[FAVORITE FIND] 2015 Modest Oscar Fashion (and your own Oscar buys!)

I don't own a TV or have cable service - you guys, anything that matters is streamed these days! - except for nights like tonight, when the Oscars are on and you can't obsess over the red carpet gowns.

Then again, internet again saves the day. A blanket thank you to all the media services out there who have top notch coverage of the Oscars red carpet!

A quick scan through, I've found the gowns I love and ones I don't. Since haters gon' hate hate hate, I'll leave the hating to other blogs and shows. Instead, I've listed my favorites, in order of "love" to "backup to the backup"

If you're a frequent reader, you know I love my sequins. This being a blog about modest fashion, I'm also all about anything with sleeves and long hemlines. Fortunately, the Academy Awards are an elegant affair and you can get at least one of the two in a red carpet dress. Sleeves, length, and style? You hit bingo!

So here we go with Farrah's review:

Best overall: Emma Stone

Except for the slit, this has everything I could want in a modest gown. Sleeves and sparkles and color and a fabulous cut (again, except for the slit, though I get it - sex appeal) - where can I get one in my size?

Best sequins: Anna Faris

SEQUINS! Be still my heart! Everyone knows my love for sequins - it's well documented throughout this blog - and Anna Faris hit it right on the mark with a classic silver ballgown with sequins. This is something I could see Audrey Hepburn wearing, it's so classic. While as a modest dress, we'd need to find some way to cover the bare shoulders and arms, but otherwise, it's perfect.

Bold color: Ava DuVernay

Have you guys seems Selma? If not, do yourself a favor and go see it. With all that the US has dealt with in terms of civil issues the past year, the movie is a great reminder of 1) what a group of committed citizen is capable of doing to change for the better and 2) we still have work to do, but we need to do it in a smart, non-violent way. Ava DuVernay's dress follows what seems to be the trend of the 2015 Academy Awards - the column dress. It's cut almost in a straight line from the hips, giving the person a more statuesque appearance (too bad they can't do this for guys, Kevin Hart). I love the elbow-length bell sleeves and the beaded embroidery across her shoulders and neck. And of course, color!

Best optical illusion: Solange Knowles

I don't necessarily love Solange's "dress" but it did make me look twice. It's a wide-leg pantsuit with an asymmetrical draped "window" style (I'm not sure if that's the right term but I remember seeing Taylor Swift's 2015 Grammy dress called that) that is a super win for modest fashion.

The Academy must have lost my invitation, because I am ready with a dress. Or rather, I would have been. I'd have gone the Angelina Jolie route - being budget conscious but stylish. Asos is my go-to for items in both categories and thankfully, it also carries plenty of sequin-heavy clothing.

A New Year's Eve Outfit to Dream About (While Sleeping Through It)

Happy New Year everyone! How did you all spend your new year's eve? Admittedly, I'm not much of a New Year's person. To me, it's another day with a lot of hype - I mean, technically, couldn't any day be a new year's day to count the revolution of the earth around the sun? I prefer to create my own new year whenever I feel like it or think it's needed!

I rang in 2015 in bed, having gone to sleep a few hours before midnight, waking up the next morning, refreshed, relaxed, and spent the next hour going through everyone's new year's photos and videos (my favorite were from a Facebook friend named Melissa, who posted a "dance floor" video of a living room full of kids 4 and under TEARING UP THE FLOOR. Now that's a party worth staying up for!)

However, if I did have plans, I would have ensured my outfit would be all sparkles and sequins and enough glamour to make me feel shiny and new. What I covet most is my friend Tania's Alice + Olivia emerald green embroidered hi low ball gown skirt, which she donned for her brother-in-law's wedding this past fall. I can't get over how ravishing she looks.

What it lacks in sequins and sparkly it makes up in spades in glamour. I've already told her I plan to borrow that skirt multiple times, even if it's just to go on a Target run.

Going back to sparkly sequins and shimmery clothing, I love the idea of wearing a sequin skirt - be it, maxi, midi, or full out long. I love this look below from A Pair + A Square:

Looking for a sequin, sparkly skirt that's a bit more modest than the typical new year's outfit? These skirts below are on sale - most are under $50!

I'm really tempted to get this one - my 32nd birthday is on its way! - but I've put myself on a restricted spending limit so any new birthday outfits might have to wait this year. Alas, being a grown up stinks.

So what would I have worn from my pre-existing wardrobe? Shimmery, sparkly gold eye shadow, long dangly earrings, and this top:

I picked it up from the Neiman Marcus x Target collection a few years back and it's still a resident in my closet. With the navy Sabine pleated maxi skirt I picked up last summer and a pair of ankle strap heels, I'd happily have subbed for a new year's disco ball.

While this top is sold out, pick up one of these sequin tops for your next big night out.

It's Alive! Frankensteining My Graduation Dress (part 2)

A day or two before graduation, the comment still on my mind, I remembered a neutral-colored pleated chiffon maxi skirt from Urban Outfitters that I owned. I layered long and sleeveless tops all the time - why not a skirt with too short a hem? I liked the idea of the play on texture - the pleats peaking out from under the angular hemline. While I meant to test the look earlier in the week, I didn't actually try it until the day of graduation - and thankfully, the neutrals weren't too off the mark of each other to work.

The real trick came in ensuring the shoes would be fully visible. Worn at my waist, the maxi would have covered my shoes and lengthened the hemline - giving the dress more of a gown look. I wanted the skirt to fall right around the longest part of the hemline of the dress.

So I did what any normal person would do - I pinned the skirt to my bra.

I'd planned to go a little bold and wear the dress as is - loose and flowy a la the Olsen twins in their early style years - but as my brother commented, I looked like I was wearing a tent. A belt was in order and I found the PERFECT accent in a gold metal belt from Asos.

Dorothy Perkins <span>Long Skirts</span>
Jessica Simpson <span>Pumps</span>

I'm VERY happy with the way it turned out. I felt like a hippie goddess with all the flowing sleeves and regal collars.

It's Alive! Frankensteining My Graduation Dress (part 1)

It happened! It finally happened! I graduated and walked across the stage and can officially say I hold a Masters in Business Administration from a top 25 business school!  I have been in school the entire existence of this blog and even before, a student working on her degree part-time while working full-time as a consultant.

The countdown to graduation began a few months ago, as did the anticipation for my outfit. I decided not to buy a new dress for graduation. I haven't had my eyes on anything lately - at least not in the dress category - and I also own enough clothes that I could re-wear something in a fresher way.

This is what I started with:

Which I've worn like this before (wide leather belt, tall leather riding boots, and an aqua long-sleeved shirt)

Hanging with one of my favorite bands, Parachute

But for graduation, I needed something unique. I knew I wanted to wear my new Jessica Simpson heels in Miss Piggy (a soft baby pink) and decided to take a chance on the pink/neutral/orange combo. This dress is a midi and part of it falls around my knees - definitely too much skin if worn on its own.

I settled on wearing stockings with piggy pink tights from Target with a blouse picked up from H&M.

H&amp;M <span>Button Front Tops</span>
Jessica Simpson <span>Pumps</span>

A few weeks before graduation, I showed my mom the outfit, to which she commented that my legs were still "bare". You see, I grew up with the belief that a Muslim women is covered when you don't see her form, not simply when her skin is covered. Acting as a typical child, even at 31, I brushed off my mom's concern when she expressed it, but the comment lingered with me...I didn't feel like I'd really modest-ified the dress enough.

But what to do? I wanted to wear the dress as a dress for an elegant affair - not layered with pants, and clearly tights or anything similar were out of the question.

The solution came in the form of safety pins and my undergarments.

**See part 2 of of my graduation outfit post tomorrow! Here's a teaser in the meantime!**

Reader Request: Eid Evening Gowns

A friend invited me to an iftar night out - essentially, grabbing iftar at a halal-friendly eatery (in this case, the wonderfully satisfying Burger 7 where I had not one but TWO burgers to break my fast). Conversation got around to what and where we're finding Eid clothes. I generally look for Pakistani clothes, which either my mom or me will find at the 11th hour, but I embrace anyone who wears American clothes to celebrate - because being American is part of our identity, in addition to any ethnic or other cultural practices we have.

Back to clothes...one of the attendees, Yasmin, is looking for a sleeved evening gown, and is willing to put down up to $150 for a nice gown for Eid. She wears hijab and prefers not to have to jerry rig any gown to be modest, but will do it if needed. Additionally, she stated she's looking for more "muted" colors, but you guys know me - I live for sequins and embellishments.

I put my finders out there and came up with a few options for Yasmin (and you, if you're also looking for an Eid outfit!). What do you think? What will you be wearing this Eid?

[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!

[Under $50] Tweets from Last Night

Last night I said this:

Off the grid for a few days while I dive into finals and my annual assessment at work.These things always hit... fb.me/1GU6UrWd6
— Greater Lengths (@GreaterLengths) May 11, 2013

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).

Long Skirts
Evening Shoes

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!

Full Tilt Tops · Nasty Gal Longsleeve Tops · Love Longsleeve Tops

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.)

Cardigans
Blazers

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.)

Cardigans
Cardigans

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.)

Longsleeve Tops
Longsleeve Tops