How to use this glossary
The terms below come from three places: the words wearers use for garments, the words workshops use for fabrics and finishes, and the words buyers use when they plan and order a range. Definitions are kept to one line and written neutrally. Where a word is used differently in different regions, the definition says so. Practice around every garment listed here varies between people, families, communities, regions and schools of thought; the glossary describes garments and materials, not what anyone should wear.
Spellings vary, because many of these words are transliterated from Arabic, Persian, Malay, Turkish and other languages. Use the spelling your customers search for in the title, and mention common alternatives in the description.
Terms that are most often confused
| Pair | The difference in one line |
|---|---|
| Hijab and niqab | A hijab is a headscarf that leaves the face visible; a niqab is a face veil leaving the eyes visible, worn with a headscarf. |
| Niqab and burqa | A niqab is a face veil; burqa names different regional garments, in Afghanistan a full-length garment with a mesh eye panel. |
| Chador and chadari | A chador is an open cloak held closed by hand; a chadari is the Afghan full-length garment with a mesh panel. |
| Khimar and jilbab | A khimar is a cape-like headcovering; a jilbab is usually a long outer garment, though in Indonesia the word often means a headscarf. |
| Underscarf and instant hijab | An underscarf is a base layer worn beneath a hijab; an instant hijab is the outer hijab itself, with a sewn shape. |
| Nida and silk | Nida is a trade name for a matte polyester crepe; silk is a natural fiber. They are not the same. |
For a fuller comparison of the three most searched garments, see hijab, niqab and burqa differences.
Garments and styles
- Hijab
- A headscarf covering the hair and neck, often the chest, leaving the face visible; the word is also used more broadly for modesty.
- Rectangle hijab (shawl)
- A long rectangular scarf wrapped and pinned in many styles; listings commonly show sizes around 70x180 cm.
- Square hijab
- A square scarf folded into a triangle and pinned; listings commonly show around 110-120 cm a side.
- Instant hijab
- A slip-on hijab with a sewn shape that needs few or no pins; also called pre-sewn.
- Al-amira
- A two-piece slip-on style made of a close-fitting cap and a tube-shaped scarf worn over it.
- Underscarf
- A close-fitting layer worn under a hijab to hold hair and stop the outer scarf from slipping.
- Tube cap
- An underscarf made as a stretch tube that slips over the head, with no ties.
- Tie-back cap
- An underscarf with ties at the back of the head so the fit can be adjusted.
- Bonnet
- A cap-style underscarf, often with a shaped crown or elastic edge; the word is used loosely in listings.
- Full-coverage cap
- An underscarf that also covers the neck, sometimes sold under the trade name ninja cap.
- Sports hijab
- A pull-on hijab in stretch performance knit, often with a longer back and neck coverage.
- Swim hijab
- A pull-on hijab in swim fabric, with chlorine resistance confirmed per fabric.
- Khimar
- A longer cape-like headcovering falling over the shoulders and chest, often to the waist or longer.
- Shayla
- A long rectangular scarf wrapped loosely and tucked or pinned at the shoulders; commonly associated with Gulf styles.
- Tudung
- A Malay word for a headscarf, commonly used in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
- Kerudung
- An Indonesian word for a headscarf, used alongside jilbab and hijab.
- Niqab
- A face veil leaving the eyes visible, worn with a headscarf, in single-layer, multi-layer and tie-back styles.
- Multi-layer niqab
- A niqab with one or more extra layers, usually sheer, that can be flipped down over the eye area.
- Burqa
- A word for different regional garments; most often in English a full-length garment with a mesh eye panel.
- Chadari
- The full-length garment with a fitted crown and mesh eye panel commonly associated with Afghanistan.
- Chador
- A full-length open cloak, cut roughly as a half circle, held closed by hand; commonly associated with Iran.
- Jilbab
- In most English-language retail a long outer garment; in Indonesia commonly a headscarf.
- Abaya
- A loose, full-length outer robe, commonly associated with Gulf styles.
- Prayer garment set
- A one- or two-piece overgarment worn for salah.
- Salah
- The Arabic word for the ritual prayer, used in the names of prayer garments.
- Dupatta
- A long scarf worn with South Asian outfits, used by some wearers as a head covering.
Fabrics
- Jersey
- A knit fabric with stretch and grip, opaque at most weights, used for everyday, instant and sports styles.
- Chiffon
- A light, sheer to semi-sheer woven fabric with a slippery surface, usually worn over an underscarf.
- Georgette
- A crepe-textured chiffon with a slightly grainy feel and a little more grip than plain chiffon.
- Modal
- A regenerated cellulose fiber that is soft, breathable and drapes well; it takes prints well.
- Voile
- A light, matte, slightly sheer cotton fabric suited to warm weather and printed squares.
- Crinkle
- A fabric, often viscose, with a permanent crinkled texture that helps it grip.
- Viscose (rayon)
- A regenerated cellulose fiber with a soft drape; the generic name used on US fiber labels.
- Viscose from bamboo
- Viscose made from bamboo pulp; in the US it is labeled as viscose or rayon from bamboo, not as bamboo.
- Satin
- A weave with a smooth, shiny face, used for evening and occasion pieces.
- Nida
- A trade name for a matte woven polyester crepe used for niqabs, khimars and abayas.
- Medina silk
- Another trade name for a matte woven polyester crepe; despite the name, usually not silk.
Finishing and accessories
- Overlock
- A stitched edge that wraps the raw edge in thread; durable and common on jersey.
- Rolled hem (baby hem)
- A very narrow folded and stitched edge used on light wovens such as chiffon and voile.
- Pressed hem
- A folded edge pressed flat and stitched, suited to crisp cottons.
- Laser cut edge
- An edge cut by laser on some knits, leaving a flat finish without stitching.
- Hijab pin
- A straight or safety pin used to fasten a wrapped hijab.
- Hijab magnet
- A small magnetic fastener used instead of a pin; not for children, because small strong magnets are an ingestion hazard.
Sourcing terms
- MOQ
- Minimum order quantity, usually counted per color, design or style; a reference range confirmed in writing for each program.
- Dye lot
- A batch of fabric dyed together; shades can differ slightly between lots.
- Lab dip
- A small dyed swatch made to match a color reference before bulk dyeing.
- Strike-off
- A printed sample of a design on the production fabric, approved before bulk printing.
- Spec sheet
- The written record of fabric, size, finish, colors, labels and packing that the quote and production follow.
- RN
- A registered identification number that can appear on US textile labels in place of a company name.
Each sourcing term is explained in practice on the MOQ and lead time page and in the fabric guide.
For sellers: using these terms on product pages
A glossary is only useful if the words on your product pages match it. Use one term per garment consistently across your store, and add a plain description beside it, so a customer who knows the garment by another name still recognizes it. Write fiber content exactly as on the label, and keep trade names such as nida as descriptions, not fiber claims. Avoid ranking garments or guessing at reasons for wearing them. For the garments themselves, start with what is a hijab and what is a niqab; when you are ready to plan a range, the sample request form uses the same terms.