muslim women Archives

Bahja Kadir on lipgloss, leathers and positive thinking

Zainab Husain

Bahja Kadir (@bmullaa on Instagram) is an 18-year-old hijabi fashion influencer from London with a Somali background, and her Instagram feed stands out as an exciting combination of street style and class. In a special interview with Modestish, she tells us about her fashion and beauty favourites (spoliers: faux leather and lipgloss!), discusses her thoughts on the power of positive thinking, and tells us there is one empowering piece of cloth in her closet that she has no plans of parting with. How has shopping for modest fashion changed over the past decade, in your experience? For me, shopping for…

MusesBahja Kadir, hijabi blogger, modest fashion, modest fashion bloggger, muslim women, Somali blogger

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

Meet model and co-founder of Redefining Concepts, Aminah Ali

Ayesha Rahman

Aminah Ali is a trailblazer with a mission to de-stigmatise modesty and cultivate a community of support and tolerance among millennial creatives. The 22-year-old Muslim model and fashion graduate at the University of The Arts, uses what could’ve been a barrier to her pursuing her fashion career, to drive her ambitions. “I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for my hijab,” she says. Negativity faced from her community, and being the only Muslim girl wearing a headscarf in her course, fuels her desires to break religious stereotypes within the fashion industry, and make a change. Who else can…

Museshijab, hijabi model, modest fashion, muslim women, Redefining Concepts

PrettyLittleThing hires its first Black, Hijabi model

Ayesha Rahman

PrettyLittleThing has introduced its first Black, hijabi, Muslim model to represent its new modest fashion line. The response on Twitter has been overwhelmingly positive, with users reposting the snapshots shared by model Billy Marsal. The UK-headquartered fast-fashion retailer loved for its affordable styles straight from catwalks and celebrity muses, launched its first modest fashion line last month, signifying a major step towards its commitment to inclusivity. Earlier this year, the brand also launched a dedicated website for its customers in the Middle East. London-based, 21-year-old Billy is reportedly the first plus sized hijabi model to represent the brand, and she…

NewsBilly Marsal, Black women, fashion, hijab, hijabi model, modest fashion, muslim women, prettylittlething

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

“Can’t Ban Us” — Haute Hijab launches athletic headscarves

modestish

"Can't Ban Us." That's the powerful statement accompanying the launch collection of Haute Hijab's athletic headscarves, a highly-anticipated collection that Melanie Elturk, the CEO of the leading US hijab company, has been working on for more than a year. Dubbed Haute Hijab Sport, the collection launched online this week — and while the variety of colours and styles of sports hijabs is newsworthy in itself, Haute Hijab aligned the new release with an important campaign: "Can't Ban Us is a movement born out of necessity; Muslim athletes have been – and still are – banned from playing sports in hijab. We're…

Brands, Newsathletic hijabs, Haute Hijab, hijab, hijab ban, modest fashion, muslim women, sports hijabs

Meet Malika, the Hijabi Lolita giving modest fashion a maximalist, fairy-tale twist

modestish

Home-bound, while social distancing and avoiding large gatherings, women are itching to dress up again, longing for the return of aesthetics reflective of whimsical, fairy-tale fantasies. Within this realm of maximalism, lies the niche and alternative Lolita style of dressing. Lolita, according to Urban Dictionary, refers to “a fashion from Japan that tries to capture the innocence of youth, and nostalgia for the 19th century”, and can be broken down into categories – gothic, sweet and classic. Lolita styles are undeniably eye-catching and highly exhibitionist – yet it’s evidently possible for the trend to overlap with modest fashion. 27-year-old Black-American-Muslim…

MusesBlack Muslim women, fashion blogger, Hijabi Lolita, Lolita, Lolita fashion, modest fashion, muslim women

Meet Rivka Sajida: the Muslim revert whose wardrobe contains Pride T-shirts and lace niqabs

modestish

Not often do you come across a Muslim woman who identifies as Queer, polyamorous, niqabi, and was previously Jewish. In fact, Rivka Sajida bint Yahudei (born Paige Davis) may just be the only woman fitting the above description (correct us if we’re wrong!) The 28-year-old lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and her personal style can be best described as eclectic, goth-punk hijabi lolita – with the occasional decorative face veil. Fascinated? So are we. Follow her on Instagram @umm.udh.dhibu and @RivkaZee on Twitter, and you'll find yourself endlessly scrolling to find out more about this intriguing theologian, scholar and fashion…

Musesmodest fashion, Muslim reverts, muslim women, niqab, Queer Muslims

“I wear a two-layer niqab when I want to look really marvelous”: how fashion influences face veils

Anna Piela

The niqab – the Islamic face veil – has become a high-profile garment during the pandemic, given its superficial similarity to a medical mask. It has recently taken center stage again due to masks becoming mandatory in public in the UK two years after Boris Johnson’s offensive remarks regarding niqab wearers. Political commentary dominates the public discussion, while little is being said about what makes a good, comfortable, and beautiful niqab. Do the fabric quality and weave matter? What about the fastening? And the layers? These questions may be particularly important to women who are considering wearing the niqab for…

Newshijab, modest fashion, muslim women, niqab, niqab fashion

“Almost all of my clothes are thrifted” says 19-year-old niqabi, Hafsah Penney

modestish

19-year-old Hafsah Penney has mixed Irish, Lebanese and Canadian heritage, and she is one half of the popular @radical_muzzies account on TikTok. On Instagram, she goes by the name @penneyyproud, where she posts cool street wear ensembles that combine oversized silhouettes with trending 90s icons and accessories. 1. Define what modesty means to you. To me modesty is covering my body for the sake of Allah first and foremost. With that I comes the feeling of protection; knowing that my body can never be sexualized. Additionally, it means that I can also dress the way I want and feel confident…

MusesHafsah Penney, modest fashion, modest fashion blogger, muslim women, niqab

The viral Vogue cover challenge isn’t all that modest

modestish

Lately, my Instagram feed has been covered with magazine covers. Not genuine covers that you’ll see in real life. These are not representative of magazines that are currently being sold on newsstands – they’re photoshopped, edited and overlayed images of fashion bloggers, made to look like they’re covers of Vogue magazine. And while the social media trend went viral, and then dipped out of style like most digital movements do, it’s still sticking around with a niche group of women: hijabi fashion influencers. They’re posing in their headscarves and stylish outfits, bodies contorted in the edgiest of poses, with their…

Opinionfashion bloggers, hijab, hijab fashion, hijabi influencers, hijabi women, modest fashion, muslim women, vogue, Vogue challenge

Discover the hijab-friendly makeup cover that’s new on the market

modestish

Women who wear headscarves and struggle to keep their hijabs pristine while applying cosmetics will be thrilled to learn that the ModBeautyKeeper has launched, providing a hassle-free solution to makeup-stained hijabs. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBD0O8TAm_d/ The product was founded by Nandi K Barker, an American living in Dubai, who noticed widespread demand among hijab-wearing women, for a beauty tool that would make their daily beautifying rituals easier. She came up with a cloth that's tucked into the edges of a headscarf, framing the face, providing a shield between the skin and the scarf. It comes particularly in handy when applying foundations, highlighters, blushes…

Brands, Newsbeauty blogger, hijab, hijabi, makeup, muslim women

4 books about modest fashion that belong on your bookshelf

modestish

In June, fashion journalist Hafsa Lodi's debut nonfiction book, Modesty: A Fashion Paradox, launched in the United States. Offering deep-dive into the world of modest fashion, from the rise of the movement and its key players to the numerous controversies it presents, the book is the first of its kind to present a narrative that combines history, culture, religion, feminism, social media and personal experiences on the topic of modest fashion. “Smart and journalistic, Modesty embraces the heterogeneity of fashion and of modesty to tell a new story about self-expression and freedom,” stated Foreword Reviews. This isn't the first book…

OpinionAnnelies Moors, Elizabeth Bucar, Emma Tarlo, fashion books, Hafsa Lodi, modest fashoin, Modesty: A Fashion Paradox, muslim women, Reina Lewis