Category Archives: Style

Style

Hijabi Obsession: Jeweled Kaftans

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Jeweled kaftans add just the right amount of glitz of glamour while still being modest.

Jeweled kaftans add just the right amount of glitz of glamour while still being modest.

I have a confession to make: I love to look stylish, but comfort and convenience often seems to win out in my personal battle of comfort vs. style. I love how some hijabis can put some effort and time into looking so beautiful, but for me, it is a challenge to ensure my toddler is dressed (and allows me to comb her hair)! Forget about me! What is a mom with an active toddler to do? I truly don’t want to wait till my babykins is in her 20s to start looking good.

The answer to this dilemma of comfort vs. style is a jeweled kaftan. My dirty little secret is that you can always don a jeweled kaftan over your pajamas. I kid you not ladies. I was running late to a dinner party and had no idea what to wear since I literally had 10 minutes to get ready. So I threw on a jeweled kaftan over my pajamas and voila! I was instantly dressy without having to do much else. The hostess pulled me aside to tell me how beautiful I looked and well that always makes anyone’s day right? I happened to buy my kaftan from a specialty hijab shop in Lilburn, GA while I was visiting my sister, but there are plenty of places you can find a nice kaftan to wear for weddings and special occasions.

If you are an online shopper, make sure to try out Mohajababes. They have a large selection of beautiful jeweled kaftans. I also love that they help support one of my favorite organizations as a featured designer: Fashion Fighting Famine. Make sure to check them out and let me know what you think! I will be posting a review on their kaftans, hijab accessories and hijabs soon inshallah!

Style

Follow Friday: Imane Asry (Fashion With Faith)

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Fashion With Faith

Imane Asry’s unique Swedish take on hijab is refreshing.

Salaams my lovelies! Jumah mubarak to you all! This is the last Friday of Ramadan this year which always makes me a little sad since there are countless blessings on days like today but they are gone before you know it. Let’s make this Friday count inshallah! As you know, I typically do a Follow Friday post on my favorite Instagram accounts. Today, I would like to introduce you to Sweden’s Iman Asry, aka Fashion With Faith (@fashionwithfaith). Why do I love Imane so much? She is definitely not a hijabi who takes herself too seriously. She posts amazing photos of her funky style, yet she also posts real life pictures of her time with friends and family. Did I mention she has a wicked sense of humor too? Her silly faces pictures are just as interesting to me as her “high fashion” pictures on her account. She makes being a stylish hijabi that much more accessible to regular hijabis like me. That is not to say she isn’t stunning. I mean look at her pictures! She has a fresh faced beauty that is refreshing to look at.  It is hard to find someone who does not resemble any one else in the hijabi vlogger world, but Imane is able to stand out with her mix of vintage with high fashion pieces.

She also makes me realize I have a wealth of stylish options in my closet already. With her styling, you can certainly come up with outfit combinations that you may have forgotten about. Her recent pictures reminded me I can reuse my Doc Martens from the 1990s with stripes versus the flowers I had paired it with in the past. Who says you can’t bring back fads?

Make sure to check her out on Instagram @fashionwithfaith and let me know what you think!

Style

Pastel Blazers!

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Pastel Blazers!

Morris linen blazer
$490 – nelly.com

River Island collarless tweed jacket
$77 – riverisland.com

Charlotte russe jacket
charlotterusse.com

Forever 21 blazer
forever21.com
As a curvy hijabi, it is definitely a challenge to dress modestly but still look stylish. I would like to think I do a pretty good job of covering my bust, but like any normal hijabi, sometimes I fall into a fashion rut where I buy the same iteration or style of clothes. My summer uniform has consisted of maxi dress, cardigan, and wedge heels. I didn’t even notice my fashion rut until my older sister told me that perhaps I should try something different over my maxi dresses. She suggested a blazer.
Ah blazers and I have an odd relationship. You see, I have never gotten along well with blazers. Since I am not small framed, when I wear a blazer, it tends to make me look like a hijabi linebacker. Yes, you can just imagine how a hijabi with wider shoulders would look in a cute demure blazer. It is not a good mix. However,  after trying a few on, I realized it is not ALL blazers that are terrible, just most. If you wear a blazer that is cropped and cinched at the waist with a maxi skirt or dress, it is actually a cute alternative to the cardigan. I have done a Polyview set of my most figure flattering blazers that are easy on the eyes as well as your wallet. So make sure to try them out and tell me all about it!

Morris linen blazer
$490 – nelly.com

River Island collarless tweed jacket
$77 – riverisland.com

Charlotte russe jacket
charlotterusse.com

Forever 21 blazer
forever21.com
Islam, Style

Hijabi Obsession: Polka Dots

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kate-middleton-diana-dresses-lead

Ever since I saw the cute polka dot dress Kate Middleton wore in a gentle nod to the late Princess Diana to debut her darling baby boy, polka dots have been every where! While not all of us can be princesses, we can all certainly look like princesses in some gorgeous polka dot pieces ourselves. Here are my favorite hijabi polka dot pieces that you can rock to get that timeless classic look yourself this summer:

Hijab-ista Polka Dot Hijab

Hijab-ista does the cutest green ombre polka dot hijab

Hijab-ista never fails to disappoint me when it comes to their quick shipping and excellent customer service. You can imagine my excitement when I saw this ombre green polka dot hijab! It’s perfect for summer and combines two of my favorite trends: polka dots and ombre.

Haute Hijab Polka Dot Maxi Skirt

Haute Hijab creates the perfect summer polka dot maxi skirt

My next favorite comes from the design house Haute Hijab. This darling polka dot skirt reminds me of something Audrey Hepburn would wear on a hot summer day in Paris while rocking her signature kerchief around her head and some cool sunnies to finish off the look. What do you think of the polka dot look? Let me know in the comments below!

Style

Online Review and Giveaway! The Taffeta Tree

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The Taffeta Tree

The Taffeta Tree sells a variety of stunning hijabs like this beautiful NEVA scarf.

Salaams my lovelies! I hope you are having a wonderful Ramadan so far inshallah. Since it is Ramadan, I am sure a lot of us are spending more time in the masjid or at home donning a hijab even if we don’t wear one normally. Or, if you are a regular hijabi like me, you want to look your best while you are doing extra acts of worship. So what is a girl to do? One quick way to help look your best this Ramadan is to refresh your hijabi wardrobe with a few new hijabs. Since there are not many hijab stores where I live, I tend to resort to buying hijabs online. While some sisters are nervous about online hijabi clothing, I have found most Muslim vendors are not only legitimate, but go above and beyond for their customers.

The online hijab store The Taffeta Tree decided to send me a few scarves to try out. Please note that I will always let you know when items are gifted to me, and I will not review all companies who gift me items unless I absolutely recommend them to my readers. The hijabs that were sent by The Taffeta Tree were not just stunning, but also very comfortable. In fact, I am wearing the NEVA shawl in Ocean Blue as I type this blog post. I was also sent a jersey hijab in Dark Purple, and two vicose hijabs. All of them are light and easy to wear. They are also true to the pictures posted to the site. They ship items using Priority Mail, so if you live in the United States, you can be rest assured to get your package fairly quickly. Make sure to stay up to date by following the Taffeta Tree Facebook page here.

All in all, The Taffeta Tree should be a shopping destination for all hijabis. In fact, I love my scarves so much, I want to give one away to a lucky Hijabi Life reader! If you are on Instagram, make sure to tag @hijabilife in your welcome Ramadan photos and you could win one of the beautiful hijabs sent to me from The Taffeta Tree! I hope you all enjoy your Ramadan and wish you luck in your Ramadan goals and this giveaway!

Style

Follow Friday: Haute Hijab

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Haute Hijab

Haute Hijab creates a stunning new collection for hijabis who want a polished look to their wardrobe

Salaams my lovely readers! I know I have been terrible with posting lately, but I have been in the midst of the summer rush. As you all know, its summer time which means it is now time for graduations, end of school festivities, and weddings! Lots of weddings! I promise I will post about a hijabi’s summer wedding must haves and what is in my own arsenal so that you can be ready for your own wedding season circuit inshallah! I also have some more fun projects in the works that I will share with you all soon. I am so excited about all of them! Lastly, I have recently started a teen halaqa at my masjid so with that, I feel like I have been neglecting you all. I am so very sorry about that and will keep posting when I can so you can get the scoop on what’s hot in hijabi fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

As you know, Fridays is when I do my traditional Follow Friday posts. I have decided to still do my Follow Friday post, but with a twist. Today, I would like to introduce you to Melanie Elturk, the designer behind the elegant Haute Hijab fashion house. Her istagram account not only documents the wildly popular designs of her fashion house, but a sneak peek into her life as a hijabi designer. Since 2010, she has been designing hijabs and modestwear. You can follow her at @hautehijab.

Recently, under her direction, Haute Hijab launched their Spring/Summer 2013 collection Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The line can be viewed on their online store, http://www.hautehijab.com. The line focuses on modest clothing catered to Muslim women but is intended for all who admire impeccable design and modest options. The new launch coincides with the unveiling of a new website, complete with a live instagram and twitter feed, updated product views and a new blog interface.

The new Spring/Summer collection includes skirts, dresses and tops in exquisitely elegant designs featuring stunning baroque lace and of-the-moment stripes and polka dots. The line’s main attraction features a long-sleeved evening gown in both black and ivory. CEO and Chief Designer Melanie Elturk is influenced by vintage designs and feminine silhouettes from times past. “I wanted this line to be a continuation of the last collection, with elegance, sophistication and cutting-edge design being the common thread that weaves our pieces together.”

We can certainly see how Melanie was inspired by the past. We love this elegant baroque skirt which is a stunning black brocade with ruffles in the back that would make even Queen Regent Cersei from Game of Thrones give up her thirst for power for a chance to wear. From polka dots, to brocade, there is something for every type of hijabi in this new collection. Make sure to check out Haute Hijab’s Facebook page for sneak peeks at more of the new collection!

I also recently participated in a blogger for charity project with Haute Hijab! Check out my own Instagram @hijabilife for more details on that.

Islam, Style

Follow Friday: Indah Nada Puspita

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Indahnadapuspita

Indah Nada Puspita captures a fresh almost anime style for hijabis

Salaams and jumah mubarak my lovelies! I hope you are having a wonderful Friday inshallah. As you know, I typically do a Follow Friday blog post on a hijabi that I think is inspirational on Instagram. Today I want to introduce you to Indah Nada Puspita. a super cool hijabi blogger from Indonesia. She launched her own fashion line in 2012. One thing that really struck me was the theatricality of her styling. I guess that isn’t surprising since Indah Nada Puspita’s secret dream is to be an opera singer or Broadway actress.

I love her Instagram account because it illustrates how transformative hijabi style can be. Sometimes, Indah Nada Puspita is almost unrecognizable to me with her style transformations. So that is why I love to follow her and see different ways to shake up my own wardrobe and makeup so I don’t fall into a style/beauty rut. Make sure to follow @indahnadapuspita on Instagram for all sorts of fashion fun and let me know who you think I should feature next on my Follow Friday post!

Until then, keep living well and remember me in your prayers!

Style

Savvy Hijabi: Metal Cap Toe Flats

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Aldo Elak

You can jazz up any outfit with these affordable flats from Aldo!

I am currently loving all of the latest accessories not only being in metallics, but having a high shine mirror finish. All that glitter may not be gold, but they are still a fashionable hijabi must! If you want to update your wardrobe for the white hot days of summers, one of the coolest pairings are metals with brights, or whites and pastels. Basically, metallic accessories are versatile. What hijabi doesn’t like that?

If you live in flats like I do, then one cool way to embrace the high gloss metal look is to rock these Aldo cap toe Elak flats. They are perfect for Muslim moms on the go who need a polished update. As a busy mom, I need all the help I can get to look polished in a matter of seconds. They are also a very affordable $50 (USD) versus my beloved Tory Burch Revas. I will warn you ladies that if you have big wide feet like I do, just get a half size up. Also, you need to break them in so they may pinch the sides of your feet. My quick tip is to add insole cushions so that your inner sole doesn’t start rolling up either.

Other than those tips, I love my flats! What are your quick tips for moms on the go?

Islam, Life, Style

Curvy Hijabi Blogger in A Skinny Hijabi Blogger World

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Curvy Hijabi

Curvy hijabis can look fab too!

Salaams my lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend inshallah! I had a great one too. I spent my weekend catching up on reading all about how empowered hijabis are becoming. In fact, the rise of fashion hijabi bloggers caught the eye of The Daily Beast. It was wonderful in every single way except when I looked at all of the hijabi bloggers featured, none of them were even close to a size 6 or up. I love all of my hijabi sisters no matter what size they are, but it was so disheartening to see the lack of inclusion of any hijabis who are curvy or even plus sized.

It is already challenging to be a hijabi, now try adding curves to the mix! There are so many times where I will see a hijabi fashion blogger look absolutely darling in an outfit only to try it on and discover I look like an elephant in the very same outfit. Or I look a little TOO good for a hijabi… It’s a fine line to walk modesty with fashion if you have a fuller chest believe me. There isn’t a maxi hijab in the world that can cover my chest so I typically have to wear a cardigan or jacket to cover my assets up! It can be hard to see why a curvy hijabi would bother with trying new fashion trends. But, those trends can sometimes help you enjoy wearing hijab and feel empowered to talk to others about Islam. Fashion isn’t just about looking good, its about the confidence you get. It allows you to transform yourself into an intelligent human being who has something to say. It is definitely not about hiding in a sea of boring clothes, so take heart if you have as hard of a time styling yourself as I do.

Fellow curvy hijabis, I am here for you. It is all about taking a trend and making it your own. Are there any hijabi fashion trends that you would like me to modify and blog about? Let me know. In the meantime, keep reading for hijabi fashion tips that work for all sizes here!