Why the terms get mixed up
Hijab, khimar and jilbab all appear in conversations about modest dress, and all three are sometimes used loosely. The word hijab is used for a headscarf and also for modesty in a broader sense. Khimar and jilbab are older words with their own histories, and their everyday meaning shifts from one region to another. In Indonesia, for example, jilbab is commonly used for a headscarf, while in many English-speaking stores it means a long outer garment. Neither use is wrong; they are simply different.
Practice varies between people, families, communities, regions and schools of thought, and this guide does not describe what anyone should wear. It describes the garments as products: what each one covers, how it is cut, and what it is usually made of.
The three garments at a glance
| Term | What it is in most English-language retail | Typical length | Common fabrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hijab | A headscarf covering the hair and neck, often the chest, leaving the face visible | Varies by wrap; rectangles commonly around 70x180 cm in listings | Jersey, chiffon, modal, cotton voile, crinkle viscose |
| Khimar | A longer, cape-like headcovering falling over the shoulders and chest | Often to the waist or longer | Matte crepe such as nida, jersey, chiffon |
| Jilbab | A long outer garment worn over clothing, often with a hijab or khimar | Full length | Matte crepe, polyester blends, cotton blends |
| Abaya (for comparison) | A loose outer robe, commonly associated with Gulf styles | Full length | Crepe, nida, chiffon overlays |
The hijab
The hijab is the headscarf most customers mean when they shop in this category. It is usually a rectangle or a square of fabric wrapped around the head and pinned or tucked, or an instant style with a sewn shape. It covers the hair and neck and often the chest, and the face stays visible. Because it is wrapped, the same scarf can be worn many ways, and the fabric decides how well each wrap holds. Our what is a hijab guide covers the shapes and the wider meaning of the word.
The khimar
A khimar is a longer covering that is cut rather than wrapped. Most are shaped like a cape or a wide circle with an opening for the face, and they slip on over the head. The fabric falls over the shoulders and chest, often to the waist and sometimes further. Some khimars have a sewn band at the forehead and ties at the back; others rely on the cut and the weight of the fabric to stay in place. Many wearers use an underscarf beneath.
Khimars come in several lengths, and listings often describe them by where the hem falls, such as chest length, waist length or knee length. Single-layer and double-layer versions are both common. Matte crepe such as nida is the most frequent fabric, because it is opaque and drapes without clinging; jersey versions are softer and easier to care for. See the khimar sourcing page for construction details.
The jilbab
In most English-language retail, a jilbab is a long, loose outer garment worn over everyday clothing, sometimes with an attached hood or headpiece. One-piece versions slip on over the head; two-piece versions pair a long top or cape with a skirt. It is closer to a coat or robe than to a headscarf, and it is usually worn with a hijab or a khimar. Jilbabs and abayas overlap a great deal, and many stores use the two words for similar cuts.
The desk mentions jilbabs and abayas mainly as context. Our core programs are headwear and prayer garments; the prayer garment page covers one- and two-piece overgarments for salah, which share some construction with jilbabs.
How they are worn together
These garments are often layered. A common combination is an underscarf, then a hijab or khimar, with a jilbab or abaya over everyday clothing. Customers building an outfit care about color matching across the pieces, and about how the fabrics sit together: a slippery khimar over a slippery jilbab tends to move, while a matte crepe over a matte crepe stays put. When you plan a range that sells these as coordinates, sample the fabrics together and match colors across them, because the same dye looks different on crepe and on jersey.
Sizing differences
Hijabs are measured by length and width, khimars by the length from crown to hem and by the face opening, and jilbabs by full length and chest or hip width like a garment. These three measurement systems confuse customers when they sit side by side on a category page. Keep them consistent within each product type, and always give centimeters and inches.
What changes in production
For a buyer, the three garments are different jobs for a workshop. A hijab is cut from a single piece and edge finished, so the work is mostly in fabric, dyeing or printing, and the hem. A khimar is cut to a pattern, often with a sewn face opening, a forehead band and sometimes a second layer, so it needs pattern approval and a sewn sample before bulk. A jilbab is a full garment with seams, possibly sleeves, a hood or a skirt, and it is graded across sizes like any other clothing. Minimums and sampling time rise with each step in construction. Reference ranges are on the MOQ and lead time page, and every figure is confirmed in writing for each program. If you plan all three in one range, we usually sample the hijab and khimar fabrics together so the colors match from the start.
For sellers: naming and describing each garment
Use the term your customers use, then add a plain description so nobody is guessing.
- Hijab. Name the shape and fabric: jersey rectangle hijab, chiffon square hijab, instant jersey hijab.
- Khimar. Name the length and layers: waist-length single-layer khimar in matte crepe.
- Jilbab. Name the cut: one-piece jilbab with attached hood, two-piece jilbab with skirt.
Avoid comparing the garments as more or less modest, and avoid describing who should wear which. Describe coverage in neutral garment terms, such as falls to the waist, rather than as a judgment. Photograph each piece on a form or flat, without faces. When you are ready to source a coordinated range, the sample request form collects the styles, fabrics and colors we need to prepare a written quote.