Friday Styleflash

New Collections

Aab have lots of new arrivals and limited edition abayas just in.

The Inayah Collection have just introduced Gracious; a new range of luxury hijab accessories.

Wahat Aljalabiya have a new Winter Collection in stock.

Offers and Sale Alerts

PinzPinzPinz have a sale on their medium-sized hijabs.

Shukr have a Winter sale on with upto 69% off selected items.

Islamic Gems have a New Year's sale on.

Bonus December Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Fardowsa M. from Stockholm, Sweden; Zehra H. from Surrey, UK; Qurathulain R. from Petaling Jaya, Indonesia; Siti N. from Selangor, Malaysia and Masooma H. from Slough, UK for winning the Bonus December Giveaway!

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

January Sale Finds

This year, I've found the January sales to be a stressful, and not too productive experience. Certainly a lot of the shops in Westfield yesterday seemed more like a battle zone! But if you're going to brave the shops, here a just a few hijab-friendly sale finds to check out. Coats, knitwear, evening wear and tailoring are usually worth looking out for. Alternatively, avoid the crowds and shop online at your leisure (with a mug of hot chocolate, of course).

Grey Rhinestone Tunic £55, Kaliko; Hermia Cable Cardigan £45, Monsoon; Navy Belted Wide Leg Trousers £20, Topshop; East Knife Pleated Maxi Skirt £44.50, John Lewis.

Product Review: Couture Hijab Pins

Couture Hijab Pins is new Facebook-based company run by two sisters who hand make and sell their hijab pin designs. I was recently sent the Swarovski Golden Crystal Maxi Drop Pin to review.

First Impressions

Inside the envelope, the pin arrived wrapped in pink tissue paper.

The pin really is beautiful; the design looks classy and elegant, without being garish at all. Both the stick and the chain measure about 6cm each. The chain is made up of alternating Swarovski crystals in both a golden brown and a deeper bronze, and ends with a Swarovski helix drop pendant. The pin itself is secured with a removable bell back.

Wearability

The colours of the pin are quite subtle so look great with a variety of hijabs, but especially shades of brown, cream and gold. As the pin is quite long, it's great for keeping thicker or layered hijabs in place, but I felt it was too large for thin or delicate fabrics. It stays in place very well and you can always choose not to use the bell back.

Overall

This lovely pin is great adding a touch of glam to an outfit. I love the fact that it is handmade; which just makes it that much more special than generic mass-made products. The customer service was good and the other pins in the range are just as pretty.

Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts

Fall 2011

I think we can safely say maxi skirts are here to stay. For a few years now, we've seen quite a range of designers incorporate this length into their collections. From casual, relaxed outfits to smarter, elegant ensembles, here's a look back at some maxi skirt looks from Fall 2011:

 

J. Crew

 

Tracy Reese; Bally

 

Carolina Herrera

Images: Style.com

Five of the Best: Neutral Knits

Whilst putting together my last post; I came across lots of lovely knitted cardigans in cream, beige and grey. Here are my favourite five, from long, draped styles to cable knits:

Short slevees cardigan £19.90, Mango; Merino long cardigan £135, Toast; Cardigan £19.99, H&M; Cashmere blended cable v neck cardigan  £19.90, Uniqlo; Cotton shimmer sparkle cardigan £98, Jigsaw.

Casual Luxe

When it comes to casual dressing around this time of year, adding a touch of luxury can really make an outfit look well put-together, rather than scruffy and bland. In this outfit, I've mixed together different fabrics and textures in a fresh, warm colour scheme (here's hoping Spring is nearly here!). I love the colour of this shirt dress from Topshop; I've paired it with relaxed-fit navy chinos, a skinny belt loose at the waist and a long, slouchy cardigan. Add a printed hijab (this one looks to be a perfect match), jewelled flats and a quilted bag for a casual, yet luxe outfit. Swap the cardigan for a blazer, flats for heels, and add jewellery for a smarter evening look:

White Stuff Heirloom knit cardigan £65, John Lewis; Silk shirt dress £46, Topshop; Relaxed-fit high-waist trousers £16.90; Mango; Autumn Blues hijab £29.99, Aab; Navy mixed keeper belt £5, Dorothy Perkins; Pastel quilted lock across body bag £15, ASOS; Dostie flats £35, Aldo.

Friday Styleflash

New Collections

Zeena have lots of new scarves and wraps in stock this week.

Offers and Sale Alerts

Amirah Fashions are giving 25% off all orders (excluding sale items) with the code 4DAY25SALE. Valid until Sunday 18th December 2011.

Hijab n Style are having a giveaway on their Facebook page to win a free hijab and pin.

Rabia Z have several promotions on at the moment; free shipping for orders over $300 with the code 62RZ1WC7SKAY; and a sale on their tops and dusters, and sheylas and hijabs until December 19th 2011.

Bonus December Giveaway

For the second giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving five readers the chance to win any item of your choice from Pinz Pinz Pinz!

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

1. Become a fan of the Pinz Pinz Pinz Facebook page.

2. Visit the Pinz Pinz Pinz website and post the link to your favourite item on the Facebook page wall.

Send an email in with your full name and city with 'Bonus December 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 Saturday 24th December 2011. 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!

December Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Shazia M. from Dubai, UAE for winning the December Giveaway!

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

Hijab Style Exclusive: Sophia Jennah Interview

An exciting new website launched this weekend; Sophia Jennah is a stylish, affordable modest clothing brand, and today Hijab Style brings you an exclusive interview with the founder, Faisa Ismael.

Jana: Tell us about the people behind Sophia Jennah; how was the company started?

Faisa: The journey of the company started eight months ago, when I realised there was a huge gap in the market for contemporary Muslim women's clothing. I was frustrated with the lack of clothes available for us, as a large part of the Muslim fashion industry catered for high-end, niche couture markets.

I did not have a background in fashion or design, but I knew the sort of clothes women around me liked and what I would like to see out there myself. So I put pencil to paper and started sketching away and the rest is history as they say.

Jana: What do you feel is missing from the fashion industry right now?

Faisa: A clothing line that caters for both Muslims and non Muslims at the same time. A fashion label that is affordable and provides women with a variety of designs, from casual to abayas. So that the Muslim girl that wants to be fashionable yet modest, is not deprived of it.

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

Faisa: Hmm, what people inspire me? I would have to say everyday women; my sisters, my friends, or even random strangers. Although when I was designing my clothing I based it on the things that I would like to wear, I guess I got a bit carried away with all things I would have liked to see in my own wardrobe!

One of my biggest inspirations is the great work that is going on currently in the Malaysian and Indonesian Muslim fashion industry. They are both beautiful countries and also have the most fashionable Muslim girls who are not afraid to push the envelope with new mixtures of styles and ask more of their fashion designers. Their style is very inspiring.

I’m a big traveller and love different cultures, fabrics, colours and architecture and in the future I would like to project these cultures into my designs.

Jana: What are your favourite pieces from the new collection?

Faisa: Every piece is my favourite, however, gun to my head I’d have to say the Hooded Cape, the Colour block dress and the Black and white ruffle abaya.

Jana: Finally, what can we expect from Sophia Jennah in the future?

Faisa: I have big plans for Sophia Jennah inshallah. I am currently working on our Spring/Summer collection which I hope to increase by 2 or 3 times more designs and products than our debut Autumn/Winter Collection. I want Sophia Jennah to be more than just a clothing line, I want it to be more like a lifestyle brand that a Muslim girl’s wardrobe can always rely on.

You can find me on my personal blog on Cookiesandcouture.com

Exclusive Discounts!

To mark their launch, Sophia Jennah have some great offers on. The first 500 customers to make a purchase and become a fan of the Facebook page will be sent a VIP membership card that entitles you to a lifetime 15% discount and entry to monthly giveaways. There is currently a 15% off sale for all customers until January 2nd 2012. What's more Hijab Style readers get an extra 10% off when you enter the code Hijab Style at the checkout!

Product Review: Hijab Obsessions

Hijab Obsessions specialise in scarves and accessories, and are currently selling through Facebook. They have a range of different hijabs, including beautiful jersey scarves and snoods. I was recently sent the Jersey hijabs in aubergine purple and cloud grey to review.

First Impressions

The hijabs arrived in a bright red envelope. When I received the scarves originally, I found them a little too large, but Hijab Obsessions actually offered to custom alter them for me. Now they provide the scarves in two sizes for all customers: regular (65-70cm x 200cm) and maxi (75 - 80cm x 200cm).

The jersey fabric really is beautiful. It feels cool to the touch, and the fabric is soft and stretchy. Jersey tends to be heavier than other fabrics, and quite sturdy. The aubergine purple is a lovely deep, vibrant colour; the grey quite pale, and lighter than appears in the Facebook album.

Wearability

The scarves are very generously sized, and I had no problem getting adequate coverage even when folding the hem over. They are really comfortable to wear, you can even get away without using pins. If you did want to use pins though, larger ones are needed to stay in place, since the fabric is relatively thick. The great thing about jersey is that it holds its shape really well and stays in place. It's great for creating folds in your hijab style, and the weight of the fabric allows it to hang and drape quite well. This is a picture of the purple hijab wrapped around simply to demonstrate that:

Overall

I liked the quality and colour of the scarves; but found the 'maxi' size was unnecessarily large and a bit cumbersome. The scarves are great for layered styles; and the attentive customer service is excellent.

Friday Styleflash

There are lots of new companies to mention this week:

Australian company Hijab House have finally launched their online store, selling beautiful abayas, skirts, cardigans and hijabs.

Desert Rose Hijabs are a UK company stocking a range of pretty hijabs and pins.

Hijab n Style are a new online company selling hijabs and accessories; they are currently offering free shipping for orders over $40.

Nadine Style are a newly founded company based in the USA that design long-sleeved blouses and tunics.

High Street Finds: Evans

I occasionally get requests from readers regards finding modest, plus-sized clothing, and I know how hard this is to come by. Though there are a few high street chains which cater for this market; the selection I find is often lacking. But this season, I've been impressed by the range of tops and tunics available at Evans. They've brought in lots of styles in longer lengths, and long-sleeved too. Here are a few of my favourites. Let us know if you've found any other good retailers!

Top left to bottom right:

Collection Pintuck Shirt £45; Purple Floral Print Top £35; Blurred Animal Blouse £25; Purple Military Blouse £35; all Evans.

Rabia Z in New York

The Rabia Z Spring/Summer 2012 collection made its debut at a fashion show in New York on November 16th. Her latest collection is inspired by the 'Mukhawara'; a traditional Emirati dress. What stands out for me in the collection is the use of print; florals and geometric patterns feature a lot more heavily than in previous collections. The colours as always are striking, and I'm especially loving the asymmetric, knee-length dresses.

These are just a few of my favourite picks; you can see lots more pictures in the photo gallery of this feature by Huffington Post!

Product Review: Bellissima Scarves

Bellissima Scarves are one of the few hijab companies that actually design and manufacture their own scarves, rather than buying wholesale. This means the scarves are unique, and as I wrote in one of my previous reviews here, of high quality. I was recently sent the Milano Grey scarf to review.

First Impressions

The scarf arrived in its package, wrapped in silver tissue paper, along with a voucher for 15% off, which is included with all orders.

This scarf is different to most of those offered on the Bellissima Scarves website. It's described as ‘doppiato’; or double-layered. The base is made of a soft grey wool, and is sewn along the edges onto a thinner, crinkled polyester, in varying shades of grey. For some reason, the photography on the website makes the scarf look blue, but I didn't find this to be the case. Here's a photo of the scarf folded over as well as a close-up of the fabric:

Included in the package also was a 50cm square cotton underscarf, which is designed to be folded into a triangle and worn as a bandanna underneath your hijab. These will be on sale soon on the Bellissima website in a variety of colours.

Wearability

The scarf is very lightweight, and measures 35cm x 180cm. It's designed to be worn both as a neck scarf and a headscarf. Although personally I found it a little too narrow to wear easily as a hijab, since the fabric is totally opaque, you could experiment with styles to make it work. The photo below shows one way to wear the Milano scarf as a hijab. As a neck scarf, although it is light, it's surprisingly warm, without the itchy feeling you sometimes get with knitted scarves. I love the fact that as an elegant piece, it adds to an outfit rather than simply being something to wrap up in. The grey tones are unobtrusive and go well with many different colours.

Milano Scarf (Black)

Overall

This is a really luxurious scarf in a beautiful colour, and ideal for winter. It would make a great gift too! It's currently on sale for £24, and is available in black and brown too.

December Giveaway

For the first giveaway this month, Hijab Style is giving you the chance to win any item of your choice from The Inayah Collection's Clothing Sample Sale!

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

1. 'Like' The Inayah Collection Facebook page.

2. 'Like' your favourite image in the Clothing Sample Sale album. Send an email in with the link to the image, along with your full name and city with 'December 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 Sunday 11th December 2011. 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!

Friday Styleflash

New Collections

N-ti have lots of new arrivals on their website including tops, skirts and hijabs.

Offers and Sale Alerts

Aab have a flash sale on with 25% off accross their website when you enter the code FLASH72 at the checkout. Ends Friday 2nd December 11:59pm GMT.

Modern Mary have a pre-winter sale on with 50% off selected items. Plus get another 20% off when you spend $100, with the code FALLSALE20. Ends Friday 2nd December 11:59pm ET.

Zeena have a sale on with upto 30% off selected clothing. And from now until Sunday 4th December, they're also giving 15% of their proceeds to The Global Fund in support of World Aids Day.