How to Hijab, Part II: The Over Garment

How to Hijab: Different Styles of Over (Outer) Garments

The second part of the Islamic dress code for women is the "over garment". There are several types of over garments. In this section, we'll go over the different types of over or outer garments worn by Muslim women in all parts of the world.

Jilbab, aka manteau, rapoosh, or juba This is the thing that looks like a raincoat or a coatdress. It was invented by modern Turkish women in Istanbul in the early 1900's, who wished to maintain Islamic modesty while gaining greater freedom of movement. This is the most common type, and is seen throughout the Arab world, in Turkiye, Iran, the US, UK, and Canada. Has buttons or zippers all the way or halfway down the front.

Mujalbaba A woman who wears jilbab

Shalwar Kameez Traditional "Punjabi suit" consisting of long knee, calf, or even ankle length loose fitting tunic paired with baggy pants. Worn in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Other traditional versions have existed in the old Ottoman Empire and Central Asia. Shalwar Kameez range from plain cotton outfits to gorgeous silk beaded numbers that cost hundreds of dollars. Usually comes with a matching dupatta. (The trad'l men's outfit from the region is also called shalwar kameez or kurta)

Thobe aka dishdash, Malabary (Africa), Caftan (N. Africa) Dress from the Arab world, for men or women. Different regions and cultures have different thobes. Palestinian women's thobes are among the most famous, because of their elaborate hand embroidery. It is over the head (ie, no buttons or zippers). Can range from plain to very fancy.

Melaya Traditional dress of rural Egypt. An ankle length dress in cotton, not unlike an old-time pioneer dress. Very comfortable.

Baju Kerung Traditional dress of Malaysian / Indonesian Muslim women. A long tunic top worn over a long skirt.

Djellaba This traditional Moroccan dress is worn by men and women. Unlike modern jilbab, it is an over the head style (ie, no buttons or zippers). It features a long hood in back, and slits to reach into the pockets of undergarments. Djellaba range from very plan cotton or wool to extremely elaborate and expensive silks and broacades.

Chador, Chadri The long "shawl like" garment that covers from head to toe. Usually zips or buttons up the front, but some Iranian women are known to be able to ride mopeds while holding it shut in their teeth. Most common in Iraq and Iran, and in public, it is almost always worn in black.

Haik, Haika, Mellia, Safsari (Tunisia), Farashiya (Libya) A North African body wrap that is very simple and is made from a large rectangle of fabric with similar dimensions to a double bedsheet. It is usually wrapped around the waist, pinned at the shoulder, and then pulled up over the head, and held at the chin. Traditionally was worn by men and women (men left it pinned it at the shoulder, similar to a toga), this style has fallen out of fashion in the last 35 years. Both the haika and the chador may also be referred to as an "izar."

Futa (Tunisia) Long skirt tied at the waist, and then draped with a mellia. Tends to be in colors such as red, blue, yellow, purple, maroon, or patterned fabrics. Silk is worn on special occasions.

Suria, Meriol Striped smock worn under a mellia

Abaya, Aba This looks like an oversized graduation gown. Can be buttoned or zipped up the front, but usually it is pinned. Most common in the Gulf States. New abaya styles have velcro closures at the shoulders, lace, velvet, or embroidered trim at the wrists and bodice, and may come in colors oter than the traditional black.

Sari A wrap style garment, worn by Muslim women in parts of India as well as Bangladesh, it consists of six metres or more of cloth, wrapped around and tucked into an underskirt and then taken up to cover the head or shoulder. There are many styles of wearing them, some not Islamically modest but other styles cover the entire body completely and can cover the face.

Tobe, Chirumani Sudanese style body wrap, similar to a sari but shorter in the length of fabric used and worn differently. It is usually made of a fine cotton or cotton/polyester gauze, although they are also available in satin, silk, brocade etc. How it is worn depends on the tribe and locality of the wearer. Commonly, though, one end of the tobe is placed on one shoulder at the back, brought down and around the waist, around the back of the legs and then brought up in some fashion to the opposite shoulder. It is then wrapped around the head in various ways, including to cover the face.

Burq'a (Chaderi) All encompassing shroud, which covers the entire body, including face. Features "lattice grill" that you can see and breathe through. Seen in the media a lot lately, because this is the garment worn in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is not to be confused with Arabic burq'a, which is a certain style of face cover.

Gauntlets Also called sleeve extenders, lower arm covers, these are short tubes of material, usually lycra, which stretch from the wrist to the elbow, in order to cover the lower part of the arm which might be exposed when wearing looser garments. Usually has lace trims at the end, and comes in black or white (although some merchants are now selling them in colors).

on to buying & wearing tips for over garments

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