Freshen Up

I have a rack where I hang my most worn hijabs; and just looking at them made me realise how much black, brown, grey and navy I wear in the Winter. So here's a fresh take on my favourite colours with an indigo blue maxi skirt, paired with pastels and soft greys for a pretty Spring outfit.You can still mix things up and make use of winter staples; like pairing the skirt with a black blazer for an evening outfit, or wearing this blazer with a simple tunic and chinos:

Grey Boyfriend Blazer £65, Topshop; Indigo maxi skirt £34.99, Mango; Taupe butterfly bubble top £27, Dorothy Perkins; Light pink buckle satchel bag £40, River Island; Silk ombre stole £25, Accessorize; Vatican snaffle trim loafers £32, Topshop.

Friday Styleflash

New Collections

Amirah Fashions have lots of new arrivals online, including jersey jilbabs.

Offers and Sale Alerts

Dramafree have a sale on with up to 30% off selected items.

Helay are giving Hijab Style readers a 30% discount off all orders, when quoting the code hijabstyle. Valid until February 10th 2012.

Bonus January Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Selma I. from Zenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina for winning the Bonus January Giveaway!

Your prize will be making its way to you shortly. Keep an eye out for the next giveaway coming up soon!

Malaysian Style: Najjah Boutique

Without a doubt, there are a lot of great brands here in the UK that cater for hijab, but that doesn't stop me from being curious about what's going on further afield. Malaysia is one of the leading countries in the international Muslim fashion scene, so I was definitely interested to find out about Najjah; a Malaysian company established in 2009. They also participated in the Islamic Fashion Festival in KL last year. From what I've seen, Malaysian style is colourful and fun, and Najjah's designs really reflect this. I know that a lot of us are hesitant to order from companies so far abroad, and Najjah recently approached me to review a few things for them, and let you know what I think.

Knit Tunic

This tunic was by far my favourite item. It's made in a simple, denim-blue coloured jersey, with a high round neck and gathered sleeves. The large sequin trim at the bottom adds a bit of glam and means you can easily dress this up with a blazer and black trousers for an evening out. The only issue I had (and this is a recurring one) was with the sizing. Although I was sent an XL, it was still quite fitted, and I probably wouldn't wear it without something over the top.

Buckle Dress

This dress consists of a red jersey long-sleeved top, attached to a brown cotton skirt, with buckle detailing on the left side at the waist. It is actually part of the teen collection (13-18 years) so again, there were issues with the sizing. Although the skirt is very generous, the top half is quite fitted, though a jacket over the top would work well. In terms of the colours, I found the red to be a little too bright, and along with the brown you're really restricted as to what hijabs and accessories you can wear with it.

Tudung Syria

This was a plain brown two-piece cotton Amirah scarf essentially. It is quite generously sized and comes down quite a bit at the front (as per the photos at the top).

Cotton Hoody and Satin Hoody

One of Najjah's more special designs are their hoodies. These are based on the concept of Moroccan hooded jellabas, but inspired by street-wear. They are designed to be worn over your hijab, and work with a slip-on or a wrap scarf. They come in a wide range of colours. It consists of a hood with an extended area over the chest and back. It can be worn open, or buttoned up like the top half of a jacket. The pictures should explain better!

I found these hoodies to be an interesting concept; and they're an easy way to get the loose, draped hijab look, without compromising coverage. In the right colours, I think the satin versions would look great for a special occasion, but some come too close to looking costume-y. I'd love to know what you think of them though - is this something that could catch on in the UK?

If you're thinking of trying out Najjah's products, they really are very helpful when it comes to enquiries. The one thing to watch out for is the sizing, but I understand they are looking to extend the range of sizes they offer, to accommodate overseas customers too. You can also check out their Facebook page which has plenty of style ideas using their products.

Hijab Style Exclusive: Helay Interview

Helay is a new Facebook-based business that provides elegant, handmade scarves. I had a chance to meet Malalay, the designer behind the brand, at a charity event last year where I got to see the lovely scarves for myself. We had a chat about everything from blinged-out hijabs to uni life. Here's a quick interview with the lady herself, to tell us more about her business:

Jana: Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to start Helay scarves?

Malalay: My name is Malalay Tahir, I'm 19 years old and a Law student. I was born and brought up in London, the heart of fashion. I belong to a Muslim family, however was the first one to wear hijab. There were some objections, but Alhamdulillah for me it has been a wonderful five years. I always had a dream of bringing about a fashion revolution; at school I excelled in Design & Textiles and held an extreme passion for it. I would be sitting in my Chemistry class and would secretly be sketching for my Textiles coursework instead of working out chemical bonds. However, since I started wearing hijab there didn’t seem to be much choice available for hijabis. Therefore it is time for change and to illustrate that hijab can go hand in hand with modern fashion. We can dress with style and grace whilst still in keeping with the Islamic concept of hijab. That is why we not only concentrate on keeping our designs stylish and fashionable but also large enough to cover generously and to be styled however the client wishes to.

Jana: What people/places/things inspire your designs?

Malalay: Anything and everything inspires me! From Military Jackets to Pearl necklaces, I take into account different fashion styles that are up-to-date and try and implement them into my scarves. My overall aim is to design pieces that are one-off designs yet ensuring they are elegant, chic and for the modern day Muslim woman. There are plenty of stores out there that sell scarves, but at Helay we give you something completely special and unique.

Jana: What are your personal favourite pieces from your collection?

Malalay: My favourites would have to be the Pearl’a scarf in black and Blossom in pastel blue. The pleats and pearls add incredible charm and grace to an outfit. Another favourite would be the Military Scarf, its striking red colour combined with the soft black velvet and gold buttons state a true fashion revolution. The first time I wore it was to an Eid dinner with black wide leg palazzo trousers and a black blazer. I had at least 20 people coming to me asking where I got it from!

Jana: And how can we order your scarves?

Malalay: Helay designs to serve internationally and cater to customers who may prefer a certain design in a different colour to match their outfit. If you order from us after reading from this feature you will receive a 30% discount, when quoting the code hijabstyle (valid until 10th February 2012). At the moment our website is under construction, but in the mean time please continue to make your purchase by visiting our Facebook page where you can view our whole collection so far and order via email. Otherwise you may contact us through Twitter or our blog. The Helay Team is really grateful for all the support and appreciation we have received recently. We will soon be launching our next collection so do keep up with updates via Facebook, since we have some extremely exciting designs coming up!

Friday Styleflash

New Collections

SixteenR launch their Spring 2012 collection today. You can also win one of their new designs in the Bonus January Giveaway.

Vela have just revamped their website and launched some limited edition hijabs.

Offers and Sale Alerts

Bellissima Scarves have a sale on now with up to 50% off selected scarves.

Couture Hijab Pins are offering customers 10% off all orders made over £5 in January.

Hijab Jewels are giving away a Swarovski Crystal bracelet on their Facebook page.

IslamicGems are having a clearance sale on their website.

Product Review: Dramafree

Dramafree is new, UK-based online store for hijab accessories. They stock a range of pins, clips and corsages. I was recently sent the Ashia clip - Blue Black and the Silky Silver corsage to review.

First Impressions

The items arrived swiftly by first class post. Inside the envelope, the accessories are each attached to a card, with a beautiful dua on the back (just watch out when disposing of these!). The Ashia clip is a simple slide clip, which can be used to secure the edge of your hijab instead of a pin. The design itself is very pretty, without overdoing it on the bling! The gem at the end of the pin is more of a grey-black, and is lighter than appears on the website. The stem is a little stiff to open, and would probably be better for more hard-wearing fabrics.

The Silky Silver corsage is small (5cm diameter), and made of three layers of silvery-grey fabric and a white bead in the centre. It fastens using a simple pin at the back, but I did find this quite small and fiddly to handle. The corsage looks great on a hijab, or on a blazer or cardigan to just add a sweet little touch to your outfit (it's available in 10 different colours).

Overall

I love the simplicity and unusual designs at Dramafree (as well as the name!). Their products are different from the generic hijab pins out there, they are affordable and the customer service is great too!

Bonus January Giveaway

For the second giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving you the chance to win a Farmer-Chic Gaamcha scarf from sixteenR! The scarf is part of their upcoming Spring Collection, which is due to be released on January 20th. You can watch a video tutorial using this scarf on the sixteenR YouTube channel.

 To be in with a chance of winning, you must do two things:

1. Become a fan of the SixteenR Facebook page, and leave a comment on the page by completing the following sentence: "Scarves empower women because..."

2. Follow SixteenR on Twitter.

Send an email in with the link to your Twitter profile, along with your full name and city with 'Bonus January Giveaway' in the subject line to hijabstyle@hotmail.co.uk. Please note that if any of this information is missing, you will not be entered into the competition. The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on Tuesday 24th January 2012. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via e-mail.

Don't forget to tell all your friends and family too - the giveaway is open to entrants from all countries! You can check out the new collection on Jan 20th by visiting sixteenR.com.