May 31, 2013

[Evening Gowns] I like gowns gowns gowns...

[Before even beginning, can anyone guess where I got that title from?  Or what it might be referencing?  Think song and big name rapper.]

One of Nordstrom's signature events, the half-yearly sale, is currently ongoing for women.  Depending on what you're looking for, it can be a great way to pick up one of a kind items for a real steal.  Our reader (and consequently, cousin!) Furheen requested we find a few cocktail and evening gowns.  Guessing that when you're looking for cocktail and evening gowns, you're hitting a higher price point than most items in your closet, we've gathered up the most modest or modest-ifiable dresses currently on sale at Nordstrom.

My personal fave of this mix is this sequin jersey dress from JS Boutique (actually, check out the strapless Adrianna Papell dresses below...those are some exquisite beauties as well!) because for a Muslim woman like me, it's nice to be able to wear something so beautiful with as little modification as possible.  This dress covers your back nicely and isn't so low in the front.

With either a tank top layered under and a cardigan, or a plain long t-shirt, you've nicely tailored this evening gown into something more modest.



Just a note - the prices displayed are the retail price.  Click on each item to be taken directly to the Nordstorm site to see the sale price!

May 30, 2013

Fill your closets with Zeena tops!

One of the hardest things about the summer is finding cool, crisp tunic-length modest tops to bear the (especially if you're in the DC - aw hell, entire east coast - area) scorching summer heat.

One of our favorite up-and-coming (though I might even argue they've arrived!) modest style shops, Zeena, is offering up a seasonal sale that's sure to keep your closet hot with style, but wallet cool with savings.  And I don't just say this because I've been working with them. (That's me!)

We've picked out our five most favorite tops currently on sale.  Can you tell by the size that the mint green smocked blouse is our favorite?  The white Essential Stretch Button down is great for a professional business look without skimping on...well, anything.  We love the long lines and loose fit, great for modest summer style.  All of these pair well with skinny jeans or tucked into a maxi skirt for ultimate modest summer fashion.

Click on any of the items below to purchase directly from Zeena - and tell them Farrah sent you!

May 23, 2013

Reader Request: Less-Skinny Skinny Jeans

We got a request from a member of the Muslim Mom Network, Samina, asking the following:
I've also been wondering how to join the skinny jean bandwagon without actually wearing skin tight jeans; tips for buying stylish but not tight pants?
Well yes, Samina!  If you're looking to join the skinny jean revolution, without looking like your legs have been painted denim-colored paint, look for jeans labeled, "ankle", "slim", or "cropped."  We've even had luck looking for "boyfriend slim" jeans.

These are all essentially skinny jeans with less skinny.  They give you that slim fit for under tunics, shirtdresses, or other oversized tops - without looking like you wrapped your legs in plastic - and allow a modicum of privacy that jeggings throw out the window.



FAVORITE FIND: Petal Jacket from Anthropologie

I should probably finish going through all the sales at Anthropologie before declaring a Favorite Find...but blame that on my excitement after the first Favorite Find.

Either way, you win with this Petal Jacket in pink from Anthropologie.  Marked down from $168 to $49.95 (Anthropologie's favorite number), this beautiful blazer swoops gracefully in the front and back with a hemline that extends well past your waist.  Call it a sophisticated version of boyfriend blazer.


What I love is how long this jacket is without feeling like a leftover from the 80s.  With a longer hemline, this blazer from Anthropologie provides maximum coverage without sacrificing on style or modesty.

FAVORITE FIND: Taylor Sleep Shirt from Anthropologie in Pink

You've probably noticed I've been all over Anthropologie lately.  While I usually like browsing through they racks, that I have two gift cards from a recent 30th birthday that are burning holes in my pocket.

Anthro has the possibility to make dressing fashionably, stylishly, and modestly one of the easiest things in the world...but oh, how it makes us pay for that possibility.  Which is why I'm happy to find this Favorite Find - the Taylor Sleep Shirt (in pink).


The polka dots with the delicate lace detail are nice touches to what could be an otherwise ordinary button down top.  While it claims to be a sleep shirt - and I'm sure it's uber comfy - it would be a great tunic-length top to throw over a pair of wide OR skinny leg pants, some flats, and call it a day - without spending hours in the closet, layering top over top to ensure full coverage of all the important parts of your body.

[Maxi Skirts] These are a few of our favorite things

Oh, Asos, you just get me.  Thank you for starting my day with this:


Because, I have been creating a list of my favorite Asos maxi skirts, and now they're available for an additional 20% off.


What I love about these skirts is they are long, full skirts and most importantly, the right blend of fashion to create a modest style look.  Ladies, I hope you enjoy!

May 17, 2013

Reader Request: Shirtdresses

Like their sweaterdress counterpart, shirtdresses are one of those items which have made their way into the mainstream, making it easy for women who like longer hemlines and greater coverage in their tops to shop.  They're a bit better than the average tunic.  They go with skinny jeans, wide leg pants, can be layered over long-sleeved tees.  And these days, they are all on sale and available in a multitude of colors and patterns.

Our top 5...okay 6 are shown below.


What are your top picks?  Browse our findings below and stock up!

Belted shirtdress:
Chambray and denim shirtdresses

FAVORITE FIND: Anthropologie Jolette Maxi Shirtdress

Finding something under $50 at Anthropologie is like searching for the white whale from Moby Dick- it exists, but you just can't find it.

Well call me your Ishmael, my friends, because I've done it.  I've found an under $50 maxi dress from Anthropologie.



With a long, sweeping skirt and full, roll-tab sleeves, it's the type of dress you can throw on for a quick trip to the grocery store, a date night with your husband, or a movie night with the girls.  The full skirt provides ample coverage and feels like air against your skin (you'll also feel like you're floating on it, with how great you feel modestly styled in this dress!).

Currently, they have sizes S-L all available.  Buy one for you, one for a friend, and reap the rewards of a modest summer dress!

[Modest Gym Clothes] Long workout tanks and tunics

Workout tops can be tricky for women seeking modest clothing, with the biggest problem generally arising from workout tops being too darn shorn.  Enter the running dress and tunic.

In the last few years, lots of greats (Nike, New Balance, Patagonia) have introduced longer workout tops and tunics that can be coupled with shorter gear to create the ideal modest gym clothes.  These tops fall well past the waist and generally over your bottom for maximum covered.  You get all the performance value too - these tops are sweat-wicking, to keep moisture away from your skin to give you a lighter, more enjoyable workout.

I just bought the New Balance top below for my summer runs and will layer it under a thinner running shirt, to ensure I'm modestly covered and comfortable during my summer workouts!

May 12, 2013

[Under $50] Tweets from Last Night

Last night I said this:


And then I styled myself an outfit for my friend Kate's wedding in June.  So, I lied.  Oops.  (But you remember how I get about school and procrastination).


The wedding is still 6 weeks away (I'm sure it feels like less time to her!) so it'll be a while until I post any photos...or maybe I'll do a dress rehearsal and post some early :)

I love this long, sea green skirt - it's so loose and flowy and FRESH, which is often hard to find in the stale, stagnant pool of black maxi skirts.  I plan to pair it with the cream lace cropped top (last seen at this wedding).  The skirt is only $25 from Forever 21 and the lace top was around $20 from Forever 21 last year.

The skirt sits high on the waist, so I can comfortably pair the cropped lace top without showing any stomach, important to a modest dresser like me.  Since the dress is long (it does strangely hang lower in the front than the back), I plan to wear my 3.5-inch Rampage Gersham heels to keep the skirt from sweeping the floor.

Looking to recreate the outfit yourself?  Here are some cropped lace tops to pair with those modest long skirts.  Let me know if you end up wearing the outfit yourself!


May 9, 2013

[Under $50] Stock up on Spring and Summer Maxi Skirts!

We're keeping today simple.

Do you like or want or need a maxi skirt?  Yes?  Awesome.

Do you want to spend less than $50?  Yes?  Awesome.

Are you looking for fun spring and summer colors?  Are you trying to maintain modesty in your style but still have a great sense of fashion?  Yes and yes?  Done.

(Click on any of the items below to be taken to the retailer.)

May 7, 2013

Reader Request: A Black Tie Affair (and a Well-Deserving College Senior!)

Our reader, Arfa Aijazi, our favorite senior at MIT and recently featured on the front page of their website for all her accomplishments, wrote and requested:

"Salaam! I hope you're doing well. I had a favor to ask you Mademoiselle Greater Lengths, so my school's senior ball is coming up on Saturday. It's a full black tie affair and I have a gown but I'm having a hard time finding a short jacket or shrug. My dress is plain so I'm looking for something embezzled or metallic: gold, silver, ivory, any neutral really."

Lela Rose

Her gown, a beautiful one-shoulder floor length Lela Rose stunner, will be in eggplant - a shade flattering to every skin type.  Without taking away from the ruffle, but ensuring a good modest look, long-sleeved boleros are the way to go.  The key is the search term "bolero" over "shrug," which generally brings up cropped cardigans perfect for a formal affair.

(Click on any of the modesty options to link directly to the retailer.)

Since color blocking is also in style these days, another route would be to add another punch of color to the dress (which might even go with Arfa's hijab!) in tropical shades.

(Click on any of the modesty options to link directly to the retailer.)

Finally, in a move I now call "Kate Middletoning," add lace sleeves underneath!  That prevents one front having to cover up a dress but at the same time maintaining a look of modesty - and on a dress like this, it should be a star of its own (like Arfa!).

(Click on any of the modesty options to link directly to the retailer.)

May 3, 2013

[Modest Gym Clothes] No floods here

Truthfully, there are some days I yearn to wear tea-length knee skirts and cute retro shorts.  There's a cuteness in some styles with more skin.  But for me, today is not that day and now is not that time.

At no time am I more thankful to have a religious obligation to wear long pants than when I'm at the gym.  Specifically, CrossFit.  We do a lot of crazy stuff and I've learned the more I'm covered, the better (deadlifts cause a lot of shin scrapes, from what I've seen!).  The challenge of being almost 5'7"  is finding long, modest workout pants (and I mean pants, not tights!) that don't come flapping up around my ankles.  It's not flooding, so I don't want to look like I'm preparing for one.

These are my pick for "pants most likely to cover my socks."  Which ones do you like the most?


Updated Currently Crushing On!

Love our picks but dislike when they're sold out?  We've updated our "Currently Crushing On" section on the right hand navigation bar.  Check out our latest Crushes!