Islamic Clothing in Calgary: Hijab Stores, Abayas and Thobes by Area

I dug into hijab stores in Calgary, and they sit in three clusters: International Avenue (17 Ave SE) in Forest Lawn, the northeast malls (Sunridge and Marlborough), and New Horizon Mall in Balzac. New Horizon now has the most modest-wear shops under one roof.

Quick picks: thobes at Baraka Stores. An Eid outfit with styling help at Haya Collection. Jilbabs and niqabs at Libas Al Anaqah.

People search for "halal stores" or "halal clothing", but clothes aren't halal or haram like food. What you want is modest wear: hijabs, abayas, jilbabs, niqabs and thobes. See the modest clothing listings.

Hijab stores on International Avenue (17 Ave SE)

To compare shops in one trip, start here. Most are a few blocks apart.

• Yusrah Hijab 'N' Things, 3502 17 Ave SE - abayas, hijabs, men's and boys' thobes, and rare modest swimwear. It's more packed warehouse than boutique, so take time to dig.
• Baraka Stores, 3409 17 Ave SE - thobes, abayas, hijabs and shawls. Thobes are its thing, and good value. Hijabs run about $5 to $10 and boys' thobes about $20 to $25. The owner sometimes adds free pins.
• Al Harameen Style & Home Decor, a few minutes north on 28 St SE - elegant abayas on rotating stock, a smaller men's section with thobes, and curtains.
• Dubai Fashions & Home Decorations, 4202 17 Ave SE - a Somali-owned shop with dresses, long jackets and hijabs beside furniture. Prices aren't posted, so ask. Call first: one reviewer drove from Okotoks and found it closed. Its 5 Ave NE branch, Dubai Fashion and Home Decoration, does abayas and Eid outfits for the family. Check your bill there.
• Alfa Fashion and Home Decor, 3450 17 Ave SE, and African Variety and Turkish Fashion, 5315 17 Ave SE - clothes, perfume and cosmetics. African Variety is known for Arab and Turkish-style dresses.

The northeast malls: Marlborough and Sunridge

• Fancy Label, Marlborough Mall - one of the city's longest-running Islamic clothing stores: Turkish-style abayas and hijabs, plus Arabic and Turkish perfumes, prayer rugs and bakhoor.
• Muna Abaya Clothing Store, also in Marlborough Mall - lots of abayas at fair prices, bright changing rooms, and an owner who doesn't hover.
• Yasmin, Sunridge Shopping Centre - family clothing, including kids' occasion wear. Some reviewers found sizes off from the tag and exchanges refused, so try things on and ask about returns first.
• Fancy Label, Sunridge - the sister shop, mostly known for perfume. The halal perfume roundup covers that side.

New Horizon Mall, Balzac: the newest hijab cluster

Just north of the city, across from CrossIron Mills, this mall has filled up with modest-wear shops. Check hours before you drive out, since they don't all open the same days.

• Modest Warehouse Store - the Calgary branch of an Edmonton shop. Deep dress stock for a specific occasion, rated as good or better by Edmonton regulars. If it's closed when you need it, call: one reviewer was helped anyway.
• Hijab Essentials - formerly Beauty & Hijab Corner. A wide hijab range and strong magnets. The owner helped one reviewer through her first day wearing hijab.
• Clique Fashion Outfit & Fancy Hijabs - hijabs in better fabric than the price suggests.
• Omid Dubai Fashion - hijabs and abayas for the family, plus finely detailed traditional Afghan dress.
• Maro Boutique - Afghan dresses for all ages, matching jewellery, and custom orders. One bride-to-be had hers made to measure and delivered on time.
• Suzy Abaya and Zeebel Apparel Boutique - abayas. Zeebel also carries African ready-to-wear and evening gowns. One regular bought her Eid abaya there in 2023 and keeps going back.
• Yusrah Hijab 'N' Things Balzac - a new branch of the Forest Lawn shop.
• Calgary Hijabs & Clothing Centre - hijabs and traditional clothing. Its two reviews totally disagree, so ask about exchanges before you pay.

Boutiques worth a special trip

Haya Collection on 27 St NE is rated 4.9 on Google. It's women-owned, and every review mentions the owner styling you herself. Eid outfits come in small batches, so regulars go early. There are also hijabs, modal scarves, shawls and oud perfumes. It's above an auto shop and hard to find, so call first.

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Libas Al Anaqah on Corner Meadows Manor NE, near Skyview, is the city's most specialized shop: Egyptian cotton jilbabs, hijabs and niqabs for women, thobes and sarouel trousers for men, and modest kids' clothes. Niqabs and sarouel are rare elsewhere. It takes online orders with curbside pickup.

House of Salma on Sage Hill Blvd NW focuses on dresses and two-piece sets, in fabric that survives washing. One reviewer is five dresses in. It does Eid outfits for adults and kids.

Thobes and menswear

For a thobe, start at Baraka, then Yusrah on the same strip and Al Harameen on 28 St SE. Up north, try Libas Al Anaqah. For a kurta or shalwar kameez, Junaid Jamshed (J.) on 30 Ave NE has men's kurtas, kids' shalwar sets for Eid and mehndi outfits.

Pakistani, Afghan and South Asian dress

• Bandhan, 38 St NE - ready-to-wear Pakistani suits and dresses at prices regulars call the best in town.
• Maryam Qasim Boutique, Skyview - Pakistani suits and family clothing from a home showroom, by appointment only. If buying unseen, agree on measurements in writing and ask for extra photos.
• Bhatia Cloth House, Falconridge - fabric by the metre, ready-made lehengas, and alterations on site. Bring a shade and staff will match it.
• Ariana Bazaar & Cloth, 34 Ave NE - an Afghan bazaar that's half fabric and clothing, half halal grocery.

Outside the city, Modest wear and Hijabs in Chestermere is the town's one modest-wear shop. People buy Ramadan gifts there too.

Shopping for Eid

Eid al-Fitr 2027 is expected on Tuesday 9 March, and Eid al-Adha around 16 or 17 May. Go two to three weeks early. Boutiques like Haya Collection stock Eid outfits in small numbers. For the whole family in one trip, 17 Ave SE and the malls carry menswear and kids' sizes too. For Ramadan, see iftar in Calgary. For a scent to match the outfit, look up attar and oud.