The Qu'ran says that Allah
subhanhu wa ta'ala likes to see the signs of His
subhanhu wa ta'ala kindness on His servants. He is beautiful, and loves beauty.
The Qu'ran also says that the best garment we can wear is one of God-consciousness (which is, to dress in awareness of the Creator, and to dress with the soul aim of pleasing Allah
subhanhu wa ta ala).
When I used to pray at home, I would forget this, and throw on a beat up old sheet and cover my body with it, but I would never think of doing da'wah work at my workplace in that same sheet. Yes, my goal in dressing well in hijab in my daily routine, is to make Islam a more approachable subject for non-muslims. If we can start a subect that leads to Islam on the grounds of, "I love your ring" or "that's pretty embroidery on your head-scarf" or "I didn't know Muslims could wear colour" than alhamdulilah!!!!!!!! I got to tell them about Aisha R.A wearings rings and more important conduct of the Sahabiyat than that one issue. I got to explain how I became a Muslim and how hijab is freedom. I get to tell them how Muslims themselves often confuse culture for Islam.
These are all good things, but I shouldn't forget to dress well when praising Allah
subhanhu wa ta'ala (when I can, I mean, between scrubbing the bathroom with bleach and doing the dishes I'm sure my Creator is fine with a clean modest sheet), but when I have the time, why don't I dress in my prettiest jalibiyia and hijab? At home, why don't I put on my glittery caftan, and line my eyes with kohl, (AFTER WUDU ALL) and do my hair under my hijab, and put that hijab on neatly styled, and spend a bit of time on my salat. It isn't a condition upon women, that we do sunnah and nafl salat and dress in beautiful modest clothes in the process, but why not? There is reward for dressing beautifully for our husbands. There is the MOST reward for dressing beautiful and modestly and praising Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala during salat.
If I am praying at home, I try to put away ten minutes for dressing for salat in the evening (which is when I have the most time). I put on my jalibiyia (if I were going out in front of non-maharam men I would choose clean modesty over brilliant beauty), I make wudu, I put on make-up (if I were going in front of non-maharam I wouldn't do defined makeup), do my hair, style my hijab, and then I try and spend at least the same ammount of time or x3 in salat. We would put this much effort in for visiting our friends, so I see it important for me to call on my Creator.
The Qu'ran says "... Say: 'What has My Lord to do with you if you do not call on Him?'" (Surat al-Furqan: 77) I really feel that if I call upon My Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the One, with as much effort or hundred times more so, then put forward for people. I never, never want to be asked if I cared for the opinion of a person more than I did for Allah`s.
Here is a dua that is good to recite whenever getting dressed, but is very specific to the puting on of new clothes. It may be recited in English, but the sunnah is to do so in Arabic. Both are good and valid:
Allaahumma lakal-hamdu Anta kasawtaneehi, asà luka min khayrihi wa khayri maa suni`a lahu, wa a`oothu bika min sharrihi wa sharri maa suni`a lahu.Oh Allah, Praise be to You. You have clothed me. I ask You for its goodness and the goodness of what it has been made for and I seek Your protection from the evil of it and the evil of what it has been made for. (Reported by Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhee)Cream abaya from
http://www.aabuk.com/product_details.php?id=161&picid=3&PHPSESSID=70c1502fba8679242740c7d7fc167f26 for $44.99 GBP
Cream Niqab and Hijab set from
http://www.hijabgirl.com/sn1002.html for $7.95 USD
navy niqab @ http://www.sunnahstyle.com/product_info.php?pName=two-piece-velcro-niqab-navy-blue&cName=niqabs-all-niqabs for $10.99 USD
By request, an outfit for a Gulf National Day. Though I myself am not big on Nationalism. My nation is al-Islam.
I bought this http://www.sunnahstyle.com/product_info.php?pName=side-tying-shoulder-close-abaya&cName=abayas-shoulder-close abaya (for USD $49.99) and transformed it with a little bit of purple and black lace into an Arabesque-esque look that will completely suit my a little bit of Gspsy style. Everything in my life is very eclectic but old world (and that's the way I love it). I already made the shayla with a tier of purple and black lace ruffles, and I have to say, it is very modest and yet wholly something non-muslims are 100% unintimidated by. 
He he he. The store girls in Oman always referred to me as their Barbie, and forced me to try on every pink jalabiyia in the store. LOL. Anyways... just to let ya'll know, my shoes have less a heel than the ones shown in my collage---mine are kitten heels not stillettos. And I DO generally cover my feet---but with my jilbab not with socks. I MIGHT wear socks if I notice my feet causing men to stare at them, but you can ask Boxie and Um Khaled (I have some pretty ugly looking feet most of the time lol). Anyways...
...and something way more like this for the rest of the Gulf (I like my eyes to breathe because while I see shapes and everything clearly, I don't see colours like I like to with mesh or sunglasses).
But since my habibi endearingly terms the overhead abaya "grandma style" (I like Grandma things----my grandmothers Victorian nightgowns, glove collection, and hat pins (make killer hijab pins) are to DIE for) I bought this butterfly abaya that with khimar and niqab, has much the same effect http://www.sunnahstyle.com/product_info.php?pName=black-satin-full-butterfly-abaya&cName=abayas-butterfly for $49.99.
I would wear this (as a full-time munaqaba) [in case you didn't know, munaqaba is the correct term for a "niqabi" while niqabi is more the slang] to an formal fancy non-muslim event (where everyone is going to be in evening gowns). Such as some of my non-Muslim family's social events (weddings, work functions, charity stuffs).
Brown abaya from http://www.al-hijaab.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1673 for $40.00 GBP.
We ALL know the pinstripe suit is a workplace essential. Pinstripes somehow manage to convey authority and feminity - but not too much of the latter. We all know it can be easily mixed and matched with other pieces to create a trendy look. For now we'll focus on work with this pinstripe jilbab---I like it with pink, black, cream, navy, and polk dot hijab:D and a long necklace layer underneath (the length that hits your navel bone).
This is absolutely the prettiest party jilbab I have seen available off of a runway. From Imaan Collections.com http://www.imaancollections.com/The_Glamour_Girl/Icy_Emerald for $175.00 GBP.
Jilbab from http://www.al-anwarfashion.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35&products_id=281 for $67.49 USD.
The Qu'ran says that Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala likes to see the signs of His subhanhu wa ta'ala kindness on His servants. He is beautiful, and loves beauty.
