Yes. An open abaya is, in practice, a long unlined coat in a light fabric, and plenty of women wear one without a hijab, over jeans or a dress, as the summer layer it is. Whether you cover your hair is a personal and religious choice; the garment itself works either way. Here are four ways we wear the Linen Set.
1. The full set
Inner dress, open abaya and hijab in the same cloth. Because all three pieces are cut from one fabric, the colour is identical head to hem, which is what makes a matching set look considered rather than assembled. This is the version for Eid, a wedding or any day you want to put on one thing and be done.
2. Over wide jeans
Swap the inner dress for a plain top and wide leg jeans. The abaya becomes a duster: open, sleeves pushed up, the frayed cuffs showing. Dusty Blue with light denim is the combination we reach for most.
3. With a contrasting scarf
Keep the dress and abaya in one colour and change the hijab. An Olive set with a Cream jersey scarf, or Oat with Cocoa, reads as a deliberate two tone look. Jersey works better here than linen, because it stays put without pins against a slippery linen collar.
4. Belted
A thin belt over the open abaya, at the natural waist, turns the straight cut into a wrap silhouette. Keep the inner dress underneath so the front stays closed when you sit.
What to avoid
- Heavy knitwear underneath in summer; it defeats the point of linen
- A hem that touches the floor; see our size guide
- Over-pinning a linen scarf; let it drape
Three colours, three pieces, worn a dozen ways. That is the whole idea.