Would you like some boots with those groceries?

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So much for ‘Indian summer’… we’ve seen the monsoon rains but the much promised mid-20 degree weather is yet to show. So it’s autumn wear ready to come out. I’m not too sad, I love living in boots. I picked up this pair at none other than *drum roll*.... Tesco! I've always known they do clothes but I've always had an image of everything being quite frumpy and pretty old-fashioned. Boy how I was wrong! During a grocery run I picked up these beauties.... super stylish, mid-heel perfect for everyday wear, and only £22. Bargain!!

You can find them here online. 

Stepping away from fashion: maternal health & helping the homeless

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I want to take a second to step away from fashion to talk about two projects that I think are really fantastic and really need supporting. They cover two very different issues, but both affect women and both address basic human needs and rights.

1)   At Our Mother’s Feet - supporting maternal health
Everyone’s got love for his or her mother, right? We've all heard the hadith 'Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.' We're all taught to love and respect our mama, however, unfortunately every day 1,000 mothers die during pregnancy or childbirth because they can’t access the healthcare and support they need. That’s one thousand EVERY SINGLE DAY. Surprised? OK, try this: Most of these women come from a select few developing countries - where Muslims are the majority. Shocking? OK, here goes: 8 times out of 10, these deaths are preventable. Let me repeat that – eight times out of ten, our sisters are dying NEEDLESSLY.

At Our Mother’s Feet is a campaign that is not only encouraging us on the ground to raise awareness through simple actions – but is also working actively with other organisations to improve the situation. There are simple things you can do to help, even as simple as posting on your FB wall or filling out a postcard with a message as to ‘why you are at your mother’s feet…’ Once there's a big enough interest and active pressure, organisations are more able to lobby support for causes such as this which are often forgotten about.

Like their FB page and visit their website to see how you can help: http://www.facebook.com/At0urMothersFeet

2)  Children of Adam - feeding the needy community project

I’m sure many of you remember the Iftars with the Homeless that have been run each year in London. I’m not sure if these have happened elsewhere in the UK, but for those of you who haven’t heard or been involved before, these are flashmob type events where people would turn up with food and drink and distribute these to needy people when it’s time to break fast. As we all know, homelessness and hunger is a year-round issue, and just as we should not let Ramadan be the only time we pray extra, it shouldn’t be the only time we remember those less needy. Therefore, a group of people are working to make this a more sustainable project and are meeting once a week and setting up a food stall in London. Everyone contributes by bringing something, no matter how small, or just by coming to help out with the distribution. 

One unique part of this project is the interaction you get with people in your community that you are likely to disregard as you walk past them on the street. So often you hear people brush off homelessness by claiming 'it's their own fault' - but whatever we may think, we cannot judge and know somebody else's circumstances that put them in the position they are in. Yesterday I met guys from Portugal, Latvia, South America, different parts of Africa – it was truly an eye-opening experience to speak to them. One of the (Muslim) homeless women told us that she couldn’t take any of the clothes we had brought, and would rather freeze because if she is seen carrying a bag with clothes or anything in it, she is a target and is likely to get mugged. Subhanallah…

InshaAllah this will be an ongoing project, and volunteers will be meeting every Sunday at 6pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn. Volunteers can come from all faiths - this is not an exclusive 'Muslim group'. If you would like to know more, get involved or donate anything, check out the FB page at http://www.facebook.com/childrenofadam
If you're not in London - why not set up something similar in your area?

Wedding it up the ‘Modest Way’

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First of all I just want to say a massive ‘Mabrook’ to my friend for her wedding last weekend. Mashallah what a beautiful event <3

I absolutely ‘love’ weddings and more than anything ‘love’ dressing up for them. However being a hijabi I do really struggle when they are mixed (boys & girls).
I come from a culture that tends to have strict segregation; therefore my party wardrobe could never adhere to a mixed one. To make things more interesting it was a Pakistani wedding. My background is not Pakistani and although I love Asian outfits I could never rock them like the natives

I actually wore a ‘Jumpsuit’ last Saturday. I absolutely adore them; they are full length one piece completely baggy and look stunning with great prints. The one I am wearing is from Dorothy Perkins. I have teamed it up with a long sleeve matching top and coordinated with two scarves for effect. To add extra glam I am wearing a gold belt around my head (it worked so I thought why not). I think for a wedding outfit plus the right accessories really pulls together. Printed jumpsuits really work; they are quite modest which works well for mixed occasions.


For my next wedding event, I have been eyeing this dress for about 2 months! Wow I’m in love with it! I took this photo on Wilmslow road (Manchester) from a shop called ‘Colour’ and it is £145(ish). Imagine teaming that up with a gold hijab Cleopatra style. I am waiting for the navy blue one to come into stock (red is way too bold for me). To me this is great for a special event, it flows, 100% modest, looks Middle Eastern, it’s perfect :-)
Look out for a future blog when I rock it out (IA).

What is your wedding style?

Day to day wear

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We've already posted these pictures on facebook but we've had a lot of likes and comments so we thought we'd add a little extra here.

I am completely passionate about harem pants, I have never really been a girly girl, and so have always loved trousers. I think harem pants in some instincts can fit a lot more modestly than a skirt; in fact they are pretty much like skirts but with 2 holes for legs.

The outfit I am wearing right now is a complete Primark job, total outfit + hijab I would guess no more than £25! (Bargain). I am a proud shopper in Primark and nothing puts a big smile on my face when someone asks where you got your outfit from! They do cater for modest dress items as the size range is big, I love the cardigans they have in at the moment, a size 14 is cute & modest for petit girls and they look uber snug.

I am also specifically a huge fan of loose vests from there; I couldn’t go without one. It really helps to cover you up as a normal sweat top alone would be too fitted to hide shape.
Please while the range is still available grab yourselves the long sleeve tops (£3.50 in all the colours of the rainbow). These will keep you a lot cooler than the thick winter polo necks which I guess Primark will be stocking pretty soon.
Golden rule - If you ever need an extra piece to a puzzle of an outfit, Primark is a great fashion fix.

Nooreen is, in contrast wearing much more muted colours. She has on a grey cape top from French Connection, black jeans and Chinese Laundry boots. The cape top is so big that even wearing it with a belt loosely tied around it still isn't too shapely. The tan colour boots contrast with the greys and blacks... very chic!! Shows how you can wear either bright or more subdued colours and still look great.

Toughening up silk... & the new Westfield

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Coat from Topshop, New Look top,
French Connection trousers

I think it’s good to mix things up. In life and in fashion. I’ve always said I would rather marry outside of my race and occupation just because I think it’s more interesting that way. In the same way, I think in fashion, always being matchy-matchy is so predictable and too easy… you can switch things up by mixing everything from colours/ prints to textures and materials. Today, for my trip to the new Westfields in London, I toughened up some soft silk-cotton mix French Connection trousers with tailoring and military boots. The trousers are loose and I think many people could get away with wearing a shorter top with them, but I think part of styling is understanding what you need to wear for your own body, and I know I have a bigger backside than most, so sometimes I need something longer on top. Cue the perfect Topshop jacket! The 'Apron' jacket is something in between a blazer and a coat, but the tailored style works well to offset the ‘softness’ of the pants. The back has pretty tie-up detail, and it’s unstructured so not too formal.. and a perfect length to cover everything up. I absolutely love it and think I’ll be wearing it all autumn as it’s so versatile – suitable both for work and casualwear. It’s still in stores at the moment so check it out. The blue top is New Look (love this shade) and I love the boots I’m wearing too, I actually got these from eBay a couple of years ago now for less than £20, but they are super comfy and have lasted. As you know, I don't wear the headscarf yet, but I took a pic wearing it so you can see what hijab I would have worn with this (it's from Primark, £4).

The dark purple complements the blue

'Apron' coat/blazer from Topshop

Arab perfume in the heart of London!
Love it..

A man making salat in the prayer room

On the topic of Westfields, it's awesome!!! Gone are the days when ‘malls’ didn’t belong in London. We’ve had The Trafford Centre in Manchester, the Bullring in Birmingham but it wasn’t until 2008 when ‘I’m going to Westfields’ became a common saying in London. The Shepherd’s Bush shopping centre, however, now looks like a baby compared to the big boy Westfield Stratford City.  I couldn’t help but think I could be in Dubai – cars sat parked in between rows of shops, enticing sweepstake entries, and a food court with a taste of everything from Mexican to Indian to Carribean to Vietnamese to Lebanese (need I go on?)… An impressive prayer room with wudu facilities sits on the top floor – it’s a multi-faith room but is sure to be utilised mostly by Muslims because of our compulsory prayer times. Gone are the days of having to rush to find a shop with changing room curtains long enough so that people won’t be freaked out seeing you with your head to the floor!! 

A little bit of a side note… aside from fashion, I’m interested in everything from business to marketing to social policy and sociology – so it will be interesting to see what impact Westfields and the rest of the Olympic development has on Stratford and east London – traditionally a pretty deprived area. The new mall has created thousands of jobs to locals, and interestingly includes no 'designer village’ like the Bush one, and does include a Primark. So it's definitely catering to a generally lower-income demographic. But with developments like this, and the rest of the Olympic work, there is always a risk of gentrification, rather than regeneration. It will be interesting to see whether luxury apartments and the like take over, or if a balance can be reached.

London sisters, have any of you been to the new Westfields yet? What do you think?

Topman (for women?)

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I may seem crazy, but I have recently discovered Topman’s great range of trousers! Lets all admit it the typical customer for Topman is not the most masculine, so I don’t feel too foolish.

2 weeks ago I was on a search for some ‘cord’ trousers. Having spent my whole day hunting around Trafford Centre, I was only able to find skinny fitted cords for women (which I really didn’t want).

After giving up in my final shop, Topshop, I happened to walk through Topman! To my surprise I found the exact trousers I wanted (for men.) My friends encouraged me to buy these which I did. Please major note.... sizes are so different for men! I was told I was a 28 (which is small for a man) - I’m actually a 32 (which is meant to be big). Girls have hips so it makes the shapes kinda strange, so do make sure you try. It was quite interesting also that the sales rep in Topman told me that a lot of girls do buy the trousers from Topman, that I was not the first. So that was kinda reassuring.

The trousers I’m wearing are the ‘Slim Chino W32 L32 (I’m a size 10 in women’s so this will give you an idea of sizes.) Another style I really liked was the ‘Drop Crotch.’ Again another popular choice for the ladies says the Topman rep.
Unsure what you think, but if you’re sick and tired of super skinnies give it ago! Primark have some great men’s chinos too for a cheaper test buy.

Also – scarf is from H&M in the new autumn range, they have a teal/brown which is fab!

Please note; I am not encouraging girls to dress like men, we do know that this goes against what we are taught. However I am encouraging girls to not be afraid to go for looser garments. High street has the habit of forcing us into tight items, don’t be scared to experiment, even if that means Topman or a bigger size!

Blazer: New Look £25
Shoes: Topshop £75
Scarf: H&M £7.50

Our funky/retro/casual hijab look

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I went up to Manchester last week for Eid, to visit both family and friends. Me and Nadyah got to hang out - we watched Planet of the Apes (great movie!!) and had a little photoshoot to show some of our own personal styles (and have some fun!.. you can see we're trying our hardest not to crack up in the pic). Yes that’s me in hijab. It was an interesting experience putting it on. I’ve worn it only once previously outside of the house, so it’s still all very new to me. But I had fun… I learnt I could still be ‘me’ wearing it. Definitely a stepping stone. 

I love our contrasting colours - what do you think of our outfits?

I am wearing: Grey Forever 21 tapered trousers, cream River Island cardigan, peach-coloured New Look crop-tie top, Primark print scarf and grey ASOS peep-toe shoes.

Nadyah is wearing: Electric blue chinos from Zara, great wear for modest dress as they don't fit too tight, Republic T-shirt, New Look leather waistcoat jacket and heels from Barratts. Outfit is carefully picked out to ensure lumps and bumps are covered! Remember the rules of dress: doesn't have to be skin tight to look fab!

Women in the Workplace

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I rarely read magazines but Stylist is a free women’s fashion/lifestyle magazine I pick up at the train station on the way to work every Wednesday. Flicking through this week’s issue, one article stood out. It was about women in the workplace and there was a debate as to whether women advance in their careers depending on whether they possess something called ‘erotic capital’. This erotic capital is a combination of six qualities – beauty, social skills, physical fitness, dress sense, liveliness and sex appeal.

The obvious part of the argument – which I think most would agree with – is that, no, of course sex appeal doesn’t determine a woman’s success. To say that women should be taking advantage of their beauty and sex appeal goes against some of the most basic Islamic values of modesty and humility, and so that would mean Muslim women are condemned to a life the bottom of the career ladder unless they compromise their faith.

I know from my own experiences that that is not the case (I can write a whole separate blog on some of the incredible thing Muslim women I know personally have done). But the interesting part was when I thought about the other components of this so-called  ‘erotic capital’ – i.e. dress sense, social skills, liveliness and physical fitness. I think these things CAN give a women advantage in the workplace, and I think these are not only compatible with Islam, but could also be considered to be encouraged.

Maybe it is an innate reaction to be somewhat judgemental, but I know I react differently when I have a meeting with somebody well-dressed and physically in shape – if the opposite is the case, it makes me think if they can’t look after themselves, how can they look after business? Islam teaches us to be presentable, and there are Hadith that instruct us to be dressed well, and personally I believe staying fit and healthy is a key duty of every Muslim.

That’s not to say you have to compromise your faith, but consider the context of the situation. You don’t have to ‘power dress’ in pencil skirts and fitted shirts. It may just mean swapping your indoors maxi for a structured abaya – or another example, a friend yesterday told me that instead of wearing black abayas all the time, at work she sometimes wears long skirts, in different colours. That’s because in the UK, and in many places around the world, black (all the time) might be seen as intimidating, and *may* gain more attention. Whereas the opposite would be the case if you were in Saudi Arabia, for example. To walk around there in anything but black would attract extra attention.

Aside from fashion and the way you look, there are things such as social skills and liveliness discussed. Again there is a difference in opinion, and some would choose not to interact with those of the opposite sex unless they have to, and then will only do so for that particular purpose. I asked a different friend this very question and her response was ‘I will talk to men if I have to, but I won’t socialise. If they ask me what I did on the weekend, I keep it simple.’ However, I think there’s a fine line between being modest, and closing people off.

However, it’s very hard to succeed in the workplace if you aren’t able to have a very superficial conversation about your interests/activities. That doesn’t mean you have to go to the pub after work and sit talking about your weekend plans. But if you’re able to be approachable and invite questions, that’s not only going to help you succeed, and act as a form of jihad, but also dawah too. I’ve had countless people at work – both men and women – ask me why I was fasting in Ramadan, what the purpose is… and these people then wished me a happy Eid. They wouldn’t have done so if they didn’t think I would be open to having a conversation with them.

So in that sense, I do believe the article brought up SOME interesting points that should be thought about by Muslim working women – but the same goes for men too. It’s a balancing act in having social skills and the right appearance, whether you are hijabi or not, and knowing the boundaries you shouldn’t cross.