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Modest Islamic Clothing by SunnahStyle.com

How to dress up a plain Pashmina: with a feathered hair clip

A feather hair clip, tucked into the side of hijab, gives my plain pashmina instant-sass. Believe it or not (it is hard to tell from this pic) it looked good. Good enough for a few non-muslims in the shop to compliment the look. They weren't thrilled on my play around with a mini top-hat toy-hat but I thought it'd look cool with some tulle... LOL. But back to the hair clip---it looked good.

Pixie's Party Hijab Idea: The Tiara

This style is sooooooooo easy. Wrap the pashmina in an Omani wrap (we'll remake that video inshaAllah so you can see it) and then fold a shorter shawl scarf in half and then pin it on top of the pashmina with stick pins. Slide a fun and girly tiars in (and the metal edges of the tiara will be covered by the shawl). It is pretty and very simple. My little sister used to be very "Punk Princess" and she wore a tiara casually. I can't... but maybe some of you out there with more cutesy attitude than me can.

Pure Pixie

Everything in this collage I really own except for the patent heels---those are flats in my day to day as I walk a few kilometers every night and every morning. The abaya with ruched satin sleeves is from http://www.sunnahstyle.com/product_info.php?pName=ruched-satin-sleeved-butterfly-abaya&cName=abayas-butterfly for $49.99 USD and it is soooooo easy to wear. I like to wear maxi dresses or coloured jeans (grey, pink, purple, green and yellow). I have a crummy scratched up pink motorolla cellohone and white rimmed sunglasses, and always keep my earrings on the big and dangling side under my hijab. I just bought this Betsey Johnson purse today (for about a quarter of its current retail value) and a matching pink keffiyah ($10.00 bucks that CAD). My beauty regime: I like mousse concealer in ivory, chocolate scented shampoo, pink eye shadow, sometimes an eyebrow pencil and that is it for day. Not the most awesome outfit, but something I like and am comfy in.

Hijab with Polka Dots

I love the print on the shoes and purse!!!! Need to find me some polk-dot kitten heels, or make my own maybe???? LOL, I should do a few tutorials on how to make things like shoes and bags out of old and existing shoes and bags shouldn't I?:D So I don't just sound nutter. And the Dior ring is sooooo cute. It wouldnt have to be Dior of course, I think its design is very cutesy chic. Of course you wouldn't see those Chanel earrings and that's good with me. The abaya though, is very elegant. From http://www.islamicboutique.com/proddetail.asp?prod=abaya-1152&PARTNER=nor for $74.90 USD. I think the polka-dots make it sassy.

Hijab is FACT

African Queen Abaya

I am finally going to buy this http://www.sunnahstyle.com/product_info.php?pName=closed-overhead-abaya-with-sleeves&cName=abayas-overhead abaya raas for $56.99 USD. It's what I will wear most of the time in Saudi and Emirates, even though some people consider it a "Grandma" style. I like it though, cuz it is sooooo off the body that one feels air-conditioned:D Also, I can dress mine up very easily with a beaded clutch, a cocktail, ring, some bangles... And I always wear a flip niqab (not tucked in) over-top and my niqabs are usually beaded on the nose-string. I'll wear shoulder styles too, but I like this style, and never can get away with it in the West without people looking at me like I am an alien soooooooo... lol, this is my time to try it out.

Abaya Makeover

Whenever I find I am not wearing a plain black abaya that I used to love and that once upon a time you couldn`t get me out of for any occasion, I break out my craft box filled with beads, thread, lace, and ribbon trims (I save some of this stuff from fashion tops I no longer wear but were gorgeous---I cut those up and save the fabrics and trimmings for abaya and shayla crafts---same goes for broken jewelry) and go to town on the abaya. At this point, since I am not wearing the abaya anyways, it is safe for me to ruin it, but I try not to. For example, the Sunnah Style creation above, I have ripped the ruched sleeve on one side soooooooo... I have decided to sew it back on and cover the joint at the elbow with the pretty ribbon below (red one--but in the same patern as the pink). I will, eventually trim a shayla with the design as well, and bead both just the tiniest bit. The abaya will have a whole other life. And then, if I am too lazy to give it another mae over the, first sister who needs abayaat who complimented the design and fits it will be gifted it. Voila. Nothing wastedm and fun in fashion had.He he he, my beauty supplies, for making over an old abaya:

Marc Abaya

I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but is really annoys me when I google or flickr the word I come up with shirtless (and sometimes mini swim trunks bottom) sweaty rocker dude. Mr. Marc Abaya, please change your last name, lol, or let me hijabify you:

See.... the ipod thobe. I hope I am not the only one who thinks this thobe is ridiculous:D

Dubai Abayas

Reminds me of a Marie Claire abaya.

Interesting. Tangy.

Oooooooooh this'd look soooooooooo amazing on a sister with a darker skin tone than me. Very exotic and pretty.

Sporty, girly, simple. LOL, not me but it's gotta be someone.

I'd wear this one but I didn't fall for it.

This one I like decently. If it were a good price I would buy.

I really liked alot of these so I leave you all the forum link :http://www.ruelalakw.com/Abayat3.html .

This one is my favourite.

But peachy flowers are so wonderful...

Juma Thoughts: Non Muslims Wearing Hijab

Women who do not follow Islam as their religion but feel drawn towards hijab often ask me if we Muslims will feel disrespected by them wearing the hijab. No, we do not.

Modesty is a right God-given to all womenkind, that we should be valued for more than our curves or features en Vogue dictated commercially.

I was once a non-muslim hijabi. I wondered the same thing, a day at a fair in Oman when I was wearing an abaya. Since I was not wearing a headscarf with it, I wondered if I was disrespecting the garment, so I kept tying the front-open abaya up above my knees so it was like a long tunic top, rather than a beautiful floor-length creation. They probably thought I was wearing the abaya very odd, but they definately didn't find my love of their clothing to be disrespectful.

In fact, my quest towards understanding Islam, began with the hijab, which I used to find oppressive, before, when my plane first touched down upon the Seeb airport in Oman. I stared at the Omani girls in their bulky chin wrapped hijabs and black silky night-gown flowing abayaat (abayaat is plural of abaya), and thought they were jealous of me and my mother and sister. LOL, if I had only known what they were wearing UNDERNEATH their abayaat:D

At first, since my extra long linen tourist shorts still caused men to gape at the grocery but girls to smile kindly and patiently with me, I ventured out into wearing salwar kameez outfits, which confused people entirely, the pakistani population especially. But I found them comfy and wore my shalwar suit alot. Even though the top part of the suit left my arms bare, in the hot sun, I often wore the dupatta over my hair. I saw girls in their abayas but the fancy abayas in the mall cost too much, and my parents told me it would be disrespectful for me to wear one anyway, I didn't buy one until near the end of my stay, but once I got it, I put it on after I left the house, and even put on hijab, and felt... completely safe. Still sexy, but secure and safe.

I didn't feel comfortable wearing my abaya because of my misinformation soooo, I wore the cotton jalibiyias and a headscarf and all the Omanis we knew actually seemed sooooooooo happy about that. The girls would talk to me in Arabic and I would talk back and we couldn't understand a word of what the other was saying but we'd actually talk for a whole half hour at a time LOL. The three boys who policed our neighborhood (who we annoyed all the time because they were the only men who would speak to us without hitting on us) laughed so hard when they saw me start wearing jalibiyias but that's probably because when I first met them I had run onto the road out of our walled garden crying and without shoes onto the burning pavement. Yeah, so the jalibiyia was probably a big improvement:D

If you want to wear something, go ahead. As a Muslim, I have reasons I can't wear certain things to certain places but if you are a non-muslim and like hijab, who is stopping you from feeling comfortable and safe and secure in your clothes and skin?

Honestly, I respect more covered women more than uncovered ones (if we are talking about physical first impressions---it takes me a second to recover from a woman's breasts shoved in my face or seeing her thong) but it is the woman's morals, ethics, and her way of dealing with people that keep my respect. If you wear hijab, because you respect yourself, I am proud of you for your sake. Hijab is an issue one has with one's self.

A Qatari Catwalk

Beautiful designs but if you are going to wear your abaya open, you have to wear further jilbab underneath for it to be Islamic clothing. Watch out. Not all Ìslamic clothing advertised meets the requirements of the Qu`ran and sunnah.

Take Inspiration from Allah's Creation---not the Created

I know alot of people say, harraam, harraam, high fashion has an ugly underbelly, and you know what, that is true of ANY business. But that doesn't mean that what Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala created, fabrics, colours, shapes, ect.... aren't halal for me to play around with. Take, for example the rather crisp but blase non-hijab look above....

Make it halal. And that IS beautiful, IF you remember it is from Allah, and beyond YOU, or anyone else for that matter.

RUNWAY: Pink Salvatore Ferragamo Spring 2009 Dress

Okay, isn't this dress just breathtakingly.... covering? I mean the color is crazy and all that but the dress is so lovely and draped and just.... waaaaaaaa and it hardly shows any curves at all... Now I am not suggesting anyone go out and buy the crazy expensive designer stuff I'm posting unless you are beyond rich and give hella zakat and encourage others to do so too (nothing in Islam forbids this) but the designer inspiration pieces out there? I just want you all to know what they cost and where they come from so you can take your inspiration and know where it came from and what it sells for. LOL, because, if you are a cheap skate like me:D you can be happy about all the great deals you got. So, just to let you know, this Salvatore Ferragamo Dress costs $22,000, and it can be purchased by phone call at these digits 800-628-8916. With a dress this modest, all I'd have to do it add hijab, and this is the perfect hot pink hijab Beaded Square Hijab - Thin Fabric - HOT PINK for $9.90 GBP. But I am more likely buy this abaya http://www.muslimahessentials.com/stylish-two-layer-jilbab-79-p.asp for $36.95 GBP.

Salam Cafe

IN case you didn't know about it, Australia was the first Western country to have a comedy series making fun about Islamic stereotypes (Islamophobic and other). That show is called "Salam Cafe":

Episode about Islamophobia in Camden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeQPAJt6caU
Episode about Islamic school proposal being rejected http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIXfSpieEZs&feature=channel

Making fun of the beach riot over the hijab:

This clip I love, it's an instructional video for non-muslims about working with Muslims:

Enjoy!

WHERE I SHOP: DesertStore

I have shopped from Desertstore.com http://www.desertstore.com/ and have ALWAYS received my orders. A bit slow... but decent, considering I live about as far away from their base (Saudi Arabia) as one can get. And I while am too cheap for express, Ange from Ӈҿɡɑɓ~Ṙҿɧɑɓ uses the Express shipping and she says she gets her stuff fast. LOL, Ange I am faaaaaar to cheap for that. But I do recommend, if it is close to Eid, you splurge on the express shipping, cuz you might not get your stuff on time in the busy season. I LOVE their chiffon fabric black abayas, and they have some jilbabs I am tempted on. Don't buy anything tafetta as the main fabric though!!!! Crunchy abayas and jalibiyias are ICKY. It is not silk tafetta that's for sure. But the cotton caftan aka jalibiyias? Those are soooooo nice AND comfy. Need a soft shayla? They don't have many to choose from, but the fabric is soooooooo soft I don't care, and soft niqab too... They also have men's and children so if you are buying for the whole family or gifts it is a great site.

Purple Satin Abaya LOOK ALIKE

Desertstore has a new abaya in similiar to the one in the collage and I think it is lovely http://www.desertstore.com/abaya/dressy-black-abaya-with-decorative-bands-1819.html for $50.80 USD.

Pretty Pashmina

I think this is a revert sister called Nicole Queen who made a conversion story video on youtube. My sister has the same pashmina:D What a pretty one. It suits her well, mashaAllah. For how to wear a pashmina see this vid:

And here is Nicole's reversion/conversion story:

Niqab ban in France: my thoughts

In case you were unaware, French President Sarkozy is calling for a ban on the niqab on France (they already prevent Muslims from going to school with a headscarf), i.e a ban in total. Nowhere in public can you wear a niqab. Except the man (my sister, a non-muslim, exclaims, "the ignorant tool!") doesn't even know the right word for the Islamic facial covering.

He is calling for a ban on the "burka". Now I understand that some people call the Pakistani chador with a mesh screen and more pleating (more pleating is typical of Aghanistan's "burka") the "burka." They do so in error. This garment is a chador, and is purely cultural. Having worn one, yes, I own one, I can say for a fact it is not an Islamic garment, as Islamic clothing is meant to make a woman's life in public easy. In an Afghani chador I cannot see my feet or to the side of my face. I do not have free hands as I have to HOLD the garment closed, whereas in my niqab and my abaya I have free movement of my limbs and no impediment to my sight. Also, in the sunnah Aisha R.A (may Allah be pleased with her) never covered her eyes in total with fabric. She always had her sight free. So the Afghani "burqa" and Pakistani mesh chador are not Islamic garments. If that is what President Sarkozy meant when he said "'The burkha is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.' " I would have agreed with him. It is not welcome in my life for sure. I like the use of my hands and arms, and I like to see where I am going. That's halal for a woman, ya know?! Anyways, and so.... he still would have been using the wrong term. You think if you are gonna pass a law, you'd use the right name for it. Ya know, to stop confusion?

If you are going to put it in writing that women in France are not allowed to wear burkas then this is what you are banning: A Gulf mask worn to keep the sand out of the mouth resembling a falcon's beak. Hmmmm..... Or, if you still think that Afghani thing is what a burka is (cuz we already know you're ignorant and can forgive you for that) this: Yeah, besides some pervy dude who likes to dress up in latex under this Afghani ebay find and take lots of pictures of himself while creepily storing Muslim women's photos on his flickr site, WHO ELSE IN FRANCE IS WEARING A "BURKA"?!!!!!

"The president was supporting a weekend call by dozens of French politicians for a parliamentary commission to study whether the burkha, which is growing in popularity in France, should be banned. He laid out his support for a ban even before the panel has been approved - braving critics who fear the issue could stigmatise Muslims in France. "

Of course, we know you mean niqab, Mr. Sakozy. But niqab is this http://ilovehishmatheblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-progress-types-of-niqab.html. Sure, of course, you do have the words in your vobaulary to ban all of these, but can you truly ban scarves, and face coverings? Because niqab:

...is very similiar to this:

It'd really hurt the Paris fashion industry, ya know. For example...

Christian Lacroix:

Alexander McQueen:

John Paul Gaultier Christian Dior:

Givenchy:
Karl Lagerfeild over at Chanel:

LOL, tell it to Lagerfield, Dior, Lacroix, Givenchy, McQueen, and Gaultier Mr. Sakozy: "'In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity,' he said to extended applause in Versailles, at a joint session of France's two houses of parliament. " I doubt they will applaud you truly decide to pursue banning facial covering for ALL women citizens of France. You only intend to ban it from Muslim women, and it is obvious, dahhhhhhhhhling.

If you ban my niqab, I'm just going to wear two of Mr. Gaultier's bridal veils. Because unless you want to ban hats, high colars, and bridal veils, good luck. You HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY attack the muslimeen. And if you decide to, only Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala alone can help you. Good luck with that Mr. Sarkozy. France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, an estimated 5 million.

My niqab does not cut me off from society. You're the one that wants to seperate your country "women" from niqab but they don't want freedom from it. They have the freedom to take it off in France, and since they don't they obviously want to wear it. You oppress them by forcing them to leave the country like refugees, banning them from workplaces and schools because of their beliefs.

Mr. Sarkozy "declared that the full-body religious gown is a sign of the 'debasement' of women. " This is what I consider the debasement of women Mr. Sarkozy:

Your wife's body sold magazine covers, clothing, perfume, music.... She danced naked like a piece of meat for the cameras and I guarantee you men besides yourself jerked off to the sight of her naked flesh. I don't think bad of her for this. That some abuse something she made in art or need of finance is their sin not hers but MY body is not a commodity, though I don't doubt I could sell it for a small fortune IF I wanted to (I just don't believe in doing so---Muslim women do not hide because we are ashamed---we do not hide at all but reveal WHAT IT IS WE BELIEVE IN AND THAT IS INTREGRAL TO WHO WE ARE). I won't even put it (my body/face) on display even on the street, before your eyes, because what have you done to guarantee my protection? What have you done to see the curves of my body? I am not attracted to you. You don 't have ideals I share. You have never offered anything up that made me happy, so what makes you deserving of my lips when they smile or share frienship in a look of understanding when you have offered me neither? What right have you, as my oppressor, to see the sorrow of my oppression (BY YOU) on the taut lines of my face? At least, let me keep that. Or have you no mercy, that you take away my education and means to earn a living already? You are the same as the Taliban with their "burka".

Yes, Mr. Sarkozy, "the full-body religious gown is a sign of the 'debasement' of women" and that is why your wife, and representative of the country of France, no longer poses naked on magazine covers. Because she is more worthy than that, held to higher standards. If I were to use your line of thinking, that would be oppressive. In your style of thought she should have "no standards". But I do. I believe EVERY single woman out there deserves the same standard, and that standard is, that every woman is representative of power, the power of mankind. BEYOND THAT OF A COUNTRY. She has a responsiblity to women, and that means at the core, to herself, to be valued for more than her face and figure. To contribute to society, with more than that.

Yes, Mr. Sarkozy, "the full-body religious gown is a sign of the 'debasement' of women" , that is your wife wears more clothes now than she used to. You don't really care about women. You don't want to ban "facial covering". You want to ban Islam. I will pray for you. InshaAllah you will be guided.

Hijab Stylist Nanees

I'm sure you've all seen these pictures before. They are pretty famous on the net, with facebook hijab groups and Muslimah bloggers... Love it or hate 'em, they have inspired many and their influence cannot be mitigated or defined by those who have taken these images up---the haraam police against the clothed-but naked overly made-up "hijabis" , the clothed-but naked overly made-up "hijabis", and the stylish muhajababes who know their sunnah but like pretty things... Um, sorry to sound sooooooo labelling, but I find the first two categories usually only know part of something, and are too lazy to look the other half up or are repeating what someone else said without their own understanding or justifcation. Ahhhhhh. LOL, done ranting now. But these looks really did help me in realizing, that while I could not agree with the styles themselves at times, I could take inspiration from them, and make them into something halal and still.... me.One of the earliest hijab stylists whose designs were featured online is Egyptian Nanees Selim http://naneesselim.com/nanees_selim/about_nanees.html. Many were horrified that her designs were called "hijab" and many were happy for the breath of fresh air that incorporated clothing other than "arab black" into the scene. More girls started wearing hijab, alhamdulilah. When the haraam police called them out (rudely, or even rightly) SOME of them started reading to prove those nay-sayers wrong, and they learnt things, improved their hijabs, but didn't give up the techniques and personality they learned. They knew something was wrong with what the "haraam police said" but they realized there was more to hijab than a headband headscarf. They kept the personality but left off the sexy. Alhamdulilah. Ladies, keep the personality, leave off the sexy, learn the techniques, so you can halal-ify any hijab look that strikes your eye.
For more of Nanees Selim's techniques see this post where her videos are collected http://ilovehishmatheblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/videos-techniques-for-styling-hijab.html.