Style, modesty, and self

q8penpals

Junior Member
Salam, I have a question that I have not been able to get a complete answer to. I dress modestly in long skirts and loose shirts, but when I look to buy modest clothing (I shop a lot online) or "Islamic" clothing, almost all of it is quite "ethnic" - obviously Arabic, or Pakastani, or African, or Indian. I am not Arab, Pakastani, African, or Indian - I am Scandanavian by ethnicity and American by nationality. I have dressed ethnically for special occasions here in Kuwait and it is quite beautiful, but it is not "me".

So, how do I dress as a Muslimah, but still feel like I am ME? :confused:

Does this make sense?

shukran for any advice.

Lana
 

AishaR

Junior Member
:salam2:

I have the same problem sister. I am english & my husband is pakistani.

I quite like the idea though of having a choice of what to wear. Traditional clothing or normal modest clothing. I tend to go for long skirts & tunic tops and tradition clothing when visiting family.

Can you sew?? You could make your own clothes. It is quite difficult to find nice modest clothing, but as long as it is modest sister you can wear anything.

Hope that helps

:wasalam:
 

Hajar

Active Member
Staff member
It is quite difficult to find nice modest clothing, but as long as it is modest sister you can wear anything.

Assalamu alaykum sis,

I agree with sis AishaR that you can wear anything as long it's modest. And you should feel comfortable in it. There are modest clothes that arent so "ethnic". I sometimes even buy clothes at H&M...just look around :hijabi:

Wasalaam
 

Umm Aysha

*Strive for Jannah*
Wa alaykum salaam

I used to wear traditional dress (shalwar kameez) but found this is not really that modest, it still revealed my figure. So i decided to wear a jilbab...I dont have a problem now

I still wear my traditional dress, but if i need to go out jus put on the juba and go...:wink:

H&M good shop :) sis...

You can wear long skirts and baggy tops i suppose....if you find it comfortable...


wasalaam
 

MubarekMuslimah

Junior Member
ooh i like this thread

cos we get to chat about shopping! lol. :) :laughing-dancing:

I am english and my husband is pakistani - I tend to wear 'western' clothes cos this who I am and I feel most comfortable and is 'me'. For weddings and special occasions I wear shalwar kameze theres so many beautiful ones but I tend to go for the ones that I like rather than what maybe 'in fashion' in Pakistan for instance. I am English and a Muslim so don't want to hide my nationlity but there are some lovely shalwar kameze that if you get the right style and fit are very modest.

For the rest of the time as I said I wear modest Western clothes - H&M is my favourite shop! I also like Zara and any other of the usual High street chains - you do have to shop though and look hard cos there is so much we can't wear but its fun - you have to be creative! I like trousers - loose wide-leg ones, and I like to wear dresses over them (knee length) or long tunics. If something is long but shortsleevd I just put a cardigan over the top. I like long jumper dresses or cardigans over trousers for winter and long skirts with boots and loose top. If its low cut I put something underneath and I tend to buy all tops and dresses in the next size up so they are not tight. I avoid bright stuff or anything too sparkly but I love matching it all to my hijaab and using accessories - bracelet or matching bag or scarf pin. Its fun to be creative - get yourself a sewing machine and you can either make your own stuff too or adapt what you buy in the shops.

As long as what you wear covers all that it should, is not too eye catching or alluring and youre not too flamboyant or 'look at me!' then anything should be ok. I buy some stuff online too (specially long skirts) www.shukr.co.uk is a good site for fairly modern stuff.

Dress in what you feel comfortable in sis and enjoy shopping and finding stuff- if you find something suitbale buy it then and there if you can insha'allah cos I have learnt that when you go back it probably won't be there anymore! When I first became muslim I threw out so many unsuitable clothes and I got really depressed (vanity I know.,..:( ) with suddenly having to think about what I couldnt and couldnt wear when before I could pretty much buy what I wanted - but it doesnt mean you cant be feminine and creative, enjoy it looking for stuff and making your own Islamic Muslimah style!::hijabi:

Salaams

Layla x
 
Assalamalikum sister. Well a shirt and a skirt is not considered a hijab. Your behind has to be covered. The fabric has to be thick and not show the shape of your body. Well you dont have to wear Abaya or shalwar kameez. You can wear a below the knee jacket. which you can buy at different stores. If you are wearing a knee length jacket it has to go with a skirt . If you want to wear pants the length of the jacket has to be longer then knee length.So happy shopping. Also i see a lot of videos where our new sister wear head scarf but the shirt neck is a little low and thats why a part of the neck shows. That is not allowed.
 

BintMuhammad

New Member
Staff member
Islamic outfits for women does not have to be ethnic; although I admit, I love gypsy tunic blouses :laughing-dancing: My mom wears square pants and a thigh length blouse to hide the contour.
 

dna1987

Muslim Guy
Salam, I have a question that I have not been able to get a complete answer to. I dress modestly in long skirts and loose shirts, but when I look to buy modest clothing (I shop a lot online) or "Islamic" clothing, almost all of it is quite "ethnic" - obviously Arabic, or Pakastani, or African, or Indian. I am not Arab, Pakastani, African, or Indian - I am Scandanavian by ethnicity and American by nationality. I have dressed ethnically for special occasions here in Kuwait and it is quite beautiful, but it is not "me".

So, how do I dress as a Muslimah, but still feel like I am ME? :confused:

Does this make sense?

shukran for any advice.

Lana


Maybe....you can wear normal Western clothing ... and wear a cloak over all that :p Take the cloak off when you are with your family, it's ok for them to see you in jeans and a t-shirt.
 

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
obviously Arabic, or Pakastani, or African, or Indian. I am not Arab, Pakastani, African, or Indian - I am Scandanavian by ethnicity and American by nationality



Sister u are wrong in this..All muslim one Nation..and ur Muslimah and Armercian Nationality..yeah islam not only 4 arab Misconception: Islam is a Religion Only for Arabs subhan Allah..:astag:

[85] ....Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? But what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life? And on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do

[86] These are the people who buy the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter: their penalty shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped.

(2:85-86)
==============================

<1st> ur Allowed to wear any thing in ur House 4 ur husband only..and in in out house u must be wearing islamic wearing..

Not every kind of dress is permissible; because some designs may show the ‘awrah either because they are too tight or for some other reason. This fashion may be part of the dress of the kaafirs which belongs exclusively to them, and imitating the kaafirs is haraam because the Prophet :saw:(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” What I advise my Muslim brothers in general, and the Muslim women in particular, to do is to avoid these fashions, because some of them may involve imitating non-Muslims and some may involve showing the ‘awrah. Moreover, if women look to every new fashion, will lead to them abandoning our customs which are based on from our religion, and adopting other customs that have come from the non-Muslims.
================

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: I think that the Muslims should not follow this fashion and wear the clothes that come to us from here and there. Many of them are not compatible with the Islamic dress code which completely covers the woman, such as clothes that are short, very tight or see-through. That includes pants, which show the size of the woman’s legs, stomach and waist. Wearing them is included in the saheeh hadeeth “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: people with whips like the tails of cattle, with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait, with something on their heads that looks like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.” End quote. The hadeeth was narrated by Muslim (2128).
=================
The Qur’aan and Sunnah both direct women to cover themselves and avoid displaying their adornments in front of “strangers” (non-mahram men).

The Qur’aan tells the Prophet :saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Ahzaab 33:59].

Allaah commanded His Prophet :saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to start by telling his wives and daughters to wear the jilbaab (i.e., the abaayah or an outer garment), because he and his family are examples for the believing men and women, then he was to command the believing women to do likewise:

“That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed” means, if a woman wears the jilbaab, it will be known that she is a decent woman who covers herself and desires chastity, unlike the women of the Jaahiliyyah who uncovered their adornments and temptations in front of all men, so she herself would be tempted and she would tempt others, she was misled and she misled others,

as the Prophet :saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described them in the hadeeth narrated by Muslim:

“There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: men with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed but naked, walking with an enticing gait, with something like the humps of camels on their heads. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, and its fragrance can be smelled from such and such a distance.”
======================
<wasalam >

islamicfajr
 

Oem Soufiane

Junior Member
salaam aleikum oeghti,

i don't like skirts and loose shirts at all, i think it doesn't look chique (i can't find the word i mean, i hope you understand) at home and with my sisters i just wear my own style H&M and so on, and when i go outside i put on my jilbab, carefully chosen with nice sleeves and beautifull fabric, i still feel like 'me' and i know that what is underneath my clothes is a stylish young woman, and from the outside a stylish muslima alhamdoelilah! :hijabi: Just a black jilbab from egypt or saoudi, not from morocco or pakistan with all the colors and typical styles. I would recommend to go look for it in islamic book stores or masjids, better not on the internet, than you can't quite get a look at the fabric or the form, or lenght in my case, almost all dresses are too short for me, mostly from egypt or saoudi are fine and also made of the most beautiful fabrics. It's just a plain black jilbab, but there is a difference between them, just choose a nice one where you will still feel gracious and beautiful in.
 

Siti Naqiah

Junior Member
Assalamualaikum my dear Sisters (and brothers too..)
I suppose that as long as your clothing doesnt outline your figure and it covers up your modesty. It should be okay. =)
 

palestine

Servant of Allah
you're just gonna have to sacrifice what you have for the sake of allah. what i mean is- it doesn't matter where the clothes are from. you should not look at the clothing because of it's cultural values, but because of it's islamic values. i'm somali- i wear skirts. dresses, hijabs and so on. and some are made in india, and mostly saudi arabia. and it's because of the modesty of the clothing. you should feel YOU as a muslim. do not base what you wear on culture. i don't know what your culture teaches, but if it is to wear pants and let loose your hair- then throw it to the curve and take the islamic culture. but if your culture includes wearing dresses and skirts that are suitable for you then take it too while having islamic values and perspectives. i hope i wasn't offensive. jazakallah. salam.
 

warda A

Sister
arab dress

:salam2:

Dear sister
Brother Islamicfajr has given a very detailed answer, there is actually no arab dress or otherwise, those a just cultural dresses that they do not wear them anymore(am supposing you are talking about clothes you wear in the house)
but when we leave the house we wear muslim clothing, covering all.
i have been told that sheikh Wajdi from saudia said that you dress as the people where you live in,(not like the non muslims) example if you are in Yemen, you dress like the yemeny women, covering all in black and wearing the niqab but you could just wear the hijab but with the abaya not just long dress and long shirt, if you are in lebanon, they mostly wear long clothes with hijab, i suppose in kuwait women wear the abaya, so you should also go for that. the sheikh meant that you should mingle and not stand out.
You can wear abaya with light clothing underneath as long as the abaya is not light or see through.

I think most people confuse the abaya as an arab dress.
:wasalam:
 

Almeftah

Junior Member
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Since you are living in Kuwait ( just like me:) ) then you must know "Abaya" or Cloak. It is the best solution.
It may bother you to wear it at first if you'r not used to it, but u'll love it after a while, Trust me.
It releaves you from having to go shopping every now and then, Saves money, And you wont have to worry about your looks.
It also reflexes an image of Chastity and virtue.
 

q8penpals

Junior Member
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Since you are living in Kuwait ( just like me:) ) then you must know "Abaya" or Cloak. It is the best solution.
It may bother you to wear it at first if you'r not used to it, but u'll love it after a while, Trust me.
It releaves you from having to go shopping every now and then, Saves money, And you wont have to worry about your looks.
It also reflexes an image of Chastity and virtue.


Salam

You would think in a predominantly Muslim country this would be easy, but my school (owned by a VERY powerful Kuwaiti family) won't let the Muslim teachers (about half of the school) wear abaya if they will be seen - they do not want the school to look "too Islamic". We have one office assistant who wears abaya and she is not allowed to deal with parents.

I do have an abaya that I throw on for quick trips or for walking to the gym (ladies only, of course) or if I am just too lazy to dress nicely, but it is way too hot for me to wear black all the time (most of my headscarves are white or light colored).

Anyway, I have some long jean skirts that I wear with long shirts and it seems to work fine. I definitely do not dress like Kuwaiti ladies (I mean, those who don't wear abayas) because many of them are NOT dressed modestly anyway!

Thanks
Lana
 
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