dirty snow & silk

This winter is so overly aged now, I think it is even tired of its own wrinkly face. The snow is finally melting, in all its dirty glory. However, in the meanwhile, I have ferociously entered an area of apparel that is made to protect oneself from the extremest elements, should one be abandoned at the summit of the Himalayas. I purchased two main lifesaver articles of outerwear: Sorel boots (mine are Sorel 1964) and a thick, hand-knit, half wool scarf. I looked everywhere online for a long, over-sized, fringless, and chunky wool scarf to no avail. Then, a wonderful lady on Etsy knitted it for me. It is beyond cozy and lovely. As for the boots, I saw a pair like them on a girl in New York and thought to myself, "those are so ugly, they're cute, I want them". They are a heavy duty boot company from Canada and (of course, those snow-hoarders). I now purposely walk through snow pile-ups like a boss.

I have too much amour for this wool, silk, and mohair Zara coat with lapels and belt, which is now out of stock, but can be found on Ebay.

Last week was Philly Fashion Week. There were different runway shows and event all week for all genres of fashion. I have a somewhat odd infatuation for menswear (Hey, my future man, please be quite ready to not entirely choose your own wardrobe, shukran) but my friend and I decided that a ladies Muslimah fashion show was probably more relevant, and it would be nice to support my sisters in their small businesses of promoting modest clothing, hijabs, and formal accessories for weddings, Eids, etc. Therefore, we happily attended the International Modesty Runway Show. There is so much talent among my sisters. I am fairly certain I could not sew entire collections of dresses so superbly. My friend bought a very pretty black dress from Nyala of www.nylii.com. She sells modest, modern, American pieces. We really enjoyed ourselves. I am so excited to attend the International Muslimah Fashion show in Hershey on March 20-23!

                                               

Our favorite part of the event was just to see the diversity of our Ummah. There were so many beautiful Muslim sisters from all backgrounds, let us always support each other, protect each other, serve our fellow human beings together, and actually become a unified Ummah. Ameen.

-A

Acacia Label: modest, elegant, quality gowns. Win.

Acacia Label most probably hates my procrastinating ways and have most likely lost all faith in humanity because of me. I meant to do a review for them in Spring and look where we are now. Hey, at least it has not snowed yet, right?

The Australian-based company (and I think Oman, too?)  has greatly expanded since I bought a dress from them, and their collection is even more beautiful. I have never been a very big fan of south Asian clothing (I don't understand the whole matching pants, both in material and pattern coupled with an awkward length dress concept), but long, sophisticated, ethnic gowns are right up my alley. The dress I bought is not even on the site anymore. It does not matter because I customized it so much that it was no longer relevant, regardless. The point is is that the quality of the dress is immaculate. The company takes your exact measurement of every part of your body into consideration and customizes your dress. They are very detail-oriented and make the dress look and feel like time was their closest companion.

I will be getting another dress from them soon, the "Cosmo Black" dress externalizes my romanticizing of the color black.

These dresses are very affordable and fair. They change colors, materials, lengths and are open to really anything to ask of them. The staff use your name and are very personable.

I wish I could model this dress for you guys, but it looks too good on me. Ironic modesty?

Pure chiffon scarf

Mint green paneling

Sleeves

 Hem of dress

Length of dress

Full length

Craftsmanship

Sleeves

Sleeves

Good quality custom gowns with a cheap flat rate shipping, ya'll, that's rare to find. www.acacialabel.com

-A

flat white & dusty pink

Autumn has arrived. It is getting cold, and it is just not my probable anemic state. The only gleam of light in this seasonal situation (besides it being a gift from God, thanks God, for real, I'm sure there is a very wise point to colder months) is that it results in a few coats, boots, and some semi-closed heels here and there. I have a few coats that I will share here this season. The one I have been wearing the most so far is the "Lofty" wool coat by Tildon. I love the oversized look, whether it be in the shape of the swinger style, cocoon, or A-line. I prefer collarless, though giant masculine collars are everywhere right now. As far as colors go, dusty pink and camel are my favorite colors in coats. Camel is fiendishly popular on runway, but I am finding it slow to appear in the average American store, especially at reasonable prices.

Coat: "Lofty" by Tildon

Heels: "Karlie" by Michael Kors in genuine leather (sold out)

Suede version here (personally, not a fan of suede)

Dusty pink leather version here

Wiser alternative here, here, and here

Lipstick: Dior Addict 545, it is a lovely, sheer, and feminine orange (discovered it two years ago in the department stores of London, that shade still has not made its way to the USA yet...but you can hunt it down online)

On our way to NYC, my gas ran out in the middle of nowhere. It sucks to be a procrastinator sometimes.

A delicious Flat White from Culture Espresso Bar, midtown NYC. (so smooth, even my little sisters LOVED it)

 Downtown B-more 

(Checkout Dooby's Coffee shop's new location on N. Charles street...GREAT cappuccinos, I know I seem to say that a lot, but really, very good)

And last but not least, this past weekend Sheerin and I met up in DC with a couple of other girls. I packed light because I am lazy, but I did not forget to throw these heels in the bag. These are called  Majisty by Steve Madden and come in different colors (I love it in "Blush Leather"). I switched into these in the evening, but a passerby was sure to inform me to wear sneakers to save my feet. Ma'am, I wear sneakers 43 hours of the week at work, so I do think I will take any opportunity to not wear them in any other setting ever in my life, thank you.

We of course stopped at Baked & Wired in Georgetown. They have really very spectacular cupcakes. There is always a line lately, for good reason.



Here are Sheerin's weekend outfits:

Denim on denim, love.

Watch: Tangerine boutique in Adams Morgan neighborhood, DC

It is FotoWeek in DC. We stopped at FotoNoma for the opening.


We finished the weekend with Sunday morning brunch. We ended up randomly selecting the absolute cutest French restaurant, Petits Plats. Two of the waiters were French and the other two were randomly Spanish-speaking (charming nonetheless). To be honest, we are highly uneducated in the beautiful French language, despite me having visited France and being somewhat preoccupied with the desire to marry one (I'm sorry, but who can resist a man with impeccable shoes and facial hair?). Our waiter had such a heavy accent on his English that it almost seemed fake, however, upon further examination we found that it was, in fact, not an act. Well, personally, I cannot deny that my accent is always genuine at any given point, but hey.


Mmm, poached eggs with smoked salmon.

Leather pants: H&M (love these because they are paneled and not entirely leather)

Sweater (pure wool): vintage

Thanks for visiting :)

Peace,

-A

steamed milk, scholars

Many of my free summer days have been spent arm in arm with a cliche of a story: reading books beyond my full understanding in local eclectic coffee shops. Either I am excessively enjoying my solitude to a hermit's level, or I am with another and speaking without a pause, until my drink sits lukewarm and enfeebled. 

There are lots of ways to express my feelings on the ending of this season. The following is the most accurate. 

SUMMER, DON'T GO. PLEASE. LOVE ME.

Sweater: Forever 21, buy HERE. It's only 47 inches (awkward), I stretched it to be more maxi-length. 

Bag: Aldo (old) 

Jeans: New Look 

Flats: similar HERE

Ring: Boscov's 

Shoes: similar HERE 

Mustache Hijab: Ross 

Clutch: Newlook.com

Aztec-print rayon pants/long knitted cardigan: anywhere, mine are from Ross (love you, Ross) 

Bag: Ann Klein "Petal Pushers" via Boscov's

Shirt: H&M

Flats: similar HERE

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”  -Henry James

that familiar conviction

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” 

― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Lunch at Café L'Aube, Philadelphia (great coffee, fresh, delicious food)

Sheerin- pants: NY&Co flats: Express jacket: H&M

Me- clutch: MMS via Marshalls shoes: Michael Antonio via 6pm.com, shirt dress/jewelry: Forever 21

Summer Brights

“Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. My name makes you want to tell me the truth. My name doesn't allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.”  - Warsan Shire

White Linen Pants: Calvin Klein, Orange Palazzo Pants: Asos.com, BW Striped Clutch: Newlook.com

Lazy summer brunch at a new local cafe.  And of course, summers are all about the brights and the lights, hence our vibrant ensembles- we love these colors. 

-S

"...poems by heart"

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”  ― Rainer Maria Rilk

I love late Spring. I was born then, knowingly, of course. No other season does one wholly appreciate warm weather than that of late Spring (unless you don't have four distinct seasons). Though, by the middle of Summer, gratitude is rapidly wilted. I've been taking advantage of these days as much as work stingily permits, and spending them outdoors with my family and friends. I don't usually have my camera with me, but here are a few shots. I went to downtown Annapolis a couple of times, more Philly, and spending time locally, too. Annapolis had delicious seafood (Subhanallah to the fresh crab cakes) and a sweet, cozy downtown with lots of charming yet overpriced boutiques. There were good-postured boys in white Navy uniforms everywhere and all seemed to know each other, so our large group of Muslim ladies were definitely attention-gathering (as per usual). Cute and friendly town, I'm surprised I had never went earlier! 

Sheerin; keeping it classic with a basic blazer, maxi dress, and clutch. I have a thin mint green oversize blouse with boyfriend jeans and classic strappy leather sandals by Nine West (really into that old lady look these days) with a casual bag by Etienne Aigner (that I bought on Ebay of course). The thick black and white striped hijab is from H&M.

-A

bride-to-be hibachi & hijab DIY impatient couture

We went to a local hibachi restaurant because of the cheap entertainment (who isn't impressed by fire from a somewhat safe distance?) and the large seating in celebration for my cousin getting engaged. The food was pretty flippin' bland, I have to say, but it was an enjoyable night. For dessert, my little sisters and I had baked coconut cupcakes from scratch (and by that, I mean I sat on a chair in the kitchen and directed my sisters what to do). The party and I were thoroughly impressed with the results, and I certainly did continue to talk about it for another few days. I still think baking is the unskilled cook's territory. I joke, baking can be almost an equal of a skill as cooking, at times I suppose. 

Anyway, I wore an oversize mustard colored sweater, which apparently is a men's sweater at H&M. I wore some plaid-like gray pants from Forever 21 and random jewelry I got online, with green kitten heeled pumps.  I had gone to the fabric store and went on an old lady shopping spree with my baby sisters. I bought a polka dot print material and purchased light pink lace to add on to it. 

I love how simple but beautiful Inayah's hijab details are, and decided to cost-effectively replicate. I liked how my polka-dot hijab turned out and made a few more. Fabric and the details cost a total of no more than $10 each. I very impatiently hand sewed the trims, but you get the point. There are so many average patterns that look beautiful with some simple lace or bead trim. I think next I will make a hijab with sheer leopard print fabric with a hot pink lace. 

-A

museums, colorful chiffon, etc

I went back down to DC with my younger siblings and met up with my bride-to-be best friend. My nerdiest sibling interrupted my day's plan of solely shopping, eating, and enjoying God's art, with a fervent demand to visit the museums. After an hour long car-ride election on which museum to visit, we agreed on the National Museum of Natural History. We had a pleasant time and it was good for the kids to witness the detail and intricacies devoted to make this earth exactly perfect for our species to evolve and, not only survive in, but enjoy and marvel at our its bounties.

Here's another floor length button down sheer cardigan dress. The loud colors are mildly entertaining. I wore it with a long black dress, a nude georgette hijab, cuff bangles, and basic pointy nude flats.These flats are quite the sturdy little things. I have walked miles upon miles (literally, miles and miles and miles...) in them in the bumpy, wet streets of Paris and London and, still, unscathed they stand. 

-A

cardamom and faux fur

This past weekend, Sheerin and I met in D.C. along with a few other friends. We started our weekend with a sold-out open mic night at Busboys and Poets on 14th & V st (a large lounge restaurant with an adjacent room for shows and socially conscious events). We agreed that solely a spoken word night might have been better, however, open mic was entertaining and had some talented performers. And those lacking in entertainment talent possessed remarkable courage and confidence. Compliments to the sixteen year old Indian boy with the braces who made an attempt at stand-up comedy. Your jokes about parents, homework, and girls were deeply uncomfortable, but I definitely could not do it. Their shows get so full, parts of the audience sit with and around the performer on stage. For a list of events at Busboys, click here.

We ordered a mango sorbet and feta/olive pizza (pictured below). Both nice.

The next day we stopped at Zenobia Lounge for dinner, located in the Georgetown neighborhood. We got a chicken/pita chip dish with a little too much tahini. After three identical bites, it feels like a bit of a tedious chore to continue. We also ordered a beef shwarma and mint tea, which was delicious (the tea; the shwarma was pretty basic). The cafe itself is sweet. The walls are lined with books on a variety of Arab related topics. We picked up a few on art and poetry and Sheerin, the orator she is, read a modern Syrian poem out loud. It was written by a man in letter form to his mother. The only line I can remember is:

"Is my father still adamant about cardamom?"

I would like to meet this poet's father. I am sure he has also found himself being stared at blankly by a man across a counter after being asked if he could please brew the coffee with cardamom.

 There is also a bakery, shisha, and games. Just try and beat me at checkers. We forgot to start playing, but instead listened to stories of our friend's hilarious but tragic anecdotes of life in Saudi Arabia. Afterwards, we quickly stopped at Baked and Wired, a very popular and crowded bakery/coffee shop. A photo below shows the counter of cupcakes to choose from. I ordered a red velvet and vanilla coconut to take home to my little siblings. The cupcakes are pretty gigantic and are entirely made from scratch. I was not blessed with the chance to sample the red velvet cupcake, due to waking up in the morning to the enthusiastic appetites of my siblings, but I was left with a part of the coconut one. It's actually beautiful, and I am not a soft critic with sweets.

I love maxi cardigans. I find them to be an elegant and more feminine approach to modesty. I have also purchased a multicolored floor length chiffon cardigan for when it stops feeling like hypothermia, featuring soon. My accessories included a faux fur collar scarf, knuckle rings, and a spike necklace, which you can find anywhere online, for dirt cheap. Faux fur can be intimidating, but really is easy to pull off. It looks better with a layered outfit, but can look just as nice with a simple over-sized wool sweater. Do try it. :)

Blouse-color block: Forever 21 via my friend, as a gift

Flats-black: Express for $10!

-A