Definitions
The difference between an abaya, a jilbab and a burqa
An abaya is a loose full-length outer robe worn over your clothes, usually paired with a separate hijab. A jilbab generally means a longer one-piece outer garment falling from the head or shoulders in a single sweep. A burqa, in ordinary Pakistani usage, means a fuller covering that includes a face veil. These are names for garments, and the words shift meaning between countries.
These four words get used interchangeably in shops, on listings and in conversation, and the confusion is genuine rather than anyone's fault. The same garment is called different things in Multan, in Karachi, in Riyadh and in London, and Pakistani sellers frequently use two of these words for one product on the same page.
What follows describes garments only. It is not a statement about what anyone is required to wear, and we do not give religious rulings. Zee & Zaa makes clothing, and the value we build around, haya, is something a person chooses for herself.
Six garments compared
| Garment | What it covers | How it is worn | Usual Pakistani meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abaya | Body from shoulders to ankles, over your clothes | Open or closed at the front, sleeves attached, head left to a separate scarf | The standard word for a ready-to-wear outer robe. What we make |
| Jilbab | Head or shoulders down to the ankles, in one continuous fall | One piece, or a two piece set where the head covering attaches | Less common in shops here. Usually means a longer, one-piece style |
| Burqa | Whole figure, generally including the face | A gown or wrap with an attached or accompanying face veil | Understood to include a face veil, and often used loosely for any full covering |
| Chador | Head to feet, as a single unshaped length of cloth | Draped and held closed by hand rather than fastened or stitched to shape | A traditional wrap, worn widely across Pakistan, not a tailored garment |
| Niqab | The face, leaving the eyes clear | Tied behind the head, worn with an abaya or a burqa rather than alone | Understood as the face veil specifically, bought separately |
| Hijab | Hair, neck and often the shoulders | A scarf, wrapped or pinned. Not an outer robe | Everyday word for the headscarf itself |
What is an abaya?
An abaya is a loose, full-length outer robe with sleeves, worn over whatever you already have on, and it leaves the head to a separate scarf. It is a tailored garment with a shoulder line, a sleeve and a hem, which is what separates it from a draped wrap, and it fastens at the front or hangs open depending on the cut.
The defining property of a good abaya is that it does not need managing. It stays where you put it while you walk, drive, carry a bag or pick up a child, because it is stitched to a shape rather than held closed by hand. That is the whole practical argument for a tailored outer garment over a draped one.
Abayas vary mainly in silhouette and fabric. A straight or column abaya falls in clean vertical lines and reads as everyday. A flared or umbrella abaya adds panels through the skirt so the hem swings when you move, which needs a light fabric to work. Both are abayas, and both are worn with a separate hijab.
What is a jilbab?
A jilbab generally means an outer garment that falls in one continuous length from the head or the shoulders to the ankles, without the visible break at the neckline that an abaya has. In practice you will see two constructions sold under the name: a genuine single piece, and a two-piece set where a head covering is made to match and sit over a long gown.
The word travels badly, which is the main reason for the confusion. In some markets jilbab is used almost as a synonym for abaya, in others it specifically means the longer head-down style, and in Pakistani shops it is a less common label than either abaya or burqa.
The practical difference for a buyer is where the covering starts. An abaya assumes you own scarves and will pair one yourself. A jilbab in the stricter sense arrives as a complete solution and gives you fewer decisions, at the cost of pairing flexibility.
What is a burqa?
In ordinary Pakistani usage, a burqa is a full covering that includes a face veil. That is the working definition most people here use, and it is the one that separates burqa from abaya in a shop conversation: if a listing says burqa, the reasonable assumption is that the face is covered or that a veil is included.
Construction varies widely by region. Some are a wrap-style gown, some are a fitted coat with a separate veil tied on, and the Afghan style familiar from photographs, a pleated garment falling from a fitted cap with a mesh panel over the eyes, is one specific regional form rather than the general meaning of the word.
The word is also used loosely. Older Pakistani speakers, and many shop signs, will call any full-length outer covering a burqa regardless of whether a face veil is part of it, which is exactly why a listing described as a burqa is worth a direct question before you order.
What is a chador?
A chador is a large, unshaped length of cloth draped over the head and body and held closed by hand. It has no sleeves, no shoulder seam and no fastening, and that single fact is what makes it a different category from an abaya rather than a variant of one.
It is worn very widely across Pakistan, often over a shalwar kameez and often alongside a dupatta, and it is frequently the everyday choice in households where an abaya would be the going-out choice. It is also the most forgiving garment in this list, because with no fitted shape there is no size to get wrong.
The trade-off is the hand. A chador needs one hand to keep it in place, which is why many people who wear one at home reach for an abaya when they are carrying shopping, travelling or working.
What is a niqab, and what is a hijab?
A niqab is a face veil that leaves the eyes clear, and a hijab is a headscarf covering the hair and neck. Neither is an outer robe, and neither is an alternative to an abaya: both are worn together with one. Confusing these two with the garments above is the single most common mix-up in online listings.
A hijab is a piece of cloth, usually rectangular or square, wrapped or pinned in one of a dozen regional styles. Every Zee & Zaa abaya ships with a matching hijab in the same parcel, cut in the same shade, because hunting a scarf to match an abaya you already own is a small and entirely avoidable annoyance.
A niqab is bought separately and ties behind the head, usually with one or two layers. We do not make them. If a listing anywhere describes a garment as a burqa, a niqab is the item most likely to be assumed as part of it.
Why do we say abaya and not burqa?
We say abaya because it is the accurate name for what we make: a tailored full-length outer robe with sleeves, sold with a matching hijab and no face veil. Calling it a burqa would set a different expectation in a Pakistani buyer's mind, and a customer who expected a veil in the parcel would be right to be annoyed.
This is our house style rather than a correction of anyone. Plenty of Pakistani sellers and customers use burqa as the general word and understand each other perfectly well, and we are not in the business of telling people which word to use for their own clothes.
It also matters for a practical reason online. Someone searching for a burqa in Pakistan is frequently looking for something with a veil, and sending her to a product page for a sleeved robe with a scarf wastes her time. Naming the garment precisely is the least we can do.
What do Pakistani sellers usually mean by each word?
In Pakistani retail, abaya almost always means ready-to-wear, burqa often means the same garment described by an older word, jilbab is comparatively rare, and chador is understood as a traditional wrap rather than a fashion category. Treat listing titles as approximate and check three specifics before ordering anything.
- Does a face veil come with it, or is the listing using burqa as a general word?
- Is a hijab included, or is the photographed scarf sold separately?
- Is it one piece from the head, or a robe you pair with your own scarf?
- Is the fabric named specifically, and is the garment lined?
- Are there real measurements per size, or one loose cut relabelled?
The words, defined in one line each
- Abaya
- A loose full-length outer robe with sleeves, worn over ordinary clothes, open or closed at the front, with the head left to a separate scarf.
- Jilbab
- An outer garment falling in one continuous length from the head or shoulders to the ankles, sometimes sold as a two-piece set with an attached head covering.
- Burqa
- In Pakistani usage, a full covering that includes a face veil, worn as a gown or a wrap.
- Chador
- A large unshaped length of cloth draped over the head and body and held closed by hand, rather than cut and stitched to a shape.
- Niqab
- A face veil that leaves the eyes clear, tied behind the head and worn together with an abaya or a burqa.
- Hijab
- A headscarf covering the hair and neck, wrapped or pinned. It is a scarf, not an outer garment.
- Nida
- A soft matte medium-weight woven fabric widely used for abayas, valued for holding a shape, resisting creasing and being fully opaque without lining.
- Crepe
- A lighter fabric with a fine crinkled surface woven into it, which drapes fluidly and moves with the wearer.
- Tilla
- Metallic thread hand embroidery, with origins in Kashmiri workshop tradition, in which gold or silver coloured thread is laid on the surface of the fabric and couched down with small stitches.
- Adda
- The wooden frame on which a fabric panel is stretched drum tight so a karigar can work hand embroidery across it.
Common questions about these garments
Is a chador the same as an abaya?
No. A chador is a single unshaped length of cloth draped over the head and body and held closed by hand, with no sleeves, shoulder seam or fastening. An abaya is a tailored robe with sleeves and a hem that stays where you put it. The chador has no size to get wrong; the abaya needs no hand to hold it.
Does an abaya include a face veil?
No. An abaya covers the body from the shoulders to the ankles and leaves the head and face to separate items. Every Zee & Zaa abaya comes with a matching hijab in the same parcel, cut in the same shade, but no face veil. A niqab, if you wear one, is bought separately.
Is a jilbab the same as an abaya in Pakistan?
Not quite, though the words overlap. In Pakistani shops abaya is the standard label for a ready-to-wear outer robe worn with a separate scarf, while jilbab usually describes a longer garment falling in one continuous length from the head. Jilbab is the less common term here, so check the construction before ordering.
What is the difference between a hijab and a niqab?
A hijab is a headscarf covering the hair and neck. A niqab is a face veil that leaves the eyes clear and ties behind the head. Neither is an outer robe, and both are worn together with an abaya rather than instead of one. Zee & Zaa includes a matching hijab with every abaya and does not make niqabs.
More abaya guides
Fabric guide
Nida vs crepe abaya: which fabric is better?
The two fabrics almost every Pakistani abaya is made from, compared on weight, drape, heat and washing.
Occasion guide
Wedding abaya in Pakistan: what to wear to a nikkah, mehndi, dawat or walima
Shade and fabric by event, when tilla is right, and an order-by lead time for every city we deliver to.
Price guide
Abaya price in Pakistan: what you are actually paying for
The cost structure behind an abaya, bracket by bracket, and why one flat price for every size is possible.
Ready to choose
Every Zee & Zaa abaya is Rs. 6,800 in sizes S to XL, with free Cash on Delivery across Pakistan in 3 to 7 working days, depending on your city and a 7-day size exchange.
Shop all abayasSize guideDelivery times by cityAll questions
Last reviewed 22 July 2026.