Opinion

A simple skincare hack to try this Ramadan

modestish

As Muslims have begun observing the holy month of Ramadan, it means that many will be practising their faith a lot more - whether it’s through fasting, prayer, reading Quran or being more mindful, Ramadan is a time where people often come together in worship and gain a greater connection to God. This also means that many will be performing wudhu (ablution) much more often in order to worship —and for people who enjoy skincare and makeup, this may pose a small challenge! Many of us can relate to the experience of applying a full face of makeup or skincare,…

Opinionbeauty, beauty tips, Hyaluronic acid, Ramadan, skincare, skincare tips

10 Twitter responses to France’s hijab ban on Muslim teens

modestish

On March 30, the majority members of France's Senate voted to outlaw hijabs on Muslim women under the age of 18 in public spaces in France. Naturally, Muslims, and non-Muslim allies across the globe took to Twitter to voice their outrage, dismay and outright incredulity. Here are 10 Tweets that summarise some of the sentiments felt as a result of this curtailing of female freedoms: Firstly, users pointed out that that banning headscarves ironically infringes upon a woman's freedom to dress how she wishes. While those who oppose the hijab often believe it is a sign of oppression, it is…

News, Opinion

Swiss burka ban is not about protecting women or security

Anna Piela

On March 7, 51.2% of Swiss voters approved a ban on burqas and niqabs in the country's public areas. The fact that the ban was passed during a pandemic of coronavirus, an airborne pathogen, which has forced humanity into masks, is suggestive. Functionally, the niqab worn over the mask does not provide any extra concealment, or security risk, than the masks most of us are wearing. Clearly, as with all the European burka bans to date, the rationale behind the Swiss one is likely to be less honorable than claimed by its advocates, and the pandemic restrictions highlight that. By…

Opinionburqa ban, niqab ban, politics, Swiss burqa ban, Switzerland

Watch: Zinah on influencers removing their hijabs

modestish

In 2018, veteran modest fashion blogger and luxury fashion specialist Zinah Nur Sharif penned a Huffington Post article called "Removing the hijab doesn't make you a bad Muslim". Almost 3 later, this has become something of a "hot topic" for discussion among those in faith-based communities and beyond, largely due to the number of prominent Muslim fashion bloggers who rose to fame as hijabi influencers, but since then, have chosen to stop covering their hair. "There's been a big hoo-haa about women removing the headscarf — the hijab, the veil, however you'd like to call it," says Zinah in a…

Opinionhijabi fashion bloggers, removing hijab, Zinah Nur Sharif

Welcome to modestish: a letter from the editor

Hafsa Lodi

Happy February, and Welcome to Modestish. My name is Hafsa Lodi, and I’m an author, journalist and stylist with a keen interest in the evolution of modesty in fashion. When my nonfiction book, Modesty: A Fashion Paradox launched almost exactly a year ago, it was a bittersweet moment. On one hand, my work was finally out in the world, available to buy, and accessible to interested readers across the globe. On the other hand, launching in the middle of the pandemic proved extremely challenging, book tours and events for the year were cancelled, and I had to lean heavily on…

Opinioneditor's letter, Hafsa Lodi, modest fashion, modest stylist, Modesty: A Fashion Paradox

Not all garments can be adapted to modest fashion

Riza Abdullah

Modest fashion is constantly growing and adapting to every new trend in fashion. Often trends that are thought not to be modesty-friendly are styled in such impressive and creative ways by modest fashion bloggers and their followers. But is there a line to be drawn between what garments can and cannot be adapted to modest fashion? Recently, hijabi Malaysian model and actress, Natasha Hudson, was heavily criticized on social media for wearing a form-fitting off-shoulder gown to a product launch event in Malaysia. She defended herself by saying that her shoulders were actually covered with skin-colored fabric and that in…

Opinionhijabi, modesty, Natasha Hudson

We need more modest stylists in the fashion industry

Riza Abdullah

When hijabi model Halima Aden announced she was “stepping down” from the mainstream modelling last month due to its misrepresentation of her hijab, she stated that the lack of Muslim stylists was a major issue within the mainstream fashion industry. She recalled photoshoots and styling choices which she deemed were not hijab appropriate and hoped to work with modest stylists that knew what it meant to her.  An article in the Daily Beast delved further into the issue, with Muslim fashion personalities explaining that mainstream production teams are rarely aware of the specific conditions and modesty guidelines that many Muslim…

News, OpinionDeborah Latouche, Hakeemah Cummings, modest stylists, Muslim stylists, stylist, trend, Zainab Irfan

Is it time to stop calling it “modest” fashion?

Ayesha Rahman

From shiny, latex pantsuits to crop tops with denim jeans, the fashion industry is changing as often as our Prime Ministers. And considering how ‘woke’ the 21st century is becoming with social change, adapting our latest fashion trends and styles to cater to the needs of society, this should come at no surprise. So, it brings us to question, should we ditch the ‘modest’ part of the ‘modest fashion’ label, and just call it fashion? Here’s why we should: Fashion is constantly evolving. In order to keep their buyers and maintain a happy relationship with their consumer market that is…

OpinionHalima Aden, prettylittlething, Ugbad Abdi

Must Watch: a powerful video on moralizing modesty

modestish

The internet has been abuzz since Somali, hijabi model Halima Aden's recent social media revelations denouncing how her hijab had previously been represented in fashion shoots. While her reflections were indicative of her own personal opinion and journey, many Twitter users took the opportunity to troll and criticize Muslim women's clothing and approaches to modesty. Dr Maryyum Mehmood, who is the Centre Facilitator at the Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion, at University of Birmingham, posted a Tweet about the lack of support and understanding within the Muslim community, which on one hand pedestals women who find…

Opinionfashion police, haram police, Twitter trolls

How Muslim sisters influenced my Jewish fashion journey

Sydney Winnick

I think I was 16 when a high school teacher of mine posed the question to our class “what is the first thing you think of when someone asks you about the Middle East?” I, being born and raised in the States, had forgotten my close relation with this area of the world. But in this same class, a few weeks later, we were given an excerpt of Girls of Riyadh to read, and I finally felt heard. Growing up Jewish, albeit more culturally than religiously Jewish, I felt a strong kinship to the four women depicted in Rajaa Alsanea’s…

Opinion

Do pageants contradict the ideals of modesty?

Riza Abdullah

Earlier this week, Somali, hijabi model Halima Aden made headlines across the globe because of her decision to “bow out gracefully” from the mainstream fashion industry, which she said often “misrepresented” her hijab. After posting a series of Instagram Stories highlighting her hijab journey, she announced her plans to compete as the first Miss Somalia in the Miss Universe pageant. Beauty pageants and modesty are certainly not the usual combinations of words that come together in a sentence. Historically, beauty pageants have been seen as competitions to judge and rank women on their physical attributes – a concept that is…

Opinionbeauty pageant, Miss Muslimah USA, Miss Somalia, modest fashion

A hijabi reflects on Halima Aden’s recent hijab statements

Riza Abdullah

The words modesty and hijab have two different meanings. Traditionally, hijab refers to a head covering commonly worn by Muslim women, which many believe to be apart of modesty in their religion. Modesty covers a much wider spectrum and includes, but is not limited to individuals who wear a hijab. Recently, Somali model, Halima Aden revealed her realization of where she had come to in her career, and announced that she was stepping away from the mainstream fashion industry. This candid revelation through social media of how she lost her “true" hijab as she grew in her career as a…

News, OpinionHalima Aden hijab, hijab, hijabi model, modest fashion, muslim women

My definition of modesty will be different from yours

Ayesha Rahman

What does a modestly dressed woman look like to you? Perhaps she’s wearing an abaya and hijab. Maybe  an oversized turtleneck and baggy jeans. Or possibly a long, loosely fit dress and turban-style scarf. The answer? There is no fixed image of what modesty looks like. It varies depending on you, your background, culture, personal beliefs and preferences. Just like whether you think the whole concept of wearing a woolly, sweatshirt over a ridiculously oversized t shirt is considered stylish or not, it’s a matter of opinion. And there is nothing wrong with that! The 1.8 billion Muslim population is…

OpinionAmena Khan, Dina Torkia, diversity, hijabi influencers, inclusivity

Modest fashion shouldn’t be an over-priced trend

Riza Abdullah

We all know that modest fashion existed way before mainstream fashion brands created their versions of it. What came to some people as a trend has been practiced by women of faith for years, who have been creating modest outfits on a day to day basis, because it’s part of their lifestyle and religious beliefs. Layering and oversized clothing are just some of the styles that were championed by modest-dressing women with regular clothes available in retail stores. Now, they have to pay extra for that? Fashion is a business. Business means marketing a product to look like what the…

Opinionfashion, fashion industry, trend

Minimalism x modest fashion — finding common ground

Riza Abdullah

The fashion industry is no doubt constantly growing and expanding. An industry that once only had two seasons now has new collections coming out every week. The increase in consumerism over the past few years has had a huge impact on this growth, and this has led to the birth of fast fashion. Fast fashion refers to the swift manufacturing of garments from the catwalk to retail stores at a very low cost. Fashion is a way of expressing one’s identity and creativity, however from the persepctive of retailers, it has always been about business. As the years have gone…

Opinionfashion, minimalism, modest fashion

Muslim Twitter reacts to Primark’s latest “modest” range

modestish

Last week, British fast fashion retailer Primark announced the release of its latest "modest" collection on Twitter. Nafisa Bakkar, CEO of Muslim women's lifestyle website Amaliah.com and contributor to the It's Not About the Burqa anthology, was quick to question the brand's choice of wording: https://twitter.com/NafisaBakkar/status/1310689997247438849 Many fellow Muslim women on Twitter agreed with Nafisa's sentiments. One pointed out that the fall fashion is already modest: https://twitter.com/Yung_Kahlo/status/1310693460857552896 Another raised the point that using the label "modest" may be counterproductive to making the fashion industry more inclusive: https://twitter.com/lil_pomegranate/status/1310849416291643392 Yousra Imran, author of forthcoming novel, Hijab and Red Lipstick, stated that the…

News, Opinionmodest fashion, muslim women, Primark

My modest fashion crop top styling experiment was a flop

Hafsa Lodi

Last week, I tried out one of Instagram’s hijabi style trends – though I’m not a hijabi myself. But the result, in my opinion, was anything but modest. One of the most interesting things about the global modest fashion movement spearheaded by Instagram’s #modestfashionbloggers, is the experimentalism that the movement celebrates and promotes. Women who dress modestly and/or cover their heads with scarves are using creative layering techniques to show that they can take literally any garment – even a strappy slip dress – and make it modest. One of the trending styles that quickly caught my eye at the…

Opinioncrop top, modest fashion bloggers, modest fashion trend, opinion

Modest fashion: is it more than just a trend? Dubai fashion designer weighs in

Riza Abdullah

A few years ago, modest dressing was a term stereotyped for the way religious women dressed, covering themselves from head to toe. Modesty and fashion were entirely incongruent in many minds. Today, however, the fashion market has become saturated with new and changing styles, many of which happen to be both modest and trendy, worn by both religious and non-religious women alike. So, how is modesty perceived today – as a trend or a wider lifestyle? Modest wear today has evolved to become a global phenomenon inclusive of people from all religious and cultural backgrounds. Modesty and fashion have come…

Opinionmodest fashion trend, modest lifestyle, modesty, opinion

Modest fashion blogger Sarah Dimani launches new platform centred on “healthy narcissism”

modestish

Fashion bloggers who post selfies and images of their outfits, complete with descriptions of their beauty products and designer clothing, are often deemed "narcissists". Even modest fashion bloggers, who specialise in skin-covering attire and are usually motivated by religious ideals, are sometimes labeled with this word. Antwerp-based modest fashion blogger Sarah Dimani however, is on a mission to change the negative connotations associated with the phrase "narcissist" and has labeled her new creative platform "The Narcist". Read on to find out how she defines this term: "A few years ago when I was studying, somebody called me a narcissist and…

Muses, Opinionmodest fashion, narcissism, Sarah Dimani, The Narcist

The leggings conundrum – are leggings modest?

modestish

I'll start off by reiterating the fact that modesty is subjective, and holds different meanings to different women. The following reflects my personal, admittedly biased, and culturally-influenced opinion: I'm starting to sense a trend in the realm of modest fashion, especially when it comes to social media influencers identifying as modest fashion bloggers. Many are following streetwear and athleisure trends that include leggings - which by nature, are skin-tight and form-fitting. These are often paired with shorter tops or sweatshirts, which fall at the waistline or at the hips. Now, for as long as I can remember, dressing modestly, for…

Opinionleggings, modest fashion