Yellow and Brown

Yellow and brown are not normally a colour combination I personally wear, but these model shots from Turkish labels Armine and Aydan Giyim got me thinking:

I adore this cute yellow coat, and it would go perfectly with a brown abaya, patterned hijab and smart brown accessories. Is this something you'd try out?

Yellow peterpan collar coat £65, Miss Selfridge; brown abaya £26.99, Islam Orient; chocolate shoulder bag £22, Debenhams; brown hijab £5.95, Hijab Store Online; cream opaque facet flower ring £12, Miss Selfridge; Johnie shoe £34.98, Aldo.

More modest swimsuit catches the world’s eye

Matt Kwong
January 29. 2009

ABU DHABI // A swimming costume designed to protect the modesty of a pregnant Saudi princess who wanted to continue exercising in the water is proving a surprise success around the world.

The full-length polyester and Lycra bodysuit, known as the MyCozzie, was initially tailored towards conservative Muslim women, and even has a detachable hijab. But orders are coming in from customers of all faiths and nationalities keen to shield themselves from the sun as well as stares.

Jenny Rose, 42, the Dubai-based designer who created the costume in 2007, said its design was intended to allow Muslim women more freedom to enjoy the beach or public swimming pool, but has proved increasingly popular with western tourists and expatriates, not least because it provides effective protection against harmful ultraviolet rays.

Read the rest here.

These are photos of Jenny Rose's swimsuits which she displayed at the Dubai Fashion Week back in October last year:

I've personally never tried an Islamic swimsuit before, though there some UK outlets for them like Modest Swimsuits which sells the Ahiida Burkinis, and Modestly Active which stocks a range of brands. Anyone have any experiences swimming in these before? Share with us!

Get Shirty

Good news for hijabis! There are plenty of modest shirtdresses available on the high street at the moment. They're a wardrobe basic for any season and can be worn smart with tailored trousers, or casual with jeans. Most of those available tend to be white, blue or grey. I've posted plenty on how I'd wear shirtdresses here and here. These are my top 8 in a range of cuts and styles:

Clockwise from top left:

Striped Shirt Dress £35, Topshop

Charcoal oversize bib shirt £30, Dorothy Perkins

Blue oversized shirt £30, Dorothy Perkins

Striped shirt dress £19.99, H&M

Redoute Creation Shirt Dress £21, La Redoute

White oversized shirt £39, Principles

Long shirt top £27, Promod

White Pleat Front Detail Shirt Dress £44.05, ASOS

Spring Maxi

This black maxi dress from Miss Selfridge is a sweet alternative to an abaya. A coral pink cardigan is an easy way to incorporate a key colour this season, and whilst it's still cold, try a short sleeved version layered over a long sleeved top. This hijab from Shukr picks up the embroidery on the dress, and add simple cream wedges and handbag to keep the look up-to-date:


Black embroidered maxi dress £45, Miss Selfridge; coral cuff cardigan £20; black long sleeve top £7, both Dorothy Perkins; flower embroidery wrap £9.95, Shukr; rivet detail front buckle bag £35, Topshop; Bahama Beach wedge £44.03, Clarks.

Hint: If you're looking for a long sleeved cardigan, try the Coral Tie Front Cardigan from Wallis. You can wear it open, tied, or try wrapping and securing with a pretty brooch.

Imaan Collections Relaunch

Leicester-based Imaan Collections have just relaunched their website and added some stunning pieces to their exclusive range! What's more is that you can get 15% off your order with the code IC0109 for a limited period. There's rarely anything that gets me excited in the Islamic clothing world, but these really are something else; original designs, gorgeous styling and beautiful use of colour. Hijab Style gives a big thumbs up to Imaan Collections!

Special Offers

Shukr are having an end-of-winter sale with up to 67% off sale items.

Taakhi are having a special promotion on selected hijabs and jilbabs until 25th January.

Debenhams are giving 20% off purchases with the code PL7P until 8th February.

Long Tall Sally are giving 20% off all orders when you enter the code PA1475 at the checkout. Offer ends 8th February.

Get 10% off your order at Wallis on purchases of £30 or more, when you enter the code SPRINGSTYLE. Offer can only be used once per customer.

Sve £10 when you spend £40 or more at Principles with the code NEWYEAR2 until 28th February. These petite trapeze jeans are a great buy - they seem to be a cross between flared and wide-leg jeans. They fit beautifully without looking excessively baggy and would be great for hourglass and pear shapes.

Get £5 off your next purchase at Evans, the plus-size clothing store, with the code EVWKM38 until 15th February.

Teal Showers

Miss Selfridge have really outdone themselves in the outerwear department this season. They've got plenty of gorgeous coats and jackets in stock; I posted a sweet polka dot blazer here. This teal mac is great to wear with a warm knit now, and lighter dresses and tops come spring. Add some tailored jeans, a patterned hijab and flats for a stylish and versatile outfit:


Teal twill frill front mac £60, Miss Selfridge; blue hijab £5.95, Hijab Store Online; blue high waist wide leg jean £35, Wallis; Loretta hand held strap bag £35, Oasis; Rimini flower ring £12, Accessorize; grey patent flat bow pumps £18, Dorothy Perkins.

Designer: Hana Sadiq

Hana Sadiq (pictured centre in yellow) is an Iraqi designer living in Jordan. She specializes "in the integration of Arabic art with the best of contemporary haute couture". These are some of her hijab-friendly traditional dresses, and you can visit her website to see plenty more:

Famous Faces: Aida Be­gić

Aida Be­gić is a Bosnian Muslimah, and director of the film Snijeg or 'Snow' which opened up the 14th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) in August 2008. It won the 2008 Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize, as well as being screened at film festivals around the world. You can read a Q&A with Aida about her film here.

Aida graduated from the Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts in 2000 where she now teaches directing. In 2003 she founded an independent production company Mamafilm together with Elma Tataragić and Snow is their first feature film.

On a separate note, I totally adore Aida's pretty hijab style! Any other budding Muslimah film directors out there?

Day-to-Evening: Student Style

When it comes to layering, not quite everything is going to work. My personal rule of thumb is only to layer tops that at least have a short sleeve. Strappy tops, halternecks and strapless tops look pretty cheap and tacky if worn over a fitted long sleeve top. That doesn't mean we can't make them work though. A simple solution is just to add a cardigan or jacket on top. This also solves the problem of having bra-straps visible through the long sleeve tops, which is a both a fashion and hijab faux pas.

This outfit is something I'd wear if I had uni during the day, and was going out with friends later on. Team a pretty printed satin dress with a long black cardigan and wide leg trousers. To cover up the neckline, I usually wear a black t-shirt underneath the dress, and a large coloured pashmina will keep you warm too. Satin flats are comfortable enough to be worn all day, but still look glam - look for brightly coloured or jewelled versions if you prefer. Then just add a big bright handbag to compliment one of the colours in the dress:


Green paisley border print dress £50, Debenhams; knitted long line cardigan £32, Topshop; green pashmina £6.99, The Hijab Shop; black button wide leg trousers £25; pink ruched buckle bag £25, both Dorothy Perkins; black satin rouched bow pumps £12, Debenhams.

More from Awatif Al Hai

I last posted on the beautiful jalabiyas by Kuwaiti designer Awatif Al Hai, and these are more of her creations, this time focusing on long embroidered jackets and kaftans worn over trousers. They have a much more relaxed feel, and probably something I'd wear at home in front of guests:

Designer: Awatif Al Hai

Kuwaiti designer Awatif Al Hai creates beautiful jalabiyas/house dresses rich in colour and detail. These are just a few of her designs, more to come soon! I think my favourite has to be the orange and purple combo of trousers and open kaftan (9th pic):