Salaams everyone, this was an interesting week for me. My family is christian and I am muslim. This was my first holiday season as a muslim it was hard. It was hard to be with them and not feel bad because of what christmas represents. I did have dinner at my family's house and I had a good time. I took that time to explain to some friends and family the difference of Islam and Christianity. They were very receptive and respectful of my religion,alhamdullilah!! Although I was with them I was able to leave feeling good about my position in islam and about being a muslimah. I tried to participate in as a little as possible of actual christmas activities. I am very close to my family and so having dinner with them was just routine for us. Insha'allah I will become a full time hijabi January 1. Please make duas for me. Interestingly enough, I feel as if I need new wardrobe for my transition. Reading other sisters blogs I can see how a hijabi in tight or revealing clothing is not really a hijabi at all (aka hojabi as I have recently learned). I dont consider my clothes too revealing what so ever but they are not islamic. I think I will have a lot of shopping to do in the upcoming months. The funny thing is before becoming muslim I considered myself a modest dresser.LOL. Iam not modest enough to be a hijabi, in my current wardrobe. I think I will have to spend at least $1,ooo to get myself together for my transition,and insha'allah I will do this in january. These are some basic tops I would wear with pair of jeans:
Tops for school by Inspired Muslimah
Now in my honest opinion, none of these tops are too bad but they wouldn't be appropriate with hijab. Would do you think?? They are too revealing for hijab?? I think so, however,these are the plainest simplest tops i have and I dont think any of these will work. Becoming a hijabi is not as easy as putting the scarf on. Its a way of life and your dress must be appropriate. I have a few items I can currently wear with hijab but not many(e.g button up tops), like this :
And my jeans are another problem. Here are some typical jeans I would wear( not with hijab):
I wouldnt dare put on any of these jeans with hijab. I find this all very stressful because I am having a hard time coming to terms with covering my hair, but thats not all. I wont be able to wear all my favorite jeans and I just feel like I wont be able to feel pretty any more. I know pleasing allah is number one,but giving up fashion for me is not easy. I learn so much from everyones blogs but the fashion is usually centered around an abaya, which makes it easier to be modest. If your not including an abaya, it is not as easy to pull off a fashionable hijab look in my opinion. Even most of post from polyvore include abaya.Insha'allah these growing pains wont stop me from doing what I need to do, which is wear hijab. I feel like I gaining so much in islam and losing my old identity at all once. Feeling lost isnt a good position to be in, and I find that Its very uncomfortable in the this middle stage. I also feel like I wish I could hire a stylist to help me through this conversion, which proper hijab and proper modest dressing. I am normally such a fashionable and cute dresser but I have no clue how to still be cute and modest, even with all the blogs I frequent. I guess its just going to take a lot of work and money and praying insha'allah!
15 comments:
Assalaamu 'alaikum dear sis
May Allah make the transition into a full hijaabi one of ease for you inshaAllah. In my honest opinion, wearing abaya is the easiest option as it means keeping your old wardrobe! You can still wear your clothes in the home around the right people inshaAllah, and of course when you get married, you can wear tight fitted whatever you like around the house ;)
As you so rightly said, hijaab is not just the way you dress but a state of mind. We must be modest in action and behaviour towards others. There are many fashion blogs that are by muslims but I would advise you looking through some of the online islamic stores and seeing whats out there and choosing what you think is right for you.
Take care, duas!
Salamu alaykum, I do agree with Nisa's abaya point. I had just two abayas and two khimars the year I started wearing them both and they were fairly enough alhamdulillah.
May Allah make it easy for you and don't loose your identity; look at all the stories of the women of the dawn of Islam-, we have some big personalities there mashaAllah!
Having Islam inside out inshaallah does not mean we need to loose us, just to work on the less pleasent&Islamic sides we have inshaAllah.
YES me too, I wore the abayah too (after first trying the blouse/pants/skirt thing)... and I love it now... kinda like a jacket and hat LOL to protect my modesty, as u would wear to protect from the rain...
LOL about HOJAB... good one!
It is not easy in the beginning, I felt like a geek... but now I LOVE IT... so just do it, no matter how hard it is, then over time it will become like your second skin... and start with what your comfortable with first... that is how I progressed, so in shaa Allah, it will not be a big shock!
When I started wearing hijab I hadnt really prepared at all in terms of wardrobe... dont let yourself feel overwhelmed, just take things step by step. When I started wearing hijab I was wearing long/loose shirts with loose/wide-leg pants, then it was mostly with full-length skirts, and now I usually wear an abaya cus its so easy. You can still wear your long-sleeved shirts under a loose tunic/dress or another shirt that is not full sleeves but loose in the body... and just pair it with a long skirt. But probably you know this already from other blogs! It takes a bit of effort, but you can probably find some good pieces at the mall - if not there are plenty of online hijabi stores w all sorts of things. It can make a big difference choosing what style of scarf to wear and how you pin it - some kinds of shayla or large square style are good in covering the chest too if you feel a certain shirt or even abaya is a bit tight there. Just take the first step and insha'Allah Allah will make it easy for you! Its just a transition and with time you will definately develop your own unique and cute hijabified style. I'll make dua for you uhkti :D
Nisa: Salaams sister and thanks for your comment. Your right,an abaya makes it easier to keep your current wardrobe, I just dont feel as if I can commit it to it quite yet. In time, that will be the perfect solution for me!
Random Muslima: I will definitly have to start ordering from all the online islamic stores, I probably am not trying hard enough. Insha'allah I will get better at this.
Umm Travis:I think your right, it is like a second skin. It so weird looking for loose jeans and pants when your not use to wearing them. LOL. I will just keep on praying.
Erin:salaams sis,Thanks for those great suggestions. My scarfs are pretty big so I can probably do a lot with them, Like cover my chest if I feel my shirt isnt modest enough.
ALL: Thanks for all the great advice and I love you all for the sake of Allah (s.w.t.)
just take your time with it and have fun.
As a Muslimah who started wearing the headscarf and then learned to get into more loose and modest clothes, I too feel the abaya is best. But no transition is overnight. what I would suggest now even is getting used to wearing looser clothes first even before covering your hair. I think most sisters would say that wearing looser clothes or an abaya is harder than a headscarf, or at least the sisters I know. A suggestion for tight shirts and close fitting jeans, not all of us are loaded with money to replace our entire wardrobe. if you wanna save up to buy abayas, for now you can buy some nice duster sweater or cute fashionable trench type coats (half length) which should cover your entire bottom and your thighs are least, making your outfit more modest! This is just another alternative to think about as its hard to get everything going the right way all at once. easier said than done!
hi sis...
on the contrary, I wasnt feeling comfy with abaya when first starting hijab. I still keep my "old" clothes with me till today ;)
I'd recommend you to invest in some maxi or knee-length dresses. You can cover them with some jackets/cardigans/wraps/etc and can still wear your jeans under. the old long sleeve shirts can go well with vest/cropped jackets or just stay under your winter coat. be creative with what you've already had around.
I know some people may have different standard about what is "hijab" but I personally believe that the most important thing for the 1 timers is to get the feeling of 'it' and be comfy. Gradually, you'll want to cover more and more properly. That's just the nature ;)
good luck on the hijab. my dua is with you
Salaam sis, congratulations on your decision to start wearing hijab!! May Allah make it easier for you. I personally don't agree that abaya is easier, certainly not for me or the environment I'm in. I don't feel that abaya is somehow 'better' than other clothing either. And that doesn't mean that you need to spend $1000 on a new wardrobe!! I'm pretty sure clothes in the US aren't that expensive? Here's a basic list I hope will help, I've based it on my own wardrobe so inshallah it should be practical:
Layering tops (you already seem to have plenty of these so need to worry!)
Long sleeve cardigans/jackets (you probably have these too)
2 pairs of jeans
1/2 other trousers, e.g. black and grey
4 knee-length tunics/dresses to layer over trousers (You probably have some already?)
2 long skirts - one to be black
Scarves!
Honestly to start with this will be more than enough, and it really shouldn't cost you more than $400 (unless you're into you're designer gear which is a different story :D)
And just a few ideas for making them work together:
The bootcut jeans you already have, you can easily wear knee-length dresses over them, as they tend to flare out at the knee anyway (depending how they fit you).
If your tops/dresses are fitted at the waist, wearing an open cardigan/jacket over the top will solve this.
You can usually wear slightly shorter tops with skirts (invest in a couple which flare out from the waist, rather than cling to the hips).
If you invest in a few key basics, you can work your existing wardrobe around it. I've been wearing 'hijab clothing' (as opposed to abayas) for years now and it isn't as difficult as people like to make out. And I buy all my clothing from mainstream stores. Also feel free to email me/leave comments if you ever need help finding anything. If you click on the 'outfits' label on my blog you'll see all the ones I've ever put together (there's around 100 lol), so those should provide ideas inshallah.
Hope that helps. Keep strong :D
Ange: Thanks sis!
Lazeena Umm Yusuf: You have a good point and I may consider altering my plan. Maybe I should focus on wardrobe first instead of hijab.
Grethy: Thanks for the advice sis.
Jana: Wow sis thanks so much for this list, it really helps :D
Inspired... take your time. InshaAllah, start out with long skirts and very loose tops- I used to wear this to work and when I wasn't working I would wear my abayas.
In time, when the time is right, you'll put on your abaya and feel confident with wearing it... as you don't want to put it on in haste and then take it off from the pressure of it all- Allah (SWT) knows your intentions so take your time....
Empress Anisa: Thanks sis, I will do so. I am using your little cutie as motivation. If she can do it, i can do it!
I'm giving my comments from what I've seen from others and not from personal experience.
I think that the abaya is the most practical solution since it allows you to wear your old clothes underneath, but it seems just very hard to go from fashionable wardrobe to covering it with an abaya.
And modifying your wardrobe with looser and longer clothing before putting on the headscarf does sound like a good idea, but the headscarf is more than just the modesty of it, it's about being identified as Muslim, which is really important.
Personally, I'd just make sure I have a couple long, loose tops that cover the bum to wear with my old jeans, and with time add to that long skirts and/or wide legged pants and more selection for shirts (tunics, that kind of thing). Or even a couple abayas if you're quick in transition (and believe it is useful or necessary to wear them. I know not everyone does).
Candice: Thanks for the advice sis, I have been thinking more and more about the abaya.
I just found your blog today and I love it! I am in the process of reverting myself but am having a hard time due to the pressures of my conservative Christian family.
I try to dress hijabi, but now that it's summer my parents are getting more and more suspicious of my dress. (long sleeves and 80 degrees and such) They blame my actions on my Muslim husband, but I'm doing it because I've found the truth in Islam, of course, not for him!
This post specifically really mirrors what I'm going through presently. I'm a college student with a child so I don't exactly have the money to do a total wardrobe overhaul. I'm trying to buy some hijab friendly pieces that will allow most of my current pieces (besides capris, short skirts, and shorts...don't know what to do with them) to still be used. Cardigans are my new best friend! Also, I got three beautiful floor length skirts for $17 or less last week.
I know many sisters talk about the wonders of the abaya, but at this point, it's really not me. And in my geographic location (small town Indiana) an abaya would be more of a hindrance than a blessing, I think. My sil is here from Saudi Arabia where the abaya is a must...and she chooses to dress hijabi but western here. She is a wonderful muslimah role model, so if she feels she can fulfill requirements of hijab w/out an abaya, I feel I can do so, too.
I think sometimes sisters confuse culture with Islam, thinking the abaya is the epitome of Islamic dress. As long as our clothing is loose, covers our bums, and shows nothing but our face, hands, and feet, though, I don't think we need to fret about not looking "islamic" in the middle eastern fashion sense. Muslimah sisters from Asia for example have their own unique dress but are no less Muslim! Why can't American or "western" sisters have their own individual dress as well?
-Umm Noah
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