. Pick a length that ends just above the floor in your work shoes.

Wear light cotton, linen or viscose underneath in summer, such as a simple long dress or wide trousers with a blouse. Avoid layers and heavy synthetic fabrics. If your abaya opens at the front, choose an underlayer in a calm colour that matches it, since it will show as you move.

Wash it cold, by hand or on a gentle cycle, turned inside out, with a detergent made for dark clothes and no bleach. Wash it only with other dark clothes and do not soak it for long. Hang it to dry in the shade, away from the dryer and direct sun, since heat and sunlight dull black.

Iron the abaya inside out on low or medium heat depending on the fabric, using steam or a cotton cloth between the iron and the fabric so the black does not turn shiny. Never press directly on lace, metal buttons or embroidery. For crepe and chiffon, a handheld steamer is usually enough.

Hand wash an abaya with lace or metal buttons in cold water, or dry clean it, and never wring it. Turn it inside out and fasten the buttons before washing so they do not pull the fabric. Iron it inside out with a pressing cloth and hang it on a wide hanger so the shoulders keep their shape.

Hang the abaya on a wide-shouldered hanger in a dry place away from sunlight, with space between it and other clothes so it does not crease. Keep occasion abayas in a breathable fabric garment bag, not plastic. In humid summer months, open and air the wardrobe now and then.

In Qatar's hot, humid summer, choose light fabrics that let air through: linen, cotton and their blends, light crepe and light nida. Chiffon is very light but sheer, so it needs a lining or a layer underneath. Avoid heavy fabrics such as velvet and thick crepe in summer.

Crepe has a slightly grainy surface, drapes well and holds its shape, and the market sells many kinds, such as Japanese, Korean and royal crepe. Nida is a smooth, matte crepe of light to medium weight that resists creasing and is common in everyday abayas. Choose crepe for structured cuts and nida for daily wear.

For an occasion abaya, choose a fabric with a quiet sheen or texture: satin and silk for a fluid shine, jacquard and woven patterns for presence, lace for detail at the edges, and velvet for winter occasions. Chiffon works as a light outer layer over a lining. Avoid fabrics that crease fast if the event is long.

In Qatar's mild winter, slightly heavier fabrics work well: velvet for evenings and occasions, jacquard and textured weaves, and thick crepe for work. They hold warmth and drape with a pleasing weight. On cool evenings by the sea or in the desert, add a light wool layer under the abaya.

The fabric varies by design and is named in the abaya's description where available, such as a smooth, structured fabric or a textured weave. If the description does not name it, ask on WhatsApp about the fabric of the design you like before ordering, and ask how it feels, how heavy it is and whether it suits summer or winter.

Novella Abayas is a Qatari abaya house led by a Qatari woman founder, offering made-to-measure abayas in Doha. The current collection has 35 designs priced in Qatari riyals, in sizes XS to XL and lengths 50 to 60. You order on the store at novellaabaya.com or on WhatsApp.

Novella Abayas is currently located in Muaither, Al Rayyan, Qatar. Ask for a visit or a fitting appointment on WhatsApp and we will confirm it in the chat. You can also order without a visit on the online store at novellaabaya.com, with delivery across Qatar, the Gulf and worldwide, and follow new designs on our Instagram account.

In literature, a novella is a short novel: few words, great precision. We make an abaya the same way, so each one is written for one woman and can be tailored to her measurements. That is where our lining idea comes from: the outside is black, as an abaya should be, and the story is in the lining you see as she walks.

Yes. Novella is a Qatari abaya house led by a Qatari woman founder, offering made-to-measure abayas in Doha. You choose the design in the store and send your measurements on WhatsApp, and the abaya is sewn to them in the atelier. If you need help measuring, ask for a fitting appointment on WhatsApp.