fashion for the moderate (and economical!!) hijabi

I am a typical woman in some sense, which is the fashion sense. I guess its in our nature to like pretty things, colourful things, etc. I have always taken care in getting dressed. well actually that isnt entirely true. usually it takes me 10 minutes to get dressed. no joke, you can ask shahir. i mean, once u learn how to wear your hijab properly, you can even do it without looking into the mirror. and having a father who never liked to wait, it trained me to be fast, efficient and punctual when getting ready.

that being said, i like fashion just like the next girl. if i had lots of money, i would probably shop every month hehe. but i dont, because i try to be rational. there are so many more important things in life, so many more obligations and commitments that need taking care of. i learn to surpress my desire for pretty clothes and shoes and bags to the best of my ability.

however, i cant ignore my desires completely. so i learn to live within my means. After all the bills are paid and after money has been safely stored in the ASB, after i make sure i give some money to my mommy, etc etc maybe, maybe ill go buy something for myself. i feel guilty all the time if i were to purchase something, i even call shahir asking his permission if i can buy it when im using my money. once ive gotten past the guilt and i feel like i need the particular garment in question, only then will i buy it :)



considering the many financial restrictions on a newly working married woman in this day and age where everything is so expensive, I dont prioritise expensive designer clothing. its a personal choice i make, to wear affordable but nice clothing. I dont feel like im missing out on anything jst because i dont buy those nine westshoes or chanel bag. even if i had all the money in the world, its unlikely that id buy something that expensive. id rather spend the money on travelling or my children's education or the house or charity. (but who knows, maybe one day oooonneeee daaaayyy i may own ONE designer bag hehe IF its on SALE)

nway, im thankful that im resourceful when it comes to shopping and saving. i dont think that fashion is for the elite or the rich alone. i think middle class, working class (what class am i??), all classes of ppl can look and feel good. u just have to be smart about it :)



so i have this tailor in Bangi, she lives in a flat/apartment near seksyen I-cnt-remember-i-just-know-how-to-drive-there, and im so grateful i got her! she did my nikah outfit. she does good, neat work and she charges so affordably! i can afford to send 5 baju rayas to her without burning a hole in my pocket yay!! for a baju kurung she charges rm 30, naju kurung moden rm 35 if its full lining, rm 70. in kl, u hardly ever get that price. so thumbs up to may tailor from Bangi, K Nisha. without her id have to find another tailor that is affordable AND does wonderful work. And those kinds of tailors are few in between.

so i go find my kain at JALAN TAR. every woman should try and come here, if not, you dont know what you're missing. i love the crowded streets, the hawker food, the pasar malam atmosphere. i love the fact that i can get a beautiful 4m kain for only rm 40 and thats even before i bargained! if my mom bargains for me, i may get it for only rm 25 (i swear things there are that cheap. my latest baju raya, butterfly patterns was that price after ibuk bargained for me hehehehe). and tudungs there, sama macam jual kat arzu, i can get for rm10, rm 5 if im lucky. so you see ladies, with a little extra time and smart decision making, you can still find beautiful clothing for a fraction of the cost.

owh, and now that im married, i dunno, i try to be more moderate in my dressing. Shahir never imposed anything on me (though he doesnt like quarter sleeved shirts--that means nothing from nichi!!), i suppose i just felt like i should cover more since now I am a wife. Only my husband has a right over my physical self so I try to dress appropriately as best as i can. i still make mistakes here and there of course but insyaAllah i plan to get there and be a wel dressed muslimah.

so i designed a few jubah/dress. i love maxi dresses but the ones usually sold are either too tight/clingy/too see through. so i designed my own, in hopes that i dont look like a makcik or pregnant lady. i hope to be fashionable and appropriate at the same time! so i bought kain for rm 6 a metre, and the cost of making it was rm 45. all in all, the jubah/dress cost me rm89. not bad for an outfit which fully covers my body (and not partially covering it, as most clothes do nowadays).

besides JALAN TAR where i can find nice clothes and jewellery similar to the ones they sell at DIVA, i go to FOS, Reject Shop, PKNS Shah Alam, even Mydin. I buy clothes from mydin, and one of my more affluent friends thought it was really pretty and couldnt believe it was from Mydin. I guess when you just have to wear it with confidence and grace and style. no one would know where it comes from. and even if they did, i dont care. id b proud to say i got an outfit at a flea market. theres nothing to be embarassed about just because you cant afford the designer clothes. as long as you feel good about yourself. that is most important.

i know theres pressure to be the best, look the best, sport the trendiest things. we are all human and sometimes may succumb to peer pressure. but trust me, if you stick to who you are, you will always be beautiful. there is no one accepted definition of beautiful. you could wear your exercise clothes you had since high school and your husband could still adore you.

the point im trying to make is, dont lose yourself in your pursuit of fashion. dont feel like doing what everyone else is doing because you fear that if you dont, you wont be cool or accepted. there is always a way to look and feel confident, and you dont have to incur debts on your credit card in order to get there. :)

**btw, this is in no way meant to insult designers and designer goods. i admit they are gorgeous at times, and even i would like to have them sometimes. but upon further reflection, i guess id be heavy hearted to spend thousands on an article of clothing or accessory. to me, there's gotta be more to life than this. but that is just my personal choice. i still watch America's next top model, Project Runaway and the like. I will always appreciate beauty, even the expensive kind. but to me, the best is the affordable kind! :)