Fall 2009

This is a much more wearable maxi dress, formal and understated. It definitely has an abaya like quality about it. Without all the bells and whistles it remains a modest and feminine choice, and the chain link detailing adds just a hint of glamour! Just add a headscarf.

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(image: style.com)

Feminine Folds

I love the way this look has been put together, it’s casual but still really beautiful. The folds gently cover the shape of the body creating a new, modest silhouette. The jersey top works really well underneath and this is not easy to pull off. I think because it has it’s light and with it’s own texture that the two pieces accent each other without being overpowering.

A Fresh Start

Go vibrant in green gowns draped head to toe in loose lush fabric. Fresh elegant and feminine, the perfect way to start this beautiful month. Add gold accessories for an occasion, or team with dark denim and for a sophisticated day look. Add pink accessories for a quirky fun touch.

Modest Feminine Fashion

The dress which acts as a base to this outfit is beautiful but too smart for everyday. No worries though, with a few styling tricks you can create an outfit fit for a day at a museum or a lovely shopping trip. I pinned the hem on one side to create an asymmetric shape and added quirky jewellery and bright shoes to dress it down. Add a simple headscarf, loose trousers, and a floral cardigan (twisted at the front) and you’re ready for action.

This is the last part of the Ultimate Muslimah Bridal Guide, with all the lovely things I couldn’t squeeze into the last posts.

Givenchy Couture Spring 2009

Dream Wedding

The bridal wear of the Givenchy Couture spring 09 collection was among the most imaginative I’ve seen. The dresses just floated down the runway beautifully draped and shaped over the body. There was definitely an air of the Islamic in the headscarves and modest silhouettes so there’s plenty to draw from for hijab inspiration. If you missed the Hijabi Sketchbook: Bridal Edition based on this collection you can find it here.

Pretty Designs

copyright MAYSAA Ltd.

The last of my designs based on the best from our Ultimate Bridal Guide. Frills, flounces and pretty bow details for a soft feminine feel.

Vera Wang- Volume

How could you do a bridal wear guide without mentioning Ms. Wang, she certainly has a talent for creating chic and elegant dresses. Here we can find some pearls of modest wisdom hidden in the layers of chiffon and net.

Vera Wang- Sleek

And finally…

A beautiful design by Reem Acra from her Fall line 2009, it’s simple and beautiful, and the empire line creates a gorgeous modest silhouette.

Models in Victorio & Lucchino during Barcelona Bridal fashion week 2009. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

If you missed the first parts of the Muslim Bridal Wear trilogy you can get to part 1 and part 2 . And if you’re still in need of inspiration check out the Hijabi Sketchbook: Bridal Edition part 1 and part 2.

Images: style.com and nymag.com

Monochrome is chic but understated, Moschino has added fun twists on couture classics

Mod Modesty

Moschino has done what it does best by adding playful and quirky touches to clean shapes. I love maxi dresses with pockets, maybe because it gives an otherwise feminine dress some attitude. With this I would wear a black polo-neck underneath, something I wouldn’t do with open neck strappy dresses. Or maybe a white cardigan for a softer look. Because of all the detailing around the neck I would have to opt for the MAYSAA headscarf. So simple, I love it!

4. Wide leg trousers

Finding trousers that are loose enough to cover the hips can be tricky, but once you’ve found a style that suits they can be very useful for making tops, tunics and even mini dresses hijab friendly. Go for wide leg pleat front trousers or the harem style (word of warning: ones with a really low crotch are almost impossible to pull off so go for ones based on the style). There are quite a few around on the runway, but may be slightly harder to find on the high-street for my full guide click here.

5. Wrap Dress

Another item of clothing I wear over and over again! Because the are wrap around you can make them as loose as you like and become very versatile. Wear them fully tied, tied on one side, fully open, over trousers, skirts even abayas, as a jacket… you get the point there are lots of ways to work it out! These are easily found on the high-street and a lot of people will already own one.

6. Tunic

Tunics seem to be made for hijabis! They are modest in their shape but still very feminine and elegant. A main-stay in resort wear collections grab them in summer while you can. The only winter alternative is a long sleeved shift dress, but summer is the best time to get the prettiest prints and detailing. Because they tend to be very light-weight you can get away with wearing long sleeves underneath, but actually a lot have full length sleeves to begin with- yay! Don’t you just love love love the Matthew Williamson tunics, if anyone bought from his H&M collection send in your pics!

7. Knee length jacket

A muslimah spends a lot of time trying to cover up tops that show too much shape, of trousers that cling to the hips. For those days when you’re just popping out for groceries a long jacket hides a multitude of hijab ‘hot-spots’. Whether it’s a warm winter coat or a paper thin mac they are readily available and can come extremely well designed. And would it be so wrong for us to throw on a trench over our pajamas to throw out the rubbish?

After our top 3 countdown I’ll be throwing together some looks with the headscarf using our big top ten- if you have any ideas of your own send them in to hana@stylecovered.com

runway images: style.com

Deceptively simple, this dress has so much texture and depth but it still looks fresh.

Summer Hijabi Style

The print, the sun-ray pleating, the draping, it’s all beautiful. The clever thing about this is the combination of the three without it looking messy, this would be a very easy thing to get wrong. Instead you end up with a modest but feminine maxi dress where even the belt isn’t cinched in, so it doesn’t reveal too much of the figure. I couldn’t decide which colour way I liked best, both would look stunning against darker skin tones. To make it Muslimah friendly just combine it with a simple pashmina and lightweight cardigan, nothing complex, I like simple chic!

Islamic Fashion: A splash of summer colour from Akris (images: style.com)

Modest Maxi Dresses are one of Saab's great strengths in his S/S 09 collection

Saab Style

Lebanese designer Elie Saab’s Spring/Summer collection was so fresh and from a Muslimah’s perspective quite exciting. I love the variety of ways he’s managed to cover up body shape without it looking boxy. The shapes are so elegant and feminine, there were so many styles I liked it was difficult for me to choose just a few to show you! The maxi dresses are really innovative and cut differently from most that I’ve seen, and great for hijab.

Islamic Fashion: With so many different modest summer styles covering up is certainly chic!

Love Lengths

The selection of tunics and dresses above are so summery. And I absolutely love the mini/maxi length where the hemline drops to full length at the back. They would look great with some slouchy trousers- just imagine that top tunic with some white linen trousers- beautiful!

Saab's couture collection was a simple but stunning array in gentle tones. (images: nymag.com)

Couture

His couture line has amazing attention to detail, it may be his Middle-Eastern background that inspires the decorative embellishment. But this decoration never looks garish or out of place, it combines the best of both worlds in beautifully simple elegance. Either way his background definitely helps him to be a great designer for Muslimahs.

This maxi dress, or rather gown, is so well crafted. Elie saab has a real way with chiffon.

Something Special

This is beautiful, I mean really beautiful, I love the soft draping and the contrast detail. Imagine it slightly looser around the hips and with long sleeves, it would be a perfect shape for a Muslimah. It’s so floaty and feminine, a definite event dress. This has inspired me to do a full Elie Saab profile, believe me, it’s worth it!