Pink Abaya Guide: How I Wear Hot Pink, Rose and Blush

A pink abaya is the fastest way I know to look awake in a wardrobe full of black, camel and gray. It's also the color women tell me they're scared of. Too loud, too young, too much. I get it, but pink isn't one color. Hot pink, rose and blush each do a completely different job, and once you pick the right shade for where you're going, it's as easy to wear as navy. Here's how I choose mine and what I wear with each.

Which pink abaya shade suits you

I sort pink into three families. Hot pink is the statement: bright, saturated, best when everything else is quiet. Rose and dusty pink sit in the middle and work almost like a neutral. Blush is the softest, closer to a cream with a warm tint. If you have warmer skin, rose and hot pink with a slight orange undertone tend to glow. If you're cooler, blue-leaning fuchsia and soft blush usually look cleaner. When in doubt, hold the fabric near your face in daylight. You'll see straight away whether it brightens you or washes you out.

Hot pink abayas: one bold piece, everything else simple

Hot pink needs nothing competing with it. I wear it with a cream or white inner dress, a neutral sheila and plain gold jewelry. The Fatma Hot Pink Abaya is the one I'd start with. It's chiffon, lined, open at the front and relaxed in fit, so the color does the talking while the shape stays easy. It works for an evening gathering or a lunch where you want to be the brightest thing in the photos.

Featured Product: The Fatma Hot Pink Abaya

If plain hot pink feels like too much, texture softens it. The Noor Chikan Hot Pink Abaya has floral embroidery across chiffon and cotton, a self-tie belt to shape the waist, and comes with a matching chiffon sheila. The embroidery breaks up the color, so it reads rich rather than loud.

Featured Product: The Noor Chikan Hot Pink Abaya

A plain pink abaya for every day

This is the pink I wear most. A mid-tone pink in a plain fabric goes with almost everything I already own. The Widad Pink Split Cuff Open Abaya is crepe, straight and relaxed to the floor, with wide sleeves that finish in a stitched cuff with a small split. Side slits at the hem make walking easy. I wear it open over a black or camel inner dress for work and over jeans and a white top on the weekend.

Featured Product: The Widad Pink Split Cuff Open Abaya

Pink print abayas when you want color without commitment

A print lets pink share the space with other colors, which is the easiest way in if you've never worn it. The Salama Pink Palm Tree Abaya is mang silk with a palm print, open at the front, and comes with a sheila. It's playful without being childish, and it's my pick for a weekend brunch or a staycation.

Featured Product: The Salama Pink Palm Tree Abaya

For the softest version, go blush. The Noor Blush Floral Print Abaya is a light muslin kimono with a floral and bird print framed by a contrast border. I layer it over a plain cream set or a denim look when the evenings cool down. It's the pink to give to the friend who swears she doesn't wear pink.

Featured Product: The Noor Blush Floral Print Abaya

What to wear with a pink abaya

Keep everything underneath and around it in one neutral family. Cream and white make pink look fresh. Camel and tan make it warmer and more grown-up. Black gives hot pink an evening edge. For the sheila, match the inner dress, not the abaya, so the pink frames you instead of swallowing you. Gold jewelry works with every shade. And skip pink shoes and a pink bag in the same outfit. One pink piece reads confident, three reads costume.

Related reading

• Burgundy Abayas and the Dark Colors That Work Like Black
• White Abayas: Can You Actually Wear Them Daily?
• What's Replacing the Classic Black Abaya

Pick your shade by the occasion: hot pink when you want to stand out, plain pink for every day, a print or blush when you're easing in. Keep the rest of the outfit neutral and let one piece carry the color. If you'd like to see more color and pattern beyond pink, the Printed Abayas Collection is a good place to look.