Muslimah Style: Jaida

Reader's Contribution

My name is Jaida and I am 26, married with 3 children. I am currently living in Richmond,VA and I am originally from New Jersey.

My Style

I started wearing hijab full-time 3 months after I took my shahadah at 18 years old. I never knew I could be stylish and still Islamic. I was wearing all black or dark colours because that was all that was available to me, and I was following the example of the other Muslim sisters around me. My style is classic with some trendy items. I always buy trendy items in an accent colour or in a basic neutral, to give it a long life even after the trend is dead and gone. I also like to set trends myself, or at least try to.

Top Tips

1) Don't be shy of colour. Islam doesn't limit what colours a woman can wear.

2) Let your personality shine through. Don't stop being yourself, you can still be you, just Muslim!

3) Love your hijab, it's what makes us stand out. The sheer variety of hijabs out there gives every Muslimah her own unique style.


What did you think of Jaida's style? If you want to be featured on Hijab Style, send in your photos and top tips to hijabstyle @ hotmail.co.uk

Readers will be able to vote for their favourite entry, and the winner will receive a FREE hijab of their choice from The Hijab Shop.

Bonus October Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Mustika S. from Jawa Barat, Indonesia for winning 1st prize, and Zamila T, from London, UK for winning 2nd prize in the Bonus October Giveaway! Your dress and pins will be making their way to you shortly!

Keep an eye out for the next giveaway coming up in November!

Return of the Winter Maxi

The winter maxi dress has been making a regular appearance in many shops, and unlike the summer version, designs are much simpler and understated. For this look I've teamed a dark ditsy print dress with an aviator jacket and shoe boots; neutral tones keep the look chic. A silky hijab and simple jewellery add a touch of luxe. Is this something you'd try out?

Long dress with floral print £39.99, Zara; Faux sheepskin flying jacket £78, Topshop; Saddle padlock shoulder bag £30, Asos; Silky hijab - latte £5.99, Hijab Fashion Shop; Bronze pearl wire wrapped ring £9, Folksy; Ocken ankle boots £90, Aldo.

Smoky not Smudgy 2010

For all you Londoners, in a few weeks time there will be an awesome event coming up for you! Smoky not Smudgy is an annual ladies' only pampering and beauty event, and in it's 3rd year of running is taking place at Imperial College on Saturday 6th November 2010. The highlight of the day though is definitely the fashion show! Maysaa (previewing the collection to the public for the very first time!), Elenany, NorMode, Abaya Collection, and Moroccan Kaftans will all be showcasing their designs on the runway. Don't forget to reserve your seat by e-mailing sns_2010 @ hotmail . co . uk

And if that's not enough to tempt you, there will be lots of stalls including Bellissima Scarves, Haya, Princess Rockz, Saba Azam Jewellery, Awakening Art and many more! And of course hairdressers, make-up artists, henna artists, manicurists and professional photographers! All under one roof, all for charity. Join the Facebook event for more information. I look forward to seeing you there!

Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts

Fall 2010

I love that maxi skirts have become so plentiful on the runways. This season they were featured in a range of cuts and styles. You can't go wrong with a plain skirt and tailored jacket. Or alternatively, add a pop of rich colour à la Dries Van Noten, or try experimenting with more creative cuts:

MaxMara

Kenzo; Dries Van Noten

Hermes; Louis Vuitton

Unique; Yohji Yamamoto

Images: Style.com

We have a Winner!

Congratulations to Annisa for winning the third edition of Hijab Style's Muslimah Style competition, with 30% of the votes! Annisa wins a scarf of her choice from The Hijab Shop.

Thank you to everyone who shared their photos and style tips with us; keep your entries coming in for the next round!

Bonus October Giveaway

For the second giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving you the chance to win a Blue Imzadi Dress with matching hijab and corsage (first prize winner), and a hijab pin pack (second prize winner), courtesy of Imzadi Couture!

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

1. Visit the Imzadi Couture website and sign up to their newsletter (bottom left hand corner).

AND

2. E-mail in your full name and city with 'Bonus October 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.

Extra Entries:

You can get an extra entry into the giveaway when you follow Hijab Style on Twitter! Simply send in a separate e-mail with your full name and link to your Twitter profile. The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on Thursday 21st October 2010.

The winners 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!

October Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Novita W. from Jawa Barat, Indonesia for winning the October Giveaway! Your hijab will be making its way to you shortly!

Keep an eye out for the second October giveaway coming soon!

Muslimah Style: Voting Time

It's now time for Hijab Style readers to vote for their favourite entry of the Spring/Summer 2010 edition of the Muslimah Style feature! Thank you to everyone who's sent in their photos - there are 8 gorgeous entries to choose from this time round.

Cast your vote in the box on the top right hand side of the home page, and as always you can see all of the entries here. The last day for voting will be 15th October 2010. Here's a list of the entries that are up for voting:

Samia
Makada
Samia I
Riham
Zeynab
Houda
Shariyfa
Annisa

The Great Winter Coat Hunt

It's that time of year again, and if like me, you've left it to the last minute to shop for a winter coat, here are some ideas! Take your pick from this season's on-trend capes, military styles, aviator jackets and of course the camel-coloured coat. Here are just a few of my favourite wearable high street pieces:

Camel trenchcoat £49.99, H&M; Faux fur aviator £65, Warehouse; Grey 3 front cape £65, Dorothy Perkins; Erno wool mid military coat £170, French Connection.

Muslimah Style: Annisa

Reader's Contribution

My name is Annisa but most of my friends call me Nichan. I’m a 20 year old architecture student from Jakarta, Indonesia. I’ve been wearing hijab since I was in 4th grade of elementary school. I hadn’t known what hijab really meant at that time, I only wore it because I love being different. But then later on, I felt so comfortable in my hijab, it was like it was a part of me and I would be incomplete without it. That’s why until now, I’m still wearing hijab. I’m so thankful that ‘little me’ made a big decision to wear hijab that day.

My Style

Actually, I don’t know what my style is! I only follow what my mood says every morning when I open my wardrobe. But I love being a minimalist. I agree with what Mies van der Rohe, a famous architect, said: “Less is more”. That’s why you won't see me with lots of accessories, but I do love ethnic accessories, like bracelets. Luckily I live in Indonesia which has plenty of original handicrafts. My status as an engineering student means I'm influenced by boyish styles; I feel more comfortable wearing trousers than skirts. But I 100% agree that skirts are lovely! That’s why I love wearing skirts too, but it has to be a maxi skirt so I can still move easily. I’m comfortable with both styles.

Top Tips

1) Jackets are my saviours. Not just jackets actually - sweaters, cardigans, coats, or any other outerwear. I love wearing them. They will make your body look slimmer and hide curves.

2) Wear loose shirts if you wear trousers. I don’t know why I just love oversize shirts! Besides hiding curves (again), they are also comfortable for those who love in tropical climates.

3) Don’t wear too many layers on your hijab, sometimes you might have a hair-loss problem. And it’s not comfortable for those who live in a hot countries like me.

Last but not least, don't forget to smile :)

What did you think of Annisa's style? If you want to be featured on Hijab Style, send in your photos and top tips to hijabstyle @ hotmail.co.uk

Readers will be able to vote for their favourite entry, and the winner will receive a FREE hijab of their choice from The Hijab Shop.

Product Review: Pearl Daisy

Amena from Pearl Daisy has been a YouTube hit with her hijab tutorials, and her newly re-designed website is also proving to be very popular!

Today's review is for the Purple Flower Hijaabling Chain and Black Flower Chain Hijaabling.

First Impressions

The chains arrived bubble-wrapped and in the customary bright pink envelope. According to the website, the design of these Hijaabling chains is exclusive to Pearl Daisy. They consist of a large brooch (about 4cm in diameter), connected to a much smaller brooch by two beaded chains, one longer than the other. The design of both chains is very pretty, and I love the attention to detail in the stone placement.

Wearability

Hijaablings aren't just for your hijab though! The Black Flower looks great when pinned to a plain black blazer. The colour is also a lot closer to silver than it appears on the Pearl Daisy website:

The Purple Flower stands out when worn on lighter colours, as below. You can use the differing chain lengths to create a chic 'dangling effect' between the two brooches:

Overall

These chains are very easy to use and add something a little different to the usual hijab pins and brooches. They are both however very sparkly so more suited to very dressy occasions. One thing I wasn't keen on with the Purple Flower was that the main brooch itself came in two layers, rather than being a flat piece, and as a result was quite bulky and would hang and tug on the hijab fabric. The pin on the back of the smaller brooch also fell off quite quickly, so improvements could definitely be made to the quality of the fastenings. Otherwise I love the versatility and the stylish 'chain' effect of these Hijaablings.

Disclaimer: I received these products in exchange for my honest review. The opinions and thoughts expressed are my own and I received no other compensation for my review.

Muslimah Style: Shariyfa

Reader's Contribution

My name is Shariyfa. I am a 23-year-old Early Child Development student living in South Carolina in the US.

My Style

I have been wearing hijab since I was 8 and would say that it gets better every year! I own more hijabs than all of my other clothes combined. My style is versatile and ranges from the very hip and urban to more eastern and flowy for special occasions. I buy anything on sale and coordinate it with my existing wardrobe. I also enjoy sewing and I make a lot of my own clothes and purses. I will often make a plain top and dress it up with accessories like necklaces. I am a handbag and purse freak and change them almost every day to match every outfit. I love lightweight pieces of interchangeable neutral or black clothing like long sleeved tops; this is always useful in a pinch if I am running late for class or my son spills something on me! I also travel a lot and simple pieces hold up on long flights and layovers. I have never experienced any difficulty with modesty and clothing; I guess I am lucky that I can sew because it comes in handy when lengthening sleeves or taking down hemlines.

Top Tips

Don't be afraid of colour! I wear lots of colours and are comfortable with all of them. I try to match my colors whenever possible but I am also known for wearing monochromatic outfits. I love pinks and blues and sometimes wear an entire outfit in different shades of the same color.

Don't be afraid to make your own clothes. I took a basic sewing course at a local school and then began buying simple paper patterns for easy-to-sew clothes like pullover tops and drawstring pants. Now I can alter any garment that's too short or add sleeves to tops.

Layer, layer, layer. Sometimes hijabis are afraid to layer because they think it looks like you're wearing too many clothes. However, wearing the hijab puts us in our own fashion bracket where there are many more options! I layer long sleeves over a sleeveless top and then sometimes wear a funky vest over it all topped off with dangly chains. Be adventurous and spontaneous!


What did you think of Shariyfa's style? If you want to be featured on Hijab Style, send in your photos and top tips to hijabstyle @ hotmail.co.uk

Readers will be able to vote for their favourite entry, and the winner will receive a FREE hijab of their choice from The Hijab Shop.

Vela Website Launch

Remember the exclusive interview back in February with Marwa and Nora from Vela? Back then the company's online presence was limited to their Facebook page, but they've recently launched their own website, with plenty of gorgeous new designs! And what's more, a part of all sales will be donated to help the Pakistan flood victims. What's not to love? Here are just a few of my favourite designs:

LAKI Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Theresa C. from Washington, USA for winning the LAKI Giveaway, in celebration of Hijab Style's 3rd Anniversary! Your sports outfit will be making its way to you shortly!

Don't forget to enter the October Giveaway which is on now!

October Giveaway

For the first giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving you the chance to win a hijab of your choice from Hijab Fashion Shop!

To enter, all you have to do is visit the Hijab Fashion Shop website, and send an email in with the name of your favourite hijab (excluding the Exclusive Hijabs however) , along with your full name and city with 'October 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.

Extra Entries:

You can get an extra entry into the giveaway when you follow Hijab Style on Twitter! Simply send in a separate e-mail with your full name and link to your Twitter profile. The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on Thursday 7th October 2010.

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!