Pool Party Style

You lovely girls have probably noticed that I love Chris Benz, his style has an achingly cool look about it. For Spring/ Summer his collection was loose and vibrant. Luckily for us Muslimah’s this meant that there were a lot of Hijab style looks to get inspiration from. It also had a sort of D.I.Y. put together vibe so why not try mixing and matching, wearing oversized tees and turning pretty party dresses into maxi skirts.

Clever Colour Blocking

His 2009 resort collection was equally as relaxed with more instantly wearable looks. With colour blocking and loose layers he managed to hit trends without looking like he even tried. I particularly love his maxi skirts, they are simple but beautifully designed.

Fall Finesse

And a look at his next collection, a selection of more grown up silhouettes and delightful multi coloured prints which injected an element of fun. Again the long skirts are the highlight for me, I absolutely adore the sequined skirt (bottom right), and for a Muslimah a beautiful maxi skirt is always treasured!

(images: style.com)

If you haven’t seen my Hijabi Skecthbook: Chris Benz edition you can check it out here. Or search the site for more Benz goodness!

Good Little Actions

Read a hadith or surah and its meaning then put it into practical example the next time the situation calls for it. (I’ve added one a day to make it easier for you!)

Hadith of the Day

“To acquire some useful knowledge is of greater merit than to perform a hundred devotional prayers voluntarily.” Ibn Majah

The Content of Character, Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazuri

Don’t forget to vote for your look of the week!

Chanel Classics

Chanel is always good for timeless classics. The long skirts are beautiful especially when you put them with perfectly tailored jackets, you just need to add a headscarf. Maybe more Autumn than Summer, but in this weather you can’t blame me, so many rainy days…

3.Polo neck

The polo-neck is the unsung hero of the Muslimah wardrobe. You don’t realise just how valuable they are until you find they are all in the wash, they don’t have an interchangeable replacement. At the moment I have 2 in black and one in cream, neutral works best because… well it works with almost anything. Lightweight jersey is best for layering, even in summer they aren’t as bad as you might think. I have a few niggles when it comes to wearing them under anything with thin straps, for me anything longer than capped sleeved works fine. I love the look of the Shipley and Halmos outfits, utter understated chic.

2. Hoodie

I think I posted a while back about the benefits of the hoodie. They are so versatile and look great over a headscarf, which is great if you’re a bit nervous about wearing one for the first time. I wore one the day I took my shahada, though I didn’t have the hood up over the scarf, it was one of the few things I was able to wear from my former wardrobe without any adjustments. From the tracksuit zip-front styles all the way to elegant embellishment they are a great way in to Islamic fashion.

Art of the Abstract: Alexandra Groover creates sculptured hoods that are stunning but simplistic

1. Long Skirt

Long skirts are another one of my favourites, but they are surprisingly difficult to get hold of. When you do find them they are either too much like evening wear or too casual. So if you are lucky enough to already have one then take good care of it. A big part of MAYSAA will be long maxi skirts, and I can tell you they are one of the hardest things to design once you take into consideration all the needs of a Muslimah. InshAllah I hope I come up with designs you will love wearing, and ones that are more versatile than what you can find on the high-street. But having said that, there are moments when designers get it juuust right!

Loose tunics and spring colours make a fresh and funky statement

Window Wonders

My lovely mum went to Rennes and decided to take some snap shots of the hijab friendly fashion in the windows. Draping, long skirts, layering and a pretty window display of BCBG Max Azria, not to mention delicious looking macaroons and pastries! I love the idea of snapshot shopping, and think we should do more of it! If you’re planning a holiday or have some great shops in your home town share them with our worldwide hijab newtork. Post them onto the Facebook group page or send them in to my email.

I like the way her reflection is caught in the glass! (bottom image)