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DRESSES, JILBAB, SOME HIJAB:
Love Unspoken and Shadiyah’s Boutique –
My Favorite!
This shop has custom made clothing at very
reasonable prices. Send in your measurements and these sisters will make
you everything from jilbabs and hijabs to skirts and shirts and slips.
They have lots of colors to choose from and different fabrics from the
more elegant crepe to the easy care wash-and-wear cotton, but I would
recommend the peaachskin for most everything because it looks nice,
doesn't wrinkle, and isn't see-through (as the lighter colors of cotton
and crepe are).
Basic jilbab starting price: $32.50
http://www.loveunspoken.com/
If you are a new revert to Islam and cannot afford
to buy an over garment, then you can apply to the list on this page (http://www.loveunspoken.com/sadaqah_fund.htm)
and they give out one free jilbab per person for sisters in need.
Al Hediya –
Another Favorite!
This shop has lots of variety. Go through the link
on the left for "Clothing- Ladies and Girls," then the link for
"Separates." This will give you the options for full length skirts,
pants, and long vests. With these pieces you can create outfits that are
more American style, and yet they give you full coverage. You can also
follow the link on the left for "Overgarments" and then "Oblong
Scarves," and this will allow you to order scarves in exact matching
colors/materials to your other clothing pieces, which gives you a whole
coordinated outfit!
Abaya or jilbab price: $40.00
http://www.alhediya.com/
Shukr Islamic Clothing
For the hip Muslim, this is a great alternative for
modest traditional clothing with an updated sense of style. This shop is
more expensive, but they do have sales and special deals from time to
time.
Basic dress starting price: $60.00 (but most in the
$80 range)
http://www.shukronline.com/home.html
Desert Store
They have a nice variety and reasonable prices.
This is a good shop to get the one-piece prayer garment that you wear at
home to make it easy to cover up for salaat (just $6.99- a real deal!).
Basic abaya starting price: $40.00
http://www.desertstore.com/
Muslim Gear
This is a new site that should have some
interesting things to offer in the near future. It is aimed at the
young, western Muslim. Their products are promoted by such names as Imam
Zaid Shakir, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, and singer Dawud Wharnsby Ali!
http://www.muslimgear.com/
HIJAB:
http://www.almuhajabat.com/
http://www.alhannah.com/
http://www.hijabs-r-us.com/
ALSO:
Try searching “hijab” or “jilbab” or “abaya” on
http://www.ebay.com.
I have found good deals there sometimes.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
After I became Muslim, one of my biggest
problems was working out a way to dress modestly and still feel like
myself in my clothes. Sometimes I’m more comfortable in my American
clothes (long shirts or jackets over long skirts or baggy pants), and
sometimes it’s easier to wear the Arab jilbab (big loose dress) that I
can just pop on over jeans and t-shirt or whatever I’m wearing in the
house. For dressing up, the Pakistani/Indian shalwar kameez is an
elegant and graceful clothing option. I am an active person who has 3
kids to chase around, so I also have to wear clothes that are practical
and that stay in place without much management from me. For example,
while I love the look of the flowy, silky hijabs, I often wear the
comfortable and practical amira hijab (made of the stretchy cotton knit)
instead just because it keeps my hair covered and doesn’t fall off when
my baby pulls on it..
The basic goal of putting
together an outfit that is Islamically correct is to loosely drape the
torso so that specifically the chest and behind are somewhat hidden. I
have found it helpful to buy a few key wardrobe pieces that are long,
loose, and cover as much of you as possible in one garment. Otherwise
you can end up in layer after layer of clothing trying to get everything
covered, which results in feeling hot, bulky, and awkward. It helps to
try and simplify.
To find good Islamic
clothing through American clothing catalogs or websites, I’ve found the
most useful key words to be “duster” and “tunic,” both of which will
give you listings for tops with enough length to cover you almost down
to the knees
YES! You can dress in a way that is
Islamically correct and still be YOU. Some of it is trial and error, but
you will find your own sense of style and settle into it comfortably
insha’Allah.
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