All my abayas that I have owned to date have been black. Yes, a few have a little shimmer of gold, or sequins of some kind, but they are still overall black. Of course, there is nothing wrong with the traditional black abaya, which I wear frequently when making a quick dash to the local shop, but my selection in abayas needed an uplift. Since staying in Dubai and walking past Emirati ladies on a daily basis, who make abayas a fashion statement, I have been itching to don an abaya of colour rather than black. Beige felt like the perfect colour to be the stepping stone in to the world of fashionable abayas and last weekend, I visited Naif Market in search of the perfect one.

Naif Market can be rather overwhelming, but oh so enjoyable for bargaining and inspiration. The selection of designs available for abayas were immense and there were many indecisive moments for me. However, when I saw this abaya, I knew it was the perfect one for me. Of course, I did not pick it up straight away, and rather haggled by doing the standard “I’m walking away now, you’re going to loose your customer” as all our Indian mothers have taught us, but eventually returned to the shop keeper once more when I had no luck finding “The One” in the rest of the market.

This abaya was my pick because not only was it beige, but I loved the lace detail on the border as well as the sleeves. It was not over dramatic, and soft to the eye. There were no belts that I had to faff about with, the bell shaped sleeves is something that would act as a good ventilator (an absolute must in Dubai’s scorching heat), and the loose fit was just right. Yes, I may have twirled around a few times because it did indeed make me feel like a princess, though it was not over embellished. The scarf too was plain black, with a beige border, which makes it easy for me to wear this abaya more often, rather than only on special occasions.

Paired with light skinny jeans and beige flats, it made the perfect outfit for a stroll around Dubai. Until we stepped out in the heat and melted straight away, which is why my make up had already half dissapeared by the time I got around to taking these photos, and I was trying my best to stay in the shade to avoid the hijab tan line situation.

Anyway, I am pretty chuffed with this abaya and can see it getting plenty of wear, especially with Ramadan coming around the corner. Hope you enjoyed this slightly different OOTD post!

What did you think of this abaya? Do you own any non-black abayas? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below! Thank you!