Abaya Size Guide: XS to XL and Lengths 50 to 60

Abayas in the Gulf are often sold by a single number, such as 54 or 56, which describes the length and leaves the body to a free size. Novella splits the two. You pick a size for the upper body and a length for the hem, so a petite woman with broad shoulders can order an L in 52 and a tall, slim woman an XS in 60.

Each design on novellaabaya.com offers all 55 combinations: five sizes and eleven lengths.

These figures come from the Novella size guide on the store. They describe the abaya itself, in inches, with widths measured flat across the garment.

• XS: shoulder 14.5, sleeve 26, waist width 21.5, width below the waist 25.5
• S: shoulder 15, sleeve 27, waist width 22.5, width below the waist 26.8
• M: shoulder 15.5, sleeve 28, waist width 23.5, width below the waist 28
• L: shoulder 16, sleeve 29, waist width 24.8, width below the waist 29.5
• XL: shoulder 16.5, sleeve 30, waist width 26, width below the waist 31

Length runs from 50 to 60 inches in one-inch steps. Your true length is the distance from the top of the shoulder, beside the neck, to the floor in the shoes you wear most. Use these ranges as a starting point for a hem that touches the floor in low heels. Two women of the same height can differ by an inch or more from shoulder to floor, so your tape outranks the table.

• Under 150 cm: 50 to 51
• 150 to 155 cm: 52 to 53
• 156 to 160 cm: 54
• 161 to 165 cm: 55 to 56
• 166 to 170 cm: 57
• 171 to 175 cm: 58 to 59
• Over 175 cm: 60, or made to measure

Add an inch if you plan to wear high heels with the abaya. Take an inch off if you want the hem clear of the ground on stairs, in car parks and through long days on your feet. If you wear one abaya with both flats and heels, set the length for the shoes you wear with it most.

Start with the shoulders. An abaya hangs from the shoulder seam, and a seam that sits past your shoulder bone makes the whole garment look borrowed. Choose the size whose shoulder matches yours, then check the sleeve.

A closed or waisted cut shows the waist measurement most, while an open-front abaya forgives a small difference there. If your shoulder points to one size and your hips to another, choose made to measure: send your figures on WhatsApp and Novella tailors the abaya to them.

In the Gulf, the cuff of the sleeve, the radoon, carries much of an abaya's detail: lace on 008, gold-toned buttons on 007, white cuffs on 019. A sleeve that runs long hides that detail, and one that runs short rides up when you drive. The chart measures the sleeve from the top of the shoulder to the end of the cuff.