One Plus The Other

So I was in Spitalfields Market a little while ago where I stumbled across this awesome (and I really do mean AWESOME) t-shirt.  It’s by independent designer- though the name is escaping me at the moment, he’s South Korean with an amazing sense of style.  The first thing that came to my head was my papa, the second was Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, it’s not hard to see why!

This would be a good time to big up my dad’s blog where you can see images of his amazing porcelain work.  Check it out here.

Under head scarf by MAYSAA

(Elbaz image: via alivenotdead.com)

Long Sleeves Long Dresses

If you like this you can pick up a similar one at Maysaa soon inshAllah, and I do mean soon (I’ll let you guys know of course).  I do like how a jilbab feels, so feminine and comfortable.  Pretty perfect, perfectly pretty.

Plain & Print

You know how you discover something you’ve had for ages and fall back in love, well I at the moment when I look into my wardrobe I see only this dress.  These photographs just don’t do it justice.  It belonged to my grandmother, or great aunt, it’s hand made in so many silk panels and just feels beautiful to wear.  I walk feeling unashamedly feminine as silk swishes around my feet.

Style Stories

I wore it earlier in the week whilst falling in love with a leather jacket in Reiss:

Shop Assistant: That’s such a lovely print.

Me: Thanks, I think it was my grandmothers.

I could have said vintage, boho, hand made, but no, I chose the one thing that made me sound like I just rummage through old peoples wardrobes for me clothes (which I do). I wouldn’t mind, but not in front of the jacket, just let me hide my embarrassment far far away from that soft peachy leather.

Zafirah Hanis

Bolder, Brighter

I stumbled across this gorgeous girl when she left a comment on a post here.  She has her own blog ‘Bits of Beads’ with a lot more pics.  I love how she puts her outfits together in a kind of quirky way.  Never afraid of colour and print she’s inspired me to find a bold print headscarf.  Lovely.

Spring Summer 2010

Dressing Like A Hijabi

While these layered looks may not be favoured by the main stream I think there is a great deal of inspiration for us hijabis. It’s hard to be covered head to toe and still look casual, and harder still to find trousers that will do the job. So the answer is something we’ve been doing for a while; layer it up with a tunic or mid length dress.

Boy meets Girl

For Cavalli as well as the masc/fem blazer and florals combinations there were some more refined looks to be had. I love the idea of wearing a wrap dress opened up under a long trench or tailored jacket, something I think many of us could rustle up out of our own wardrobes.

[View with PicLens]

(images: style.com)

Resort 2010

Light and Loose

I’ll be highlighting some of my favourite resort collections over the next few weeks, I’ve held on to these Stella McCartney images for a while so I thought I’d finally share them! I love the loose shapes.

This jumpsuit is amazing, absolutely love it!

The Tunics

Evening Resort

I’m working on a design that’s kind of similar to this skirt, I love its silhouette.

(images: style.com)

Smart Casual

So I did actually do some work in Paris, this was taken outside the fabric fair. Comfort was definitely an important factor here, I’m pretty sure the reason I’m smiling is at the prospect of actually sitting down on the metro.

Don’t forget to vote for your Look of the Week.

The Search

Whilst in Paris I did briefly look in to the possibility of buying shades, you may know I am very indecisive about sunglasses. I have a pair I wore years ago before I became Muslim but tried them with my hijab and it looked really terrible. So searching for a shape to suit me meant looking at girls with similar faces and see what they were wearing.

My conclusion:

Big is Best

Too round means I look bug eyed

Too angular or rectangular doesn’t suit my lovely round head!

So these were my variations on a theme:

I would love your opinions in helping me choose! Although lets face it, I probably won’t be needing them for another 8 months. If you have any tips on sunglasses and face shape then I’d love to hear them. Just leave all your comments below!

Style with Substance

Love In Layers

For me as a Muslim wearing polo-necks is a lot like wearing underwear; it’s just what you do. Even in Spring and Summer I never go that many days without reaching for my trusty jersey polo-neck. But when it comes to winter it becomes a second skin, almost every outfit starts with a polo base. It’s tough to think of anything more versatile, and this Autumn designers have given it a new lease of life and a well deserved turn in the spotlight!

Hijab Style: MAYSAA coming soon

How to wear it with a headscarf

Ordinarily you wouldn’t be able to tell what kind of neck line you were wearing if you styled it with a pashmina hijab. But the unique design of the MAYSAA headscarf (coming soon!) means that you can make the most of neckline details whilst staying covered.

But even if you stick with your own style, long sleeves layered under capped sleeved maxi dresses mean you will be bang on trend and beautifully modest.

Good Little Actions

At the end of the day recall all your blessings and be thankful for everything you have

Hadith Of The Day

“Consider well contentment, for it is a treasure without end.” At-Tabarani

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

New Muslimah Style

For Muslims it can be hard to find a style that really reflects your personality whilst staying modest. So when I saw Duro Olowu’s Spring 2009 collection I really thought I’d stumbled across something fresh. It felt like he had a totally different view point and something exciting to inject into mainstream fashion. Then when I saw his Fall 09 collection I really fell in love with his artistic approach to design. Unlike a lot of ‘new style’ his collection is very wearable, and for us Hijab wearers very modest.

Do D.I.Y.

I’m hoping his style filters down to a more affordable high street level, but having said that you’re probably better off D.I.Y-ing it. More original, more personality for less money- that’s the kind of maths I like! When I get the time I’ll do I Duro Olowu inspired D.I.Y tutorial.

Good Little Actions

Read Surah Kahf on a Friday (before maghrib)- try and read the translation too, it really makes a difference.

Hadith of the Day

“Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays.” Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir