Miss Hijabi

It feels slightly weird stepping out of the traditional black abaya after so long, but I have to say it is a welcome change. I feel more modern, a bit fresher and almost as if I'm recaputuring some (just a tiny bit) of my youth that I lost along the path to having two kids (it wears out your body AND your mind!).

Abaya Addict sent me their Hi-Low striped dress to review (and scarf which shall be shown at a later date) and despite my reserved original thoughts of "my arse in horizontal stripes?!" I went ahead with my choice because the cut of the gown was intriguing and unlike anything I currently own in my closet.

I love the sleeves because they actually go past my wrists - all my tall people out there know what I mean when I whinge about long sleeves never quite being long enough. On a sidenote - I don't know what is going on... either my camera or my computer can't handle all the stripes because it has kinda turned some longer pics of the striped dress into grids. The dress isn't like that in real life, just a heads up.

I wanted to break up the stripes a bit so I wore a crocheted vest over the top (nearly wrote "crotch vest" there - awkward) and a heavily beaded necklace to tie in the green skirt. I know a lot of people would wear skinny jeans with a design like this but I thought a nice flowy skirt would be more akin to my personal style. That and these legs ain't ready for skin tight trousers any time in the next forever.

I wore this outfit to my baby shower last week; pics of which I shall share later but lets just say it involved a lot of cake. As good as it was (it was pretty damn great) I left feeling like eating a million oranges, dipped in avacado and held together with lettuce. Since then I have been on a bit of a much needed health kick in order to look after myself better. Here's hoping I stick to it and keep it up because I have been needing to kick myself into gear for a few years now.

Details

Dress/Top ~ Abaya Addict

Scarf ~ Bel Vestito

Necklace ~ Colette Hayman

Rings ~ Random

Skirt ~ Target

Flats ~ No! Shoes

Nails ~ Revlon in Posh

Giveaway Time!

~~If you loved the striped Hi-Low dress as much as I do (and I do!) and want one for yourself then complete the easy steps below as Abaya Addict is giving one away to a MissHIjabi.com reader.~~

~~Like BOTH MissHijabi.com and Abaya Addict on Facebook~~
~~Enter your Facebook name in the comments below when you have liked both pages.~~

~~The giveaway is open for two weeks - check the regular updates on Facebook as the winner will be announced there. Good luck chickies!~~ Winner is Katya Collinson.

Islamic Design House, a UK based company, sent me one of their abayas to review from their casual collection. Unfortunately they didn't have anything in my length and I'm not a fan of my ankles awkwardly hanging out of any kind of dress so I instead had my friend, who is a little bit shorter, choose a piece of her liking and had her model the abaya for me.

Let me just say, taking pics of someone else is by far so much easier and quicker than photographing myself with a tripod. This is probably the quickest review I have done because I didn't have to muck around doing both jobs. Such a breeze!

The colour scheme is very gentle on the eye and suits the Western palette a lot more than the traditional all black abaya does, so I applaud them for that. It's a good easy option for those who want to get into wearing abayas in the West but maybe are not quite ready to don the full black abaya as yet.

Structurally, the abaya is extremely well made and stitched although the fabric is not my friend. I ironed this piece about an hour before taking these pics, even added a little starch due to the nature of the fabric, but it did crease and line up a little with instant wear and movement. The top section, which is made from a different material, stayed ironed and was no trouble at all. A softer, slinkier fabric for the bottom section would've been more ideal but it is very light weight and breezy to wear, so you can see why they choose this material - very handy for the warmer months.

If you like that kind of structured design then Islamic Design House abayas are right up your alley. Design-wise this abaya wasn't exactly representative of my tastes so I had to make it more feminine by adding a floral hijab, a long girly necklace and pretty clutch to dress it up more to my liking.

I know a lot of women love a more casual, every day type abaya to wear on a regular basis so this would tick a lot of boxes for some of you. Personally, I prefer their very graceful Sophia Collection. Check that one out for some really stunning abayas!

You can now get 10% off at Islamic Design House simply by mentioning the code MISSHIJABI.

Details

Abaya ~ Islamic Design House

Necklace ~ Dunno

Clutch ~ Palestyle

Hijab ~ Egypt

Dear Lord, I have a big head. Usually I can squish it down somewhat with a long scarf but this fitted hijab just brings out the beast in my cranium. Whatevs. The thing works. That's the main thing.

Big head it is...

So when Capsters emailed me about reviewing one of their sports specific hijabs I immediately said yes as I do with a good 99% of companies that come my way, but then I had to stop myself. Shit. I don't even do sports. I barely even move unless walking to the fridge counts. And that bothered me a bit because I like to consider myself as a genuine person and coming on here promoting a sports hijab when I am a couch potato seemed like the fakest, most ingenious thing I could offer up to you (my readers) or to myself.

Dilemma indeed. So instead of declining their offer on the basis of being self-deceitful I decided to use it as motivation to get off my couch and out into the big scary world of fitness. I'm pretty sure my body went into confusion as I slipped on the walking shoes. I might have even heard my feet frantically sigh "WTF are these?" as they raised a worried eyebrow to me. It's been that long.

I threw the kids in the pram (not literally - that would constitute child abuse) and headed for the park where I walked the circuit of the reserve twice - a grand total of 3.2km. I felt so proud of myself and even continued the change by making a huge fruit smoothie from scratch when I got home.

The next day I approached my treadmill. I turned it on. I ran. Not for long though. I got so bored. I'm running and going nowhere I thought to myself as I stared at a wall. I opted for the park circuit instead and have been going back every few days, eating better and so on... basically just introducing a little more health into my life.

Enter the hijab. I choose the Runner because it suited the activity I was doing more so than any other. They have hijabs dedicated to the surfer, swimmer, aerobiciser (word?), team player, etc. I am more of a walker than a runner at this moment but it did the job nicely. The material is very light, stretchy and enables your sweaty head to keep cool when exercising. A lot of careful thought has obviously gone into the design and structure of these hijabs. They are not a flimsy quick-fix sports hijab like the poorly made ones I have seen in the past. This has to be the best quality sports hijab line on the market. I only wish they would extend their services into sportswear and make full outfits for exercising in since they seem to have the hijab design down to a tee.

I played around with it a bit and used the scarf Abaya Addict sent me recently to create an undercap/scarf look to fit the Capster piece more into my style. For this reason I chose the all black version (it comes in five different colour combos).

You do have to wear a high necked shirt of some sort because the hijab isn't very long at all mainly due to, I suppose, the fact that this isn't a fashion scarf; it is purely designed for athleticism and therefore needs to be short and fitted for safety reasons. You don't want someone accidentally choking you with your own scarf on the soccer field. That reminds me, I used to play soccer in high school. The whole time I played I only ever once scored a goal... for the other team. I was that hopeless and embarrassing. Worse still was having to keep running on the field listening to the people on the sidelines laugh, beep their parked car horns and jeer. Hence my long term couch potatoism. The couch never judged me.

Details

Sports hijab ~ Capsters

Scarf ~ Abaya Addict

Sunglasses ~ Bvlgari
Ring ~ San Stefano, Egypt

After what seemed like an eternity choosing this kaftan, then settling on a fabric colour (there were so many options design-wise and colour-wise that I found it incredibly hard to narrow it down to merely one option) I received it in the post last week or so and finally got around to reviewing it. It is honestly such a battle to find time when both kids are asleep simultaneously, thus granting me a rare opportunity to get through my very long list of reviews piling up at home. I know I seem to say this every time, but finding that small amount of me/alone time is increasingly difficult. If you have more than one kid then you will know what I mean.

This particular kaftan was custom made and sent to me by Facebook based company Bel Vestito who specialise in abaya and kaftan replicas. They were so patient and helpful with me, especially considering how I kept umming and ahhing with my annoying indecisiveness when deciding which design to choose. In the end, I was guided into settling on this greeny turquoise beauty...

The handmade beading/crystal embellishments are quite elaborate, as are the four roped ball/bead combo tassels that hang down at the front and rear of the gown. They create a very unique feature to the kaftan that I haven't seen used elsewhere. A few crystals had come off the design during shipment, but I was given a small bag of spare crystals to use as replacements when needed. Thankful for that! I wish more companies included spare buttons/crystals, etc because they really are quite handy to have tucked away.

The gorgeous design is multi-layered, featuring a long sleeved silky slip to wear under the gown which hides under the many layers of turquoise chiffon. The material is thin but good quality but does snag easily (as most kaftan material does) so keep sharp jewellery away (not that you would need to wear any with this. It is so heavily decorated that any jewellery would be overwhelming).

Above - left pic displays the front, while the right pic displays the back of this beautiful garment.

The decorations are quite blinged out (which I love - I am definitely not afraid of the fancy) so obviously this is a dress made for weddings, parties, etc. I don't know of anyone getting married soon, but if I did I would probably end up wearing this with some saparkly gold or nude hued heels.

The kaftan also came with a matching scarf that you can see featured in a recent review I did here a couple weeks ago for Abaya Addict. The colour is pretty much perfect for me if I do say so myself. I'm so glad I ended up choosing this one.

Check out Bel Vestito on Facebook for their multitude of other designs. You can also follow them on Instagram like I do @belvestito.

What do you think of this princess style design? Would you wear an elaborate piece like this?

So I was supposed to go to a friend's baby shower this weekend but the universe basically kicked me in the face and destroyed any chance of that happening. I got all dressed up in this outfit below, got my nails done, hair styled, basic makeup on - the works - only to get in the car and have the GPS conk out on me after five minutes (couldn't find a bloody signal), leaving me driving aimlessly down an unknown highway; lost, extremely late and confused. I gave up.

Pissed off, I went back home and instead took some pics for this review. No need to waste a good outfit, I suppose.

One of my favourite abaya companies, NA Exclusive Abayas, (that I have reviewed for before and before) sent me this black sequined baby. It comes in a pretty much limitless colour combination but I went for the classic all black on black with silver blinged out flowers cinching me in on each side of my waist to get some shape going on.

Obviously a night-time piece, it goes perfectly with a pop of colour added in thanks to my giant pink tiered ring and pink/chocolate mixed nails that I hurriedly did before leaving in the car. I tried to keep it to a minimum considering how much of a show stopper this abaya is. It's definitely not good to go overboard with the accessories.

This is such a princess style piece. I genuinely love all of the abayas they have sent me. A few of my good friends have also bought a few abayas each for themselves as well after seeing my reviews and checking out the abayas I had at my house. I will always recommend this company to anyone looking to buy a good abaya at a good price.

On a side note, I have another abaya of theirs to review this week so make sure you check back to get a look at a different design of theirs.

Details:

Abaya ~ NA Exclusive

Ring ~ Diva

Nails ~ Sportsgirl in Milkshake & Pink

Last night my hubby and I went on a date. I was so excited. My sister minded my toddler while we took the rare opportunity to eat in peace. It has been two years since I have sat down with him and actually enjoyed a meal and didn't have to shove the food down my throat in three gulps while restraining my daughter from climbing on the ceiling or walking to someone else's table, grabbing their chips and throwing it at them while laughing.

To be honest, going out to eat with her in public is pretty dreadful. It is stressful and embarrassing. Even now while I am typing this she is walking across my stomach, pulling out my hair with one hand and tapping me on the head with her dinner spoon with the other as if my cranium is her personal drum kit.

Just got choked.

We went to Kaza Blanca Grill, a local place in Fremantle that serves up some good Moroccan food. So good in fact that I actually ate salad there. I never eat salad because a plate of tiny mixed vegetables is about as exciting as watching a pair of flies mate on your kitchen bench (it happened today) but their tabbouleh was incredibly fresh and tasty. I never knew garden offerings could be so delicious, especially when sitting on crunchy bread, smothered in hummus.

So we got that for an entree along with some warak enab (which they strangley call "Dolmar". I didn't think that was an Arab name for wrapped vine leaves). For mains, I ordered a kefta tagine. Hubs got the mixed grill. Being the good wife that I am, I helped him eat it.

I wore an Amirah Fashions abaya; one that I seem to wear the most out of all my abayas because to date it is my only plain black one (I pulled the decorative buttons off it since the review to have it match more of my scarves).

My crochet vest went on top, followed by one very silky tie-dyed scarf from colour queen herself; Dian Pelangi. Evidently I was going for a relaxed bohemian-hippy style to match the restaurant's chilled atmosphere and took along my comfy dark caramel bag that I picked up in Malaysia.

Accessories up close. I love the texture to this silk Indonesian scarf.

Details

Abaya ~ Amirah Fashions

Bag ~ Bonita Malaysia

Scarf ~ Dian Pelangi

Necklace ~ Old

Vest ~ Jay Jays

Ring ~ Lovisa

Cuff ~ Old

Today I took my son to get circumcised - a rite all Muslim males experience for the most part. I was nervous leaving him behind in a room with the doctor, knowing he was going to be cut open and screaming but they have a policy of not letting the parents in during the procedure. I can understand why, but at the same time it makes you feel shit as a mother not being next to your child when they need you the most. Walking out of that room, kissing him on the head as he smiled at me with those pretty blue eyes and knowing what was coming next was the worst feeling. I felt like I was abandoning him.

Getting him home and having to unsuccessfully comfort him while he screamed and screamed every time he moved his little legs was beyond horrible. At one point I started crying because I didn't know what to do for him. I felt utterly useless and began questioning the whole point of having it done. Yes, it is a religious tradition but does it have to be such a painful one? Even now the guilt hasn't left me.

The pain the poor little babies have to go through... it's such a cruel thing to do to such an innocent child. A little more research into the matter thanks to a little late night iPhone Wikipedia reading brought to me the fact that a lot of people get it done when their children are older. Older as in ten years old. I was pretty stunned at that. It's bad enough for an infant to go through, but a grown child? Ouch. I've even heard of adults getting it done. Bit late in the game, but whatevs.

Ancient Egypt was one such place where adult circumcision was the norm. As was letting your arms grow to six feet long.

On a side note; I love the guys on the left. Just exactly how restraining do you think that hold is?

The real worry for me is waiting for this painful ordeal to be over for him. I'm told in a week's time he should be back to normal, but a week is a long time for such a little person to handle. I'm just praying the healing is quick and uneventful, insha'Allah.

I keep stressing and worrying that the wound is going to split open; that it is going to get infected and fall off. A tad dramatic, I know, but this is the first time any of my children have been in pain like this and it is (naturally) not sitting very well with me.

If you have sons, would you mind sharing your experiences with me about this? How long did it take to heal? Were there any hiccups? Did you feel incredibly guilty about it like I do now? Can you never cut a cucumber again?

You know how you have that one dress that is too glam to wear for your usual events? Well, this is mine. In order to rectify this situation, one of you guys out there needs to have a party and invite me to it. Or allow me to gatecrash. Either of the two will do.

In the meantime I will just have to sparkle at home in this beauty until the right event comes along. Ramadan and Eid are just around the corner...

NA Exclusive Abayas once again sent me this baby. It's very much in the same elegant style of the black sequined abaya that sent me that I reviewed here, the only difference being the black embellishments have been replaced with an African themed tiger stripe pattern of bronzed gold and black (they also sell a cheetah print version in the same colours).

Same as before; their designs are well made, fit like a custom-made dream, etc. You get it with these guys by now. I've reviewed for them three times before (this is the fourth) and each time I have never been disappointed with the design or quality.

What I particularly love about this design is the cut. It gives you a little shape without being immodest and tight thanks to the clever draping and folds in the fabric. Such a smart silhouette.

This gorgeous design normally sells for $149 but if you mention MissHijabi.com when ordering from NA Exclusive Abayas you will get a 10% discount! See, I come in handy. (ᵔᴥᵔ)

What do you think about the abaya? Where would you wear it to?

I wanted to share two things with you (the mothers out there) today. The first is a set of new Islamic books for children that I received from Mohsina, a Zambian author who writes books perfect for toddlers and young children in the Muslim Home.

I was sent three books, all of which can be purchased from here. The one I was most impressed with was the very colourful and simply written Simple Stories of the Prophets which teaches children in a very simplistic way about the lives of the Prophets - sort of like a first introduction if you like.

Each double page includes a short story and bright illustrations to catch your little reader's attention. These would be great your own kids or to purchase as gifts for others during the upcoming Ramadan/Eid.

Buy from here or email the author herself (mos.nosarka@gmail.com) to find out more about these cute little books.

Now for the second thing I wanted to share with you, or more specifically one of you lucky ladies out there! MissAbaya.com want to give one MissHijabi.com reader (our websites sound like sisters, lol) an abaya for themselves and one for a special little girl in your life.

These duo pink abayas are the cutest ensemble for a little matchy-matchy dressing for two.

The winner will get the Little Miss Muffin abaya that has sizes catered for 4-9 year old girls, while also receiving the adult version of this piece; Miss Strawberry. Such a cute pair, right?

To enter you must complete all of the following steps:

Like MissHijabi.com on Facebook
Like MissAbaya.com on Facebook
Leave your Facebook name in the comments below

After a week or so, I will search through the names randomly to pick a winner and announce it via Facebook. Good luck to all the fellow Mummies!

After mentioning in the last Islamic Design House review that I loved their Sophia Collection more than the piece I was sent, I was gifted a piece of choice from the said line. I chose the black & gold design ($122) for it's elegant simplicity (with a side of pizzazz).

This design is so much more in line with my personal style. It's a more mature, formal style that I adore.

The top half is ladden with champagne hued sequins; the rest of the abaya being clad in plain black. There are ties hidden on the inside which allows you to wear the abaya as loose or as tight as you want around the waist. I have it pulled in on mine to give more shape, as I tend to do.

It goes perfectly with my Steve Madden heels that I never really had anything to match with. They're pretty much the same colour as each other - both as shiny as well.

Obviously this can easily be worn as a night/going out ensemble but I feel due to the sequins being a dull shine that it can also pass, if dressed down a bit, as a casual ladylike day time piece as well as it isn't too glitzy.

The quality is perfect, as is the design. The only issue is that their longest size is still a tad too short for me but I love it so much that I make do with it and wear it anyway. It stops at my ankles (usually I prefer it to go down all the way) but besides that I'm all for this abaya because it is feminine and modern (thankfully the way most current big name abaya designers are designing).

It'd be great for Eid for those who like to get dressed up without being too flashy and decked out head to toe in bling. If you are interested in buying anything from their site, remember to use the code MISSHIJABI when ordering to get 10% off your purchase.

Details

Abaya ~ Islamic Design Store

Heels ~ Steve Madden

Jewellery ~ Egypt

After what's been a bit of a hiatus (just over a week counts, right?) I'm back with a little ladylike classic style from UK based design house, Aara. I choose the Rose Bouquet abaya to be sent for review and was told that it was their best seller. You can see why - it's simple yet classy and easily feminine; a staple for any hijabi's wardrobe.

Structurally, the abaya is a typical farasha style piece; loose at the back, while curving slightly to the feet. There is an inner belt hidden on the inside that tightens around the waist - the ones on the outside being purely for decoration's sake only, giving it a slight kimono-esque feel.

The roses, being the focus on this garment, are hand-sewn on very securely. The whole abaya in general is very well made and of high quality. The first thing I actually noticed about it was how soft and light the material was. Its lightness is quite impressive considering how much fabric is used here. It makes it easy to move around in.

It was completely custom made which is great for me because length is always an issue when buying online.

It kinda goes without saying that I love this design. It's so uber-feminine and classy and can be worn pretty much anywhere. I wouldn't say it is strictly a formal piece, being that I could easily see myself wearing out to have a casual coffee with friends as it isn't over the top in design.

I find it so incredibly pretty. I just want to sit around drinking tea in it and pretend I'm posh for second with my pinky in the air (the sweet roses get me in the mood for daintiness.). Is that weird?

Details

Abaya ~ Aara Website | Facebook | Instagram

Ring ~ Kenya

Sunglasses ~ Bvlgari

Nails ~ Revlon in Knockout& Bewitching

So my baby shower was about two months ago and I have been meaning to put up the pics because my friend Leonie who hosted it for me did such an amazing job with not only the pretty decorations but also the amazing food, all of which she made herself. She is crazily talented like that. If I was hosting, you'd be eating stale cheese sandwiches and perhaps a glass of milk, watered down and rationed out World War One style to make it last longer because I do not bake well.

I did post my outfit pic for the day, which you can see here.

Anyhoo... feast your eyes on all this blue beauty for my baby boy (whose name you can probably guess from the table decorations).

The cake - complete with a hard chocolate base. Let me repeat myself by letting you know my friend made it herself. Amazeballs. I keep trying to convince her to start up her own baking business because her cakes have got it going on.

The cute setting...

Small pavlova cups, lolly jars, choc eggs, cupcakes, further sweets and fruit punch.

Egg sandwiches. These, my friends, are the best sandwiches in the world that my friend Fiorella makes. I tried making them at home and failed. Yes, I can not for the life of me master a simple egg sandwich. Head is already hung in shame.

A friend sitting next to me when we were eating told me she ate the last of the sandwiches. I told her she was a total bitch. She laughed. I didn't. #fatso

Sugar overload.

Pastries.

Cupcakes for my baby boy, my little man, my chubba bubba... you get the idea - I love the guy.

Homemade white chocolate cake pops. Dear Lord, these were good. I tried making them at home and posted the failure on Instagram. "Stabbed breasts" may come to mind if you follow me there; if not check out my unsuccessful baking attempt here.

Delizioso!

The cute paper straws, the cake below and awesome party bags provided by Fiorella; further complimenting the blue theme.

The party table below.

And for those of you shaking your fists and yelling "Haram! It's a dog!" fear not; we didn't eat it.

☆☆☆☆☆

A BIG thank you to my two lovely friends who catered for me so much on the day! You make me laugh and you make me fat. I thank you for this! Thanks to every one that came to celebrate the birth of my second child.

It was such a great, memorable day for me.

☆☆☆☆☆

Rich, jewel toned scarves will make any outfit, particularly paired with a dark ensemble; in my case a simple black abaya. These lace trimmed beauties you see before you are exclusive to UK based label Zananah and will not only be gracing my head today, they may also be gracing yours! Make sure you keep reading below for the giveaway where you can win two hijabs of your choice.

Zananah have designed two different styles of lace hijabs; Down by the Valley and Across Borders, both of which are available via their website in various colours. I went for the pink and purple variety from the Down by the Valley collection because the scalloped arc of the lace design really caught me eye.

The deep pink is very pretty but I adore the purple-blue tone for its subtle richness. It's not too bright, but still packs a lot of colour.

The fabric itself is very silky in texture and look, with a slight sheen. It is lightweight and drapes very easily. The scarf is long and wide, making it perfect for those who want extra coverage or just have more to play around with when styling.

Zananah Label are giving one of my readers a chance to win any two scarves from the lace trimmed designs, as linked previously. All you have to do to enter is complete all of the following.

Like Zananah on Facebook
Like MissHijabi.com on Facebook
Leave a comment below telling me which two scarves you would love to win

The winner will be announced via Facebook in a week's time.

If you would like to purchase anything from the Zananah site, please use the code MISSHIJABI15 for an instant 15% off discount. They have some really pretty dresses so make sure you check them out before Eid rolls around.

Details

Scarves ~ Zananah website | Facebook

Abaya ~ NA Exclusive Abayas | Facebook

Sakeena, the editor of HijabStyleandFashion.com, has just launched a new hijab book that is jam packed with styling tips, advice, pictorial style ideas and interviews with renown hijab bloggers such as YazTheSpaz and myself (Yeah, I'm a bit biased like that).

To celebrate the launch of her massive ebook, she is giving one customer the chance to win a very huge $450 giveaway that includes prizes from Haute Hijab, Capsters, Hijab-ista, My Halal Kitchen, Jannah Gifts, Styled By Zubaidah, Nisaa Hijab House, Comfijab, Munawwar Beads and Silk Route (Islamic Design House). The full list of prizes can be found here.

To be entered all you need to do is purchase the pdf copy of the book within the next 48 hours. The ebook is 135 pages long and sells for $10. It can be purchased from here. I received my copy and can say it is a good buy, especially those who are just starting to wear hijab and still finding their style.

Here is a look at the cover and the four page spread devoted to my ramblings.

A couple of things happened this weekend; those being that the lovely Lalla Loub featured me on her website Dubai Fashionista (go there to check out an interview with me and other Muslim ladies of style) and I went on a massive high tea adventure with friends that I had planned weeks ahead of time.

The whole aim of the day was to get ourselves overly dressed up and out of the house considering half of our small group is kiddy bound 24/7, me being one of them. Living in a culture where hiring housemaids and nannies isn't what we do (or are comfortable with), it pretty much means that an evening like this is a heaven sent chance to breathe for a bit - unless you are like me and have to take your baby along who ends up screaming for a good twenty minutes at the top of his lungs. That was fun. I ended up having to hide in the bathroom until he calmed down.

The whole day ended up being for me a bit of an unintended purple themed affair. Lavender nails, purple abaya, lilac tea cups... and a magenta clutch. I can class magenta as a pinky-purple, right?

The abaya, a Roselle inspired cut from NA Exclusive Abayas, comes in a variety of colours for $175 (royal blue, sea green, red, etc) but I went for the purple version after seeing it on one of her customers.

The Outfit

This baby doth shine.

Struturally, this abaya consists of an inner bet which secures around the lower waist, a sort of loose A-line streamed cut topped off with a chiffon cape-like covering that skims over the arms and sides rather gracefully.

Close up.

The tassel belt on the outside is purely for decoration.

YSL pink patent leather.

Look at all that glitter below!

The Food

We nibbled away at Origins down at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the city. They do an awesome high tea every weekend and even catered to our halal needs by making sure no pork was served and that any meat included was halal. The service is the best in Perth!

Two of my friends, also in abayas from NA Exclusives.

TWG tea selection.

Yay for clutches.

Get a little discount on their abayas by mentioning my blog when ordering.

Details

Abaya ~ NA Exclusive | Facebook

Clutch ~ YSL website |

Glasses ~ Bvlgari

Remember when you were an awkward chubby strawberry blonde girl in primary school and all you wanted to do was fly on your magic carpet, have adventures with Aladdin and look like Jasmine? Yeah, it never happened for me either. The closest I got was acting out childhood fantasies via the Aladdin movie toys that my parents got me.

The love for the mystic that was all things Aladdin never dissipated though so when The Sultaness sent me images of their latest venture; a foray into the hijab accessory world, I pretty screamed at that them that they had revived a little bit of Aladdin back into our lives.

A few days later she sent these treasures over in the cutest little polka dot box. Inside was a massive gold and blue ribbon and fillagree ring and plenty of hijab pins to keep me going. The pins I received (left to right) are Lush, Shamla, Ice Wow and Ibiza.

To be quite frank, I am not into decorative hijab pins at all. For the most part, the majority of companies selling them tend to shell out the same cheaply made, cheap looking pins that lack style and end up breaking after a few months anyway. They're alright for teenagers but as a grown woman I want things that look expensive (even if the price isn't) and exude a certain level of class. Enter The Sultaness.

Her pins are damn strong. They are professionally made by herself and her team, not pushed out one after the other from some factory in Taiwan or China. They are made with good materials and well sourced components. The Arabesque charms mixed with the colourful beads and strong golden stems are pins that I would and will wear - this coming from an avid non-pin wearer. I hope she eventually widens her business beyond rings and delves into the bracelet/necklace market because she has the design eye and cute charms to do so.

And I have to say - packaging is on point. If you ever need to buy small gifts for anyone then I suggest The Sultaness. Even the pins, as you can see via my Instagram account, were individually boxed within another box and ready to be shared with a loved one.

The launch party for the line, in collaboration with Inglot, is happening soon. If you happen to be in New York at the time you should go for a fun hijabi night.

Details

Accessories ~ The Sultaness Website | Facebook | Instagram

What do you think about all this prettiness?

I got to release a bit of the inner hippy locked away inside of me thanks to Bahraini based company Arabian Threads. Before Islam and abayas came along, I pretty much lived in bohemian style clothing ever since I was a young child, so it was good to welcome some of it back with this relaxed kaftan.

The stand up Oriental style neck on this kaftan is awesome. Usually I wear my scarves draped over the neckline of whatever I am wearing, but this piece really needs to be shown off so I had to tuck the hijab in to display the intricate collar design. The light metallic embroidery continues down the chest and along the wide half-sleeves.

The bottom of the lightweight kaftan is loose and flowy, making it perfect for any summer affair, be it a relaxed family barbecue or an elegant beach cover-up on a hot day. I'm planning to don this piece a lot more considering A) it is really my natural style that I don't seem to wear enough of anymore and B) it's a lot more Western friendly than the heavy-on-the-eyes black abayas that I tend to regularly wear nowadays.

The kaftan is semi-sheer so I had to wear a Carina body top underneath that I picked up from
Egypt to complete the sleeve coverage. It doesn't come with a slip to wear underneath so if you're a hijabi you may need to invest in one.

Arabian Threads, although based in Bahrain, do deliver worldwide via their Etsy shop. Most of the pieces are one-off designs so if you see something you like you better jump on it as chances are there won't be another one hanging around. Make sure you check out their other kaftan styles as well as they have some extremely pretty ones ready for sale. Personally, I'm loving these three below (look at that bright orange beauty!)...

Details:

Kaftan ~ Arabian Threads Etsy Shop | Facebook | Instagram

Hijab Pin Shop are giving away a hijab pin pack of beaded beauties as shown below. The prize, including two Swarovski decorated pins, can be yours by following the simple steps below.

To enter please complete all of the following:

Like Miss Hijabi on Facebook
Like Hijab Pin Shop on Facebook
Share this picture on Facebook (post must be made public for me to see it)

I will announce the winner in about a week's time on Facebook. Good luck everyone!

Whether you wear abaya regularly or not, one thing I think every Muslim woman should own is a plain black abaya. Not only do they go with any colour or pattern you throw at it, it will also take you through pretty much every occassion; dressed casually for daily run-around errands or dressed up for more formal type soirees.

Today I went for more of the boho laid back style, matching this NA Exclusive Abaya with an ethnic bag I picked up from a Malaysian street market last year and a scarf from Dubai's Sweety label.

Calling this a plain abaya is a little bit wrong on my behalf. Yes it's black with no embellishments, but it does have quite a sleek cut to it. The downward V at the waist and the mermaid-esque shape to the tail of the dress creates a very slimming, lengthening and elegant effect.

The back is a waterfall design that drapes all the way down, near to the back of the knees.

Worn with my super high Steve Madden wedges that I bought a few months back. These are so comfortable, unlike most high heeled shoes that I own. I love their slight 70's vibe.

Feline Interruptus.

Feet high-five?

My bag has taken quite a beating. It''s entirely made of fabric so it isn't the strongest of things. I should have realised that before chucking about 4kg worth of camera equipment and full water bottles in it. I love it despite the rips.

Details

Abaya ~ NA Exclusive Abayas Facebook

Wedges ~ Steve Madden Website

Jewellery ~ Lovisa Website

Scarf ~ Sweety Website | Facebook

Bag ~ Malaysia

For a very long time I have been searching for the perfect abaya that blends casual and glam. I seem to have two sections to my collection; one side is blinged out to the max with heavy usage of sequins and all things shiny, while the other half seems to drown in a depressing disparity of items bought years ago that are only fit to quickly grab milk from the shops in. I was on a bit of a hunt to find something that I could easily go out to dinner in but also wear on casual days, even if it does have that slightly dressed up look to it.

I had seen (and admired) this abaya on The Abaya Company's Facebook before they had even asked me to do another review for them, so when they did it was an easy choice. Received from the UAE two weeks ago, I have worn it about four times already, twice of those to the park. Yes, it may be a little too dressy for a simple park outing, but after spending most days at home wiping up literal crap I do welcome putting in a little effort.

Case in point, my husband came in for a hug yesterday and started saying "You smell..." and I was waiting for him to finish off with either a "good" or a "nice", instead I got a resoundingly awkward "...like vomit". I simply nodded my head in recognition, looked down to the chalky white splotches of dried baby spit-up on my clothing and shrugged my shoulders. Got little kids to look after. This is life. Sort of like that episode in Sex in the City where Miranda mindlessly wipes infant fecal matter on her face (See here... in Italian?). It's all about caring for them and not you. Mothers naturally forget themselves when it comes to child rearing on a day to day basis, so for this reason if I go out I DRESS UP. I clean up. Screw expected dress codes. I want to feel good about myself if only for thirty minutes.

The abaya in question...

The front of the abaya is double layered - the usual abaya cloth is covered with a black, slight ala tutu style netting that is finished off with minuscule metallic gold thread, woven into the mesh. The back of the abaya is plain black.

The gold belt around the waist can be pulled as tight as you can try and won't change the looseness cascading from above. From the belt to neck, the abaya opens up with clasps that are perfecting for breastfeeding (so convenient for me right now).

The fabric to the skirted section drapes and falls so incredibly gracefully, hence the princess type comment in the title. The photos really don't do it (or the golden embellishments) justice.

I don't even know why my eyes are closed in this shot. Was I crying? Was I asleep? Who the hell even knows...

The Wares.

On an ending note let me just say that I even had non-Muslims commenting on how pretty this abaya is and when they take notice you know it's something special!

Details

Abaya ~ The Abaya Company Facebook | Instagram

Clutch ~ Palestyle Facebook | Instagram

Bracelet/Necklace ~ Lovisa Website

Review and Giveaway - Abaya Addict

Review - Islamic Design House Abaya

Review - Capsters Sports Hijab

Review - Bel Vestito Kaftan

Baby Shower Black

A Moroccan Affair

So Circumcision Sucks.

Golden Safari

Giveaway - One for the Mummies!

Champagne Shine

A Ring Around the Rosie

My Baby Shower

Zananah Review + Giveaway

Hijab Book Launch + $450 giveaway

An Afternoon with Tea

The Sultaness's Treasures

Arabian Threads Bohemian Chic

Giveaway - Hijab Pin Shop

Boho & the Broken Bag

The Princess Cut