The Draped Pieces I'm Watching in This Week's New In

Draping is easy to get wrong, too much fabric and it reads sloppy, too little and it's just a straight cut with a fold. The three pieces that caught my eye in this week's New In get the balance right, each one uses drape to shape the body instead of hiding it, and two of them pair that with the same pleated cuff detail, which tells me it's not an accident. Here's what's new, what the drape is actually doing in each piece, and which one I'd start with.

What Good Draping Actually Does

Drape isn't the same as loose. A well-placed fold follows the body and settles into a shape, which is different from fabric that just hangs there without direction. The three pieces below use drape at different points, the waist, the front panel, the cuff, and in each case it's doing a job: skimming a silhouette, adding movement, or finishing a sleeve with a bit of weight instead of a plain hem.

Draped Front, Pleated Cuffs: Saman

The Saman Draped Abaya with Pleated Cuffs leads with a draped front panel that falls at an angle, and the pleats at the cuff pick up the same movement at the wrist. It's the piece I'd choose on a day I want the outfit to move with me rather than sit still, an errand day, a walk-and-talk kind of meeting.

Featured Product: The Saman Draped Abaya with Pleated Cuffs

The Same Pleat, a Softer Finish: Samiha

The Samiha Bow Detail Abaya with Pleated Cuffs takes the same pleated cuff from Saman and pairs it with a bow at the collar instead of a draped front. It's the softer of the two, and the one I'd reach for on a day that calls for a bit more polish without tipping into anything too formal.

Featured Product: The Samiha Bow Detail Abaya with Pleated Cuffs

Draped Waist, Shawl Collar: Rahifa

The Rahifa Draped Waist Abaya with Shawl Collar rounds out the set. The waist is gathered rather than left straight, which gives the piece shape without a seam, and the shawl collar softens the whole neckline. I'd wear this one on a day I want the silhouette to do more of the work than the details do.

Featured Product: The Rahifa Draped Waist Abaya with Shawl Collar

How I'd Wear These

Keep the rest of the outfit simple so the drape stays the focus, a plain underlayer, flat shoes, minimal jewelry. If you're starting with one piece, Saman is the easiest entry since the draped front works with almost anything already in your closet. Samiha is the better second piece if you want the same cuff detail with more softness, and Rahifa is the one to add once you know you want the drape to lead.

Related reading

• New Abayas to Start the Season With Style
• 4 New Abayas, 4 Details Worth Knowing About
• New Floral Print Abayas: Four Prints, Four Different Moods

Good drape does more work than people give it credit for, and these three pieces show three different ways to use it well. The rest of what just landed is sitting in New In, and these three are worth a look before the pleated cuff detail sells through.