Hijab Styling Workshop

A promised here are some of the pictures from my Hijab Styling workshop in High Wycombe. It was a wonderful evening full of lovely food and wonderful company. Some other sisters showcased their photography work and there was a sister who provides female only photography which is great for weddings etc! I will post more details about her soon. It was a good chance to Network and showcase different styling tips to the ladies that were present. Here are some styles from the evening ranging from a Hijab wrap to a Turkish Style Hijab and a Asian Dupatta style as many sisters find wearing a Dupatta in a Hijabi Friendly way a bit difficult:

More images and updates can be seen on the Hijablicious© facebook group:

 http://www.facebook.com/hijablicious


Wrap Style Hijab

A bit of volume is added under the scarf to give it an even look and to help drape it securely.

A plain elastic band is added over the scarf before the final drape to esnure no slipping and that the scarf is secure

Final product for a sleek look and teamed with a vintage brooch!

Turkish Style Hijab

Turkish Silk Scarf from Istanbul, the width of these scarves are good for coverage

It is essential to ensure the scarf has a peak to prevent looking flat on the head

The sides of the scarf are tucked under to give a discreet look

A pin is added to the top to ensure the scarf dosn't slip and stays in place

Dupatta Style Wrap (Asian Style)

A cotton underscarf is key to prevent the scrf slipping

Asian Scarves have lots of fabric which is key to wrapping

Final Product!

(ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF MEHVISH PHOTOGRAPHY)
All Imges Subject to Copyright ©

Q& A with Hijablicious

I’ve been inundated with emails, messages and facebook requests from lots of lovely readers and felt it would be more appropriate to answer some of your questions on here as some were the same, please feel free to contact me with any questions and I will do my best to get back to you or do a monthly Q’&A, it can be anything from Fashion / tips/ Islam (I will do my best to re-direct or answer as best I can but I am not a scholar). So get your burning questions in ladies!

1. What are your favourite stores? Where do you shops? Which shops are Hijabi friendly?

I don’t have an ultimate favourite store; I tend to shop anywhere and everywhere and purchase items I like. If I had to say favourites for staple items such as long sleeve tops I would say Primark. Many of their plain signature tops can be customised to be used under dresses and cardigans and give the essential coverage a Hijabi needs! Apart from that I love ASOS and tend to buy a lot of their dresses as well as H&M. I also like shopping at Mango and Zara for their classic styles. I like one off shops too and find London has lots of sample stores and stand alone stores where you can buy 1 off pieces in different styles. I like customising most of my clothes.



2. What items would you recommend as being a must have item? What is your favourite

I think for this season a really nice Mac jacket. Zara always bring out their classic Mac in autumn and this can be worn with everything and looks very sophisticated. You can dress it up or wear it casually. Warehouse are also stocking lots of Woollen winter maxi dresses and these look nice with a short jacket or gillet and can look very trendy if worn in a boho style. My personal favourite style of clothing is one sleeved dresses. I love the feminine and trendy look they give and like the fact you can layer them when wearing them and customising them to your own style. Must have for me!


3. Will you be doing any Hijab tutorials? I love the way you do the hijab’s on your website?
I don’t carry out YouTube tutorials however am aware there are many available, I have begun carrying out Hijab styling workshops after the success of a mini one I did a few weeks ago. I will be posting details of some I am doing in London, be sure to come if you can!


4. I go to university and don’t want to dress in a boring way but I still want to look nice and modest, do you have any tips?

I miss Uni! The good thing is about being at university is that you can dress in whatever way and style you find comfortable. Purchase items which are long lasting, versatile and that you can dress up or down depending on the season. Primark have lots of lovely long tunic dresses and also maxi dresses for students on a budget. Also stores like Berkshka and New look are great for purchasing affordable items whilst at university. As mentioned find items you can layer and use plain patterns which you can contrast and dress up with your hijab and accessories. Topshop and H&M always have great jeans on offer and more importantly remember to use your student cards for money off!

5. Where do you buy your hijab’s from?

Everywhere and anywhere! I don’t restrict myself to a single retailer or designer and buy whatever catches my eye. I have begun customising my hijab’s as I prefer wearing one off designs that are unique. H&M always have great patterns and prints and the sizes of their scarves are very hijabi friendly and affordable. I also like scarves from Belissima scarves for special occasion. I mostly buy plain scarves and customise them with accessories or most of the time I layer different materials and fabrics to achieve a unique look.

6. I’m a revert and I find it so hard wearing a hijab, my friends and family are not very supportive and its really upsetting me, what would you recommend?
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s not always easy making such a life changing decision and understandably it can be a big change for your friends and family to accept especially those who have not previously been exposed to Muslim and especially with the negative media coverage of Muslims it can be hard for them to comprehend. Firstly I would like to congratulate you on making the decision to wear the hijab as I know how difficult this can be for many women as it’s not just something you wear on your head it affects the clothes you wear and is both an inner and outer thing. I hope that Allah swt makes the journey easier for you and I can ensure you it will be a step you will never regret.

I don’t have any experience of this however my advice would be to take each day at a time. Try and get your parents to understand by ensuring that your lifestyle compliments your hijab, show them the positive impact it is having on your life and that it is more then a cloth,. Explain to them the reasons behind it and how it empowers you. Try taking your friends and mother and sister to Hijab ladies only events and fashion shows and show them the versatility and different styles and that we as Hijabi’s can also be stylish! I will post some good links and YouTube videos which you can show them and they can watch in their own time. May Allah swt make it easy for you. Remember there are lots of women in the same position and it’s a powerful resource you can always rely on to help you through such a situation. When you take a step and make a sacrifice for the sake of Allah he will never make it hard for you, with hardship always comes ease.

7. Winter is coming up and Im not sure what kind of clothing to purchase which is modest but will look nice? Do you have any tips?

Layer, layer, Layer! I love winter because it’s so Hijabi friendly. You can wear different styles and types of clothing and layer into achieve a more modest look. I always wear polo necks beneath dresses and always invest in a pair or two of boots. Also chunky cardigans and ponchos are also very modest and trendy.

8. How do you wear flowers and accessories in your scarf? Can you give me some tips?

You can use accessories/flowers/bows/feathers, anything really to customise your hijab. They are available everywhere and also in most haberdashery stores. I know some sisters also choose to make their own and create unique designs. You can purchase them from claries accessories, accessorize, h&m and also Primark. They key is to use designs and styles that you are comfortable with and like the feel and style of. I started off with pins and brooches and also fabric hair bands which can give a nice volume and feel to the scarf. Try picking contrasting colours form your scarf and go with that. I have a post for hair accessories which I will post the link of to give you ideas.


9. I love wearing shalwar kameez and Sari’s but I find it very un-hijabi friendly? Do you wear Asian clothes? What would you recommend?
I also found this difficult however I started experimenting with different styles in order to achieve the coverage and style I wanted but also ensuring it was modest. When I wear Sari’s I make sure my blouses are customised and the stomach area and sleeves are made longer. If your unable to buy fabric long enough for the arms try adding a long sleeved tight top underneath to provide coverage (for black sari’s I wear Primark Lycra tops underneath) or ask your tailor to add similar material on the right area. Saris can be very modest to ensure the cleavage area is sufficiently covered and always wear a hijab that compliments the style. For shalwar kameez there is a current long dress style which is very modest. I usually buy adaptable sleeves for short sleeved dresses however if I have time I always design my own styles so I can make sure I can achieve the right amount of coverage.


10. Do you wear Abaya’s? I don’t like the boring black designs available? What places would you recommend?
I don’t wear Abaya full time however I enjoy wearing it now and then and have a variety of different designs and styles. When looking for abaya’s I found it difficult to find styles and designs which were feminine, stylish and not boring. I have done a review on two different Abaya retailers on my website which you can find; there are also links on the homepage tab for retailer’s. My tips are to find something your comfortable in, can dress up or down and go for materials that fall well and are flattering on your body without clinging. Also go for fabrics which will last well and are durable. Here and here are two retailers I would currently recommend.

Islamic Design House review and GIVEAWAY!!

How urban are you?

An exclusive review and insight into the Islamic Design House range

 

I had always been skeptical about the ‘sporty’ Jilbabs which were emerging on the fashion market, so when given the opportunity to review some Jilbabs by Islamic Design House (IDH) I thought it would be a good opportunity to try this style out even though I felt they were not feminine enough for me. I must admit my generalisations and assumptions about these kind of Jilbabs totally dispelled when I tried them on and was able to wear and style them first hand


Speaking to IDH I gained an insight into the company, their ethos and overviews and the vision which goes into designing the way they do. IDH explained that their aim was to create designs that catered for the style needs of today’s Muslimah as well as for Men and children. Identifying that there was a growing market for women growing up in West and in cosmopolitan cities who had more of a desire to dress modestly in high quality and trendy Jilbabs, they used this as inspiration for their products and thus this is reflected in their cutting edge styles most of which are associated with are casual urban and sporty looks.

IDH was begun over 6 years ago and has developed into a big and well known company. They have three main offices; in the UK, USA and Egypt, and also worldwide distributors and wholesalers. They are now in the process of creating a Kids range which aims to have a organically natural and pure approach, this is something which ties in beautifully with the Islamic ethos of being environmentally and ethically friendly as well as the promotion of values of caring for nature and Allah swt’s creation, as the Quran reminds us ‘Who made everything He has created good, and He began the creation of man from clay. (32:7)”. IDH will also be introducing Hijab’s, bags and Jewellery to compliment their Jilbabs. They also have produced and continue to produce signature and statement pieces in conjunction with various artists such as His/Her T-shirts and Hoodies by renowned British Artist Aerosol Arabic and Visual Dhikr. IDH Jilbabs are available to order online and they will be exhibiting at the GPU this October so don’t forget to check them out! To find out more join their facebook page: ‘Islamic Design House’.
All hijab and accessories styling courtesy of Hijablicious ©


Review 1-SR-S4-US03 in Dusty Olive £44.95
This is the sportiest Jilbab you will find! It comes in a variety of colours. This is a beautiful Olive colour which can compliment a variety of Hijab’s. If you want to make it dressy team it with a necklace as shown on the model (H&M £5.99) and a flowery hijab which is very in season right now (H&M £6.99). The detail on the Jilbab is one of the best I have seen and it is comfortable to wear on both hot and cold days. A must have for university or sports.

Review 2-SR-S4-US02 in Dusty beige £44.95
This comes with beautiful flower detailing on the front and the back which is just so striking, I am officially hooked to the detail on these Jilbabs. The sleeves are capped and tight yet can stretch to any wrist size and the material is extremely light but comfortable and can be layered for a warmer look. I have team this with a striking scarf to bring out the flower detail (Accessorize £10) and placed a bronze band when layering it to give it a 3d effect. Flowers to accessorize hijab’s are available from a variety of stores such as New Look and Claire’s Accessories (Love Bracelet –Accessorize £6).

Review 3-SR-S3-VS02 in Teal £34.95
This is by far my most favorite Jilbab, not only is it a beautiful deep teal colour but you can transform it from a casual sporty look to a very trendy feminine look, as you can see I have teamed this with a Pearl Necklace (Accessorize -£6) and a beautiful coral pink and teal flower Hijab (Accessorize £10), and Pink Bag (Tesco £15). You can make this very dressy for an evening out or for work and I found the design to be very flattering without clinging at all. The material is a beautiful cotton material which has pleated patched pockets with a buttoned design; I love IDH’s attention to detail and this is very apparent on this Jilbab, a definite winner! I am officially a sporty Jilbab convert!

GIVEAWAY AND DISCOUNT!

Hijablicious have teamed up with IDH to offer it readers the opportunity to grab a Jilbab of their choice from their website free in celebration of Eid! All you need to do it to email me at samia@hijablicious.com and join Hijablicious on facebook (www.facebook.com/hijablicious) telling me ‘which is your favourite Jilbab from their range and why’. The closing date is Saturday 18th September and the winner will be announced on facebook and here so get your entries in ladies! Also for a fabulous 10% off their range simply enter 'hijablicious' at the checkout!

You can check out idh'S  wonderful range on their website: http://www.islamicdesignhouse.com/




Join Hijablicious on facebook and twitter www.facebook.com/hijablicious for updates/giveaways and reviews and to get in touch you can email me samia@hijablicious.com
(Please note the opinions and thoughts expressed are my own) http://www.hijablicious.com/

Hijab styling by Hijablicious!

After having been inundated with messages from readers and fans of both the column and website as well as facebook asking me about conducting Hijab tutorial and workshops, I will be carrying out a few personal Hijab Styling workshops over the next few months.

My first workshop will be tomorrow in High Wycombe and I am very nervous! This will be for a small group of ladies for a private event hosted by close friends but I have been asked to conduct another two in September and October and possibly one in November at some Charity events in London.  I shall post details here as soon as I have them.

So ladies watch this space and I hope to be able to meet many of you soon if you do attend!

I might help with the styling for the following event, please do try and attend as the proceeds are for charity and will help aid those affected by the floods in Pakistan