Hanayen Abayas: Colour, Decoration and Ways to Wear Them

There is more than one way to enjoy a Hanayen abaya. You might be drawn to an uninterrupted sweep of colour, a collar that gives the outfit a little definition, or embroidery that becomes visible as a sleeve moves. Choosing between those possibilities is easier when you look at the actual clothes, rather than treating the label as one uniform style.

Here we explore the Dubai label’s background and ten named designs, moving from plain pieces to colour contrasts, lace and embellished evening options. The outfit ideas are suggestions to adapt to your own wardrobe. You can enjoy a decorative garment without copying its photographed accessories, and you can make a quiet design feel personal without adding more detail to every part of the outfit.

A Dubai label with a documented beginning

Hanayen’s own company history names Nader Nouraei as its founder and dates the business to Dubai in 1990. Its FAQ identifies the first shop as Hanayen Trading Est. at Al Ghurair Centre. These are the company’s accounts of its beginnings. They give the label a specific place and period, rather than attaching a vague ancient history to a contemporary business. Sources: Hanayen, About Us and FAQ.

The brand describes its work as a contemporary interpretation of abaya dressing, with both more elaborate and informal pieces. That is a useful starting point for looking at the collection, although words such as luxury cannot tell you how a garment will feel on you. The designs below offer more concrete distinctions: where the decoration sits, whether colour changes across the garment and how the scarf relates to the outer layer. Source: Hanayen, About Us.

All product details in this guide come from the official descriptions checked on 28 October 2026. They describe the particular pieces named here. They are not promises about every Hanayen abaya, and they do not establish a garment’s comfort or fit for an individual wearer.

When the shape and colour are enough

A plain front with buttons

The Neda Plain Abaya Front Open with Buttons is listed as an open-front, floor-length design, with Neda as the fabric description. Hanayen includes a coordinating chiffon sheila measuring 22 × 81 inches. Its distinguishing idea is straightforward: an opening and a row of fastenings give a plain outer garment its structure. Source: Hanayen, Neda Plain Abaya product description.

For a relaxed outfit, try a covered base in one colour beneath it, then introduce a different shade through a bag or shoes. A belt is optional: you might prefer the outer layer to fall freely, without drawing it towards the waist. That preference can be part of what makes the outfit feel like yours. If you intend to wear it open, plan the clothes underneath as an outfit you would feel comfortable showing when the fronts separate.

Black with a lapel detail

The Black Satin Lapel Abaya offers another approach to a restrained outfit. Its name refers to a lapel detail, while the specification calls the main fabric Neda and lists a chiffon sheila. The title alone therefore does not establish that the entire garment is satin or identify its fibre composition. Source: Hanayen, Black Satin Lapel product description.

A lapel can give you a clear starting point for arranging the neckline. You could let a scarf fall over one side while keeping the other side visible, provided that arrangement gives the coverage you want. A small, plain bag would leave the upper part of the outfit uncluttered. There is also nothing wrong with covering most of the collar: choose your scarf arrangement for yourself, rather than feeling obliged to display every design feature.

Mint as the whole colour idea

The Abaya Plain Mint Colour is described with Neda for both the abaya and its mint sheila. The stated scarf measurement is 22 × 81 inches. This is a different material listing from the chiffon scarves supplied with several other pieces in this guide; a coordinating colour does not mean that every set uses the same scarf fabric. Source: Hanayen, Plain Mint product description.

For a suggested daytime combination, place soft grey or cream accessories beside the mint. You could keep both shoes and bag in one of those supporting colours, allowing the main garment to remain the focus. If you prefer stronger contrast, try a dark bag first before changing the entire outfit. One small change is often enough to discover whether you enjoy a gentler or more graphic colour arrangement.

Colour can draw a line through the outfit

Burgundy, rose and striped cuffs

Hanayen describes its Two-Tone Color Abaya with Striped Cuff Detail as having burgundy panels around a rose-pink centre, with stripes at the cuffs. The material is listed as Neda. A chiffon sheila is included, but the description explicitly excludes an inner dress. Source: Hanayen, Two-Tone Color Abaya product description.

Those colours offer two possible moods. Picking up the darker shade in an accessory would give the combination a stronger frame; choosing a pale neutral would soften the surrounding outfit. You do not have to repeat both colours elsewhere. The cuffs already bring another element to the design, so try it without a bracelet first and decide whether your hand and wrist need any additional detail. The result can still feel complete with very simple finishing pieces.

Blush panels with a curved edge

The Luxury Two-Tone Abaya with Scalloped Panels uses contrasting blush panels and scalloped edges in Hanayen’s description. The specification lists Neda and a chiffon sheila measuring 25 × 81 inches. Here the interest lies in the boundary between the colours as well as the colours themselves. Source: Hanayen, Scalloped Panels product description.

You could echo that curved detail through a rounded bag, although the outfit does not require another scalloped accessory. A straight-sided bag would create a different, equally deliberate contrast. Try deciding which part of the ensemble you want to notice first. If it is the panel edge, keep other visible patterns quiet; if it is your scarf, let the scarf bring the stronger colour and allow the panel treatment to sit more gently within the complete look.

Off-white and brown with side embroidery

The Classic Colour Abaya With Embroidery Design combines off-white and brown, with embroidery described at the side. Hanayen lists Neda for the garment and supplies a chiffon sheila. This gives another way of using two colours, with stitching adding an extra point of interest rather than relying on colour alone. Source: Hanayen, Classic Colour product description.

For a suggested combination, try a brown bag and an otherwise plain scarf arrangement. Let the two garment colours do their own work before introducing a third. If your usual accessories are black, put them beside the outfit rather than assuming you must replace them. You may prefer that clearer contrast. Side decoration also invites a useful styling question: will your everyday bag sit over the part you most want to show, and does that matter to you?

Lace, embroidery and detail that changes position

Grey with black lace across several views

In the Luxury Grey Abaya with Black Floral Lace Panels, the label places black lace across the shoulders, sides and back. Its description lists Neda and an accompanying chiffon sheila. The decoration is therefore not confined to the front view: the side and rear of the garment are part of the stated design. Source: Hanayen, Grey Floral Lace product description.

A plain grey scarf could give this outfit a continuous background, while a black scarf could bring the dark detail closer to the face. Neither option needs an exact match to feel intentional. If you enjoy the shoulder treatment, try different scarf lengths in front of a mirror and see how much of it remains visible. Keep your preferred coverage throughout; showing a lace panel is an optional styling choice, not a requirement.

Navy with embroidery at the hem and sleeves

The Navy Blue Abaya with Embroidery and Contrast Lace Trim is described with patterned embroidery at the hem and sleeves, together with a white lace overlay. Neda is the listed garment fabric, and a chiffon sheila is included. Its decoration gives attention to the ends of the garment as well as its main colour. Source: Hanayen, Navy Blue product description.

You might begin with navy shoes so that the hem detail remains the clearest point near the floor. Alternatively, a pale shoe could repeat the lighter element more visibly. It is a matter of emphasis rather than a rule about which colour is correct. When putting the outfit together, look at the sleeve and shoe area together: they may feel balanced already, without adding a patterned handbag or another strong decorative feature.

A coat-style collar with teal embroidery

Hanayen’s Luxury Black Coat-Style Abaya with Teal Floral Embroidery combines a coat-style collar with teal decoration on the sleeves and lower panels. The specification identifies jacquard as the fabric description and includes a chiffon sheila. The collar and positioned embroidery give this piece a different vocabulary from a plain open layer. Source: Hanayen, Teal Floral Embroidery product description.

A suggested evening arrangement would keep the scarf black and allow a small teal accessory to repeat the embroidered colour. If an exact teal is difficult to find, there is no need to search for one: black accessories can leave the colour entirely within the garment. The phrase coat-style describes the design here. It should not be treated as a promise that the abaya replaces a weatherproof or warm outer coat.

Purple embroidery and crystals on black

The Luxury Black Abaya with Crystal & Embroidery is described as combining purple hand embroidery and crystals on Neda. Its listing includes a chiffon sheila and explicitly states that a black inner is supplied. That last detail differs from the two-tone striped-cuff design, so the accompanying pieces need to be read for each garment. Source: Hanayen, Crystal & Embroidery product description.

For a formal outfit, start by letting the decorated garment provide the main occasion detail. A plain bag and a scarf arranged without an additional ornament may be all you want. You could introduce a muted purple accessory if you enjoy a more coordinated result. Keep that as a choice, however: finding the exact shade of a thread should not become a condition for wearing an outfit you otherwise love.

Making a complete outfit feel personal

A useful way to work with these different design ideas is to decide where you want the outfit’s emphasis to sit. It might be near the face, along the front, at the sleeves or close to the hem. Once you have chosen, give the other pieces simpler jobs. This is an invitation to experiment, not a requirement to make every outfit restrained.

Place your intended scarf, shoes and bag beside the garment before getting dressed. Try removing one item that feels too similar to another. Repeating the same decoration everywhere can be enjoyable if that is your taste, but you may discover that a plain supporting piece lets you appreciate the detail more. A photograph of the whole combination can also help you compare two arrangements without having to remember the first one.

A relaxed daytime version

Imagine a weekday visit to a friend followed by a few errands. Begin with whichever abaya feels appropriate for the day and shoes you already find comfortable for the route. If you need an inner layer, choose that before settling on accessories. You want a complete base that remains comfortable when you sit down, carry a bag or take off another outer layer.

For an outfit you would like to feel casual, try a plain scarf, a practical bag and very little jewellery. If that looks too quiet to your eye, change just one thing: a coloured bag, a different scarf shade or a shoe with an interesting shape. You can make the combination feel considered without turning it into an occasion outfit. There is no need to use trainers, denim or a belt unless those are things you actually enjoy wearing.

Carry the bag in the way you normally would. Its position may change which part of the garment remains visible. That does not necessarily need fixing; it simply helps you judge the outfit as it will be worn, instead of arranging everything for a still photograph.

A gathering where you expect to sit and talk

For a family meal or an evening with friends, consider how the outfit looks while seated as well as standing. A long skirt or hem may be less visible around a table, whereas the scarf and sleeves remain in view. You might therefore enjoy a little interest close to your face, or prefer to let your existing sleeve detail do that work.

Try the scarf with the chair you are sitting in. Does a long end become trapped behind you? Would you rather bring it forward, arrange it over one shoulder or use a different scarf that gives the coverage you prefer with fewer folds? Make the adjustment before deciding that you need more accessories. The way a piece is arranged can change the outfit more than adding another object.

A small bag can be convenient for a gathering, but choose it around what you need to carry. You should not have to balance essential belongings in your hands simply because a very small clutch looked attractive in a styling photograph.

An occasion outfit with room for your preferences

For a celebration, start with what you want the evening to feel like. You might enjoy a richly detailed outfit, or you may feel most comfortable with one decorative element and plain surroundings. Both approaches can be deliberate. An occasion does not oblige you to wear heels, a fitted waist or a particular scarf arrangement.

Try the complete outfit with the footwear you intend to use, including any change of shoes you expect later. Arrange the scarf for the coverage you will want throughout the event, rather than briefly uncovering an area to show a collar or necklace. If an accessory keeps competing with the garment, set it aside and look again. Sometimes the missing finishing touch is simply a little more space between the details.

Our guide to choosing modern abaya styles around your coverage and routine explores the wider decisions behind an outfit that feels comfortable to wear repeatedly.

The pieces around the abaya still matter

Before completing a look, establish which parts are supplied and which are your own. An abaya, a scarf and an inner dress are separate garments even when photographed together. An included piece may also need its own fit decision. You can keep the combination, change one element or use the pieces separately; the photographed arrangement does not have to become your only way of wearing it.

If the outer garment opens, make the base layer work independently for your preferred coverage. Check the neckline, sleeves and length together, then try ordinary movements in the complete outfit. A scarf should not have to rescue an inner layer that you already know you will keep adjusting. Our article on planning the layers beneath an open abaya goes into those combinations in more detail.

Colour differences between pieces can be intentional. A scarf does not need to reproduce every shade in an abaya, and a bag does not need to reproduce the scarf. If exact matching is important to you, compare the actual fabrics together when possible. If it is not, a related shade or a clear contrast can become part of your own version of the look.

Read the material information beside the design name

A design title and a fibre label answer different questions. One helps you recognise a garment; the other explains what its material contains. GOV.UK’s textile-labelling guidance identifies fibre content as information that belongs on the label and addresses products whose components have different compositions. For a shopper, the useful habit is to look for that detail instead of treating an appealing name as a complete material description. Source: GOV.UK, Textile labelling.

If you want to know about a particular fabric, ask a specific question: what are the fibre percentages of the main cloth, and are the lining or decorative sections different? A reply describing how luxurious the garment feels does not answer that question. Keep your enquiry tied to the exact design you are considering, since information about another piece will not settle what this one contains.

The same approach helps when planning layers. Imagine that you want an outer garment to sit over an inner dress you already own. Your next question might concern the lining, the space through the sleeves or whether the seller can provide a clearer inside view. Those details let you think about the two pieces together. A photograph showing only the completed outfit cannot answer every question about the layers beneath it.

You do not need to become a textile specialist to choose an abaya thoughtfully. Decide which information matters to your use, ask for it clearly and keep any unanswered point separate from what the listing actually establishes. That leaves more room to enjoy the design without guessing about the garment behind it.

Keep the design practical to care for

The reviewed descriptions permit hand washing or dry cleaning and prohibit machine washing and tumble drying. Source: Hanayen, individual product-care specifications.

Check the instructions on the garment you receive, including any separate scarf or inner, and ask for clarification if they differ from the online description.

Think about care while choosing the outfit, especially if you expect to wear the garment frequently. Do you have a suitable place to keep it between wears? Can you store the coordinating scarf where you will find it easily? Will preparing it fit into your normal week? These questions help you decide which pieces you will enjoy using, rather than choosing something that becomes difficult to reach for.

There is no obligation to keep an abaya for a single type of occasion. You can return to a favourite combination, change its accessories or wear its separate pieces differently. The most satisfying choice is the design you can picture in your own life: with the shoes you like, the coverage you want and enough freedom to feel like yourself.