EID HIJAB STYLES : MODERN ISLAMIC CLOTHING

For today’s Eid Hijab Styles post, I want to direct your attention to some of the beautiful Islamic clothing that is offered by Shukr. They have everything from embroidered abayas to gold-threaded skirts to embellished tunics – all in a variety of gorgeous colors. And best of all, you can get outfit ideas just by looking at the product pages.

Click here to check out their lovely Ramadan and Eid section. And be sure to decide quickly if you want to make an order for your Eid outfit. Shipping to the US is still available by Eid as long as you order today (Wednesday, 09/16).

Links:
[1] Lao Cai Dress, $69.95. [2] Rosette Detailed Dress, $79.95. [3] Hafsah Embroidered Top, $59.95.

HIJAB STYLE FINDS : ABAYA

If you’ve been looking for a nice abaya that is affordable and pretty, check out East Essence. I found about 60 pretty abaya styles for under $40 each. The abayas that I featured above can be found at the links below and when you get to the site, search “abaya” or “hijabs” and you’ll find all of the other styles that they have. The abayas come in sizes XS-XXXL so inshallah, there’s something for everyone.

I think that I have to get the first abaya that I featured above. What’s your favorite?

Links:
[1] Beautiful Arabian Princess Abaya, $38.38. [2] Abaya 30, $37.18. [3] Shakeel Abaya, $38.38. [4] Aftab Abaya, $39.58. [5] Abaya 6, $39.58.

MODERN ISLAMIC CLOTHING DESIGNER : SAOULI

I love, love, LOVE Saouli! In case you haven’t heard, Saouli is a growing European fashion brand complete with boutiques, runway shows, and an awe-inspiring line of modern Islamic clothing. I first fell in love with Saouli about back in 2007 when I found out about their US fashion debut in Chicago. Since then, I have been periodically checking their website for updates and finding nothing but a blank page. Well today I realized that I was checking the wrong URL!

Now that I have the correct web address, I am once again able to drool over the pretty hijab-friendly fashions that the Muslimahs of Saouli deliver. — Astuce, the striped tunic with pleats and flared sleeves. Loana, the Aztec-esque printed yellow dress top. Sandra, the graphic purple and black printed top. Laetitia, the sophisticated plaid dress top. — All of these tops are priced at around $40 (less shipping and handling – which could be expensive).

While I work up the nerve to ignore the horror stories about ordering clothing from overseas, tell me, do you love the Saouli line as much as I do?

MODERN ISLAMIC CLOTHING DESIGNER : ARTIZARA

One of my goals is to create my own line of Islamic clothing in the future, inshallah. I love the behind-the-scenes side of fashion just as much as I love the clothes, so last week I caught up with Helen of Artizara.com to find out more about their modern Islamic clothing brand and to find out what they’ll be bringing to the hijab fashion world this spring.

WE LOVE HIJAB: Where did the name Artizara come from?
ARTIZARA: The Artizara name was a brainstorm by the co-founders of the business, friends and neighbors Sarah Ansari and Asra Razzaque.


WE LOVE HIJAB: How would you describe the “Artizara Woman”?
ARTIZARA: The Artizara woman is enlightened, socially conscious, interested in the world and active in her community. She understands that the world is a very small place and that we are all alike in many more ways than we are different. The Artizara woman enjoys world style and dresses modestly since she is a believer that a woman’s worth lies in her intellect, not in the shape of her body. She understands that women form half the intellectual capital of humanity, and that they have a very important role to play in the progress of society; whether their sphere of influence is the home, their place of education, their work, or the broader community.


WE LOVE HIJAB: What is the biggest influence for choosing the clothes in your collections?
ARTIZARA: Inspiration can come from anywhere… Islamic art and heritage is a big influence, interpreted in a fresh contemporary way. We also keep an eye on mainstream fashion trends in terms of color, cut, texture and form, but add certain touches to the garment that truly make it unique and special.

Wearability and practicality is a big consideration. Every piece we design should be something we ourselves would buy, our friends and family will buy, and would recommend to others. We design each piece with the goal that it should never hang in your closet; you should get lots and lots of wear out of it, dress it up or down, wear it for work and play, at home or at a night on the town.


WE LOVE HIJAB: What is your dream for the Artizara brand? Where would you like to see the company go in the future?
ARTIZARA: We have big dreams for our little company! In a very broad sense, We would like the Artizara brand to represent in its products, all that is beautiful in our rich and ancient Islamic heritage.


WE LOVE HIJAB: What can we expect from Artizara this Spring/Summer?
ARTIZARA: This season’s collection is all about soft fabrics, relaxed and easy silhouettes that let the body breathe and move, yet look smart and dressed up.

Practicality was a big design influence this season, as was a mindset that in these tough economic times, every Artizara piece you buy, should earn its keep!

We have added functional, concealed pockets to many of our tops as we realize that life’s busy and sometimes its just no fun to fish about in your purse for those wayward keys or that cell phone!

Clever details like detachable sleeves, give the wearer different options to wear the same top, adding value to your purchase.

Coordinated scarves have been designed with every piece, and we’ve put together many ensembles, for those of you who’d rather not spend time putting together that “put together” look!


WE LOVE HIJAB: Why do your customers love shopping with you?
ARTIZARA:

[As one customer, Anbreen, wrote:] I just wanted to let you know that I have received my order and really love the shirt and the scarves too :-) Also, the packaging was done very professionally and overall this was a really pleasant shopping experience. The clothes are very nice quality and I’ll be ordering some more and recommending to my friends as well :-) Thank you again.

HAVE YOUR SAY!
Have you ever purchased anything from Artizara? What was your experience like with them and would you recommend them to other hijabis?

There is a brand new Islamic clothing store online called Taqwa Iman. The clothing line was designed by Taqwa Aquil who wants to provide Muslim women with modest clothing that is “chic, economical, and Islamic.”

The pretty damask-printed skirts above are our favorite pieces at Taqwa Iman. You can style them easily by pairing them with solid color tops as shown. But, we think they’d look really nice with these $20 button-front tunics. Click here to shop for the tunics and be sure to visit TaqwaIman.com for more Islamic clothing and accessories… The website is beautiful!