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.