SHUKR is happy to welcome our first guest blogger, Jana, from Hijab Style–the UK’s first style guide for Muslim Women! We love her blog and are very pleased to have her present three amazing outfits she has created!

This outfit is great for a day spent outside in the sun. A pair of jeans are a wardrobe staple – wear them with this stylish Karima top in Zinfandel. Add a complimentary hijab, duffle bag and comfortable flats to keep you going all day long. And of course – don’t forget the sunnies!

Modal Karima Top £32.95, SHUKR (US, UK)

Dual Waistband Jeans £34.95, SHUKR (US, UK)
Geometrical Flower Jacquard Wrap £9.95, SHUKR (UK)
Cream buckle duffle bag £20, Dorothy Perkins
Oversize Aviators £15, Topshop
Pink frill pumps £20, Dorothy Perkins

Neutrals are always a key trend for spring, and this beautiful Aghabani blouse fits the bill perfectly. Just add a simple skirt and hijab in buttercream, and keep jewellery to a minimum for a classy, polished look.

Aghabani Embroidered Blouse £34.95, SHUKR (US, UK)
Twill Cotton A-Line Skirt £28.95, SHUKR (UK)
Crinkled Wrap £9.95, SHUKR (US, UK)
Gold coloured moc croc enamel hinge bangle £10, Debenhams
Tan Majorette pocket shoulder bag £60, Debenhams
Dolly Cake Shoes £44.99, Clarks

Special occasions call for special outfits. This elegant dress in lilac is ideal for summer events. Add interest with an embroidered bag, wedge heels and delicate jewellery.

Faux Wrap Viscose Dress £44.95, SHUKR (US, UK)
Paisley Leaf Jacquard Wrap £7.95, SHUKR (US, UK)

Marcasite Ring £29.01, Treasure Box
Dakota Silver Disc Large Embroidered Bag £40, Accessorize
Lotus Leather Court Shoe £60, Barratts

For more wonderful outfits and fashion advice, visit http://hijabstyle.blogspot.com/.

~ Beth, Blog admin

Having taken a look behind the scenes of the design process with Tabassum Siddiqui, our Head Designer, in Part 1, we now take a glimpse at the next step along the way to producing the SHUKR garments that you find online.

Part 2: Pattern Making and Prototypes: Striving for Perfection

Turning an idea into reality

After receiving our Head Designer’s inspiring collection of designs in our Syrian production factory, another creative step in the process needs to be accomplished, that of pattern-making.

Tabassum sends a TEKPAK for each design in the collection, which is a pack of technical specifications for each design, including a flat sketch of the design, sewing instructions, and the choice of fabric and accessories. However, regardless of how much detail Tabassum conveys about her designs, there still needs to be a talented team of pattern-makers who convert the theoretical design into a series of pattern pieces which, once sewn together, make up the physical garment. Take this flat sketch of the Sahira Dress Top (US, UK) which Tabassum produced:

Our pattern-makers studied the design and produced the patterns which were used to manufacture the end product you can now find online:

 
Each style requires different pattern pieces in different sizes and different proportions. For example, take the Paneled Godet Skirt (US, UK) pictured below from our spring collection. How many separate pieces do you think are sewn together to make the finished product?

 
You may be surprised to know that there are over 20 fabric pieces needed to be sewn together to make it. The pattern-makers’ job is to create these pieces in the right sizes and proportions so that when they are sewn together, the end result is an attractive garment, conforming in its measurements to rigorous company standards. It’s no surprise to learn then, that pattern-making is a highly skilled profession which requires formal training and many years of experience to understand the principles involved in creating perfect patterns.

SHUKR’s pattern-makers work with the flat pattern drafting technique, using well-known computer-aided design programs. Here is one of our pattern-makers working on a new blouse:

 
Creating a Prototype

The pattern-maker starts off by making a sample pattern for the new design. The computer-generated pattern is then printed via a specific oversized printer (over 5 feet wide!), placed on top of the fabric, and then carefully cut out, ready to be sewn.

The sewn prototype garment is then tried on a fit model—a man or woman whose measurements are the commercial measurements for that size. The prototype is analyzed by a select committee of inspectors for its accordance to company sizing standards, aesthetic appearance, functionality, quality of construction, and conformity to Islamic standards of modesty. If any problems in the fit are identified then the whole cycle is repeated again: the pattern-maker amends his original pattern, a new garment is cut and sewn, and then it is tried on the fit model to make sure that the problems have been eliminated and the pattern is now perfect. If problems still remain then we will continue repeating the cycle until we are completely satisfied with the prototype. We normally get it perfected by the second attempt, but there have been cases of repeating the prototype up to 5 times in the quest for perfection!

Lots of work still to go…

The pattern-makers’ work is still not done, however, even once we have agreed upon the pattern for the prototype. Why is this? Because the prototype is still only in one size, normally a size medium. We now have to create the patterns for all the other sizes that SHUKR offers, which range from small up to 3XL. This is done by a complicated technique called grading, also done by computer-aided design. There are certain principles SHUKR uses to transform the size medium prototype into a size small and size large, and from a size large to a size XL, and from XL to 2XL and then 3XL. Once we have all the patterns for the different sizes ready, we will cut and sew another sample, this time in size 2XL, to make sure that the grading has been performed completely accurately. The measurements of the size 2XL are taken to make sure that they conform to company standards.

Off to production…

Having completed the exhaustive process of pattern-making and prototype preparation, we are now ready to enter this new design, along with many completed others, into SHUKR’s monthly production schedule. This, however, is the subject of a future blog post: The Process Part 3: Production. Stay tuned!

~ Anas, Managing Partner

We at SHUKR would like to extend a big congratulations to the winner of our YouTube Contest, EidFilms for their video, “Islamic Identity and Dress.”

We are grateful to all our participants and will be sending them coupons for 20% off their next purchase for all their hard work. If you haven’t yet, please check out all the entries at http://www.youtube.com/shukrislamicclothing.

We often get emails from expectant sisters about our whether or not we may expand to include a maternity line, but we actually already have many maternity-friendly pieces.  Specializing in modest clothing, it means our garments are naturally loose yet flattering. I speak from personal experience in that the clothes I recommended in my post for taller sisters still fit me, and I’m 26 weeks along.

It helps to look for maternity clothes with a few thoughts in mind:

1. Don’t buy too far ahead. Remember that your body will change shape visibly from month to month–sometimes even from week to week, so don’t buy all your clothing at once. Especially considering the state of the economy, it’s best to use your common sense: only buy larger/looser clothing when your old clothing becomes uncomfortable. For many women, they can wear their old slacks most of the way through the pregnancy–everyone puts on weight in a different way. However, you should never wear anything constrictive. If it doesn’t fit comfortably, it’s time to upgrade.

2. Choose soft fabrics. For the expecting SHUKR shopper, our jersey fabrics (US, UK) are perfect for this, and anything with rayon or elastine is also fine.

3. Style is important. Go for tops that have an empire waist. (Yes, I just linked to Wikipedia, but rest assured, it’s not really less accurate than the Encyclopedia Britannica…but I digress). Empire waist-style tops are not only trendy; they are comfortable and leave lots of breathing room. For breastfeeding, button-down or wrap-style tops are pretty straightforward choices. When choosing slacks, two words: adjustable waistline! This is essential for the comfort of you and your baby. Besides, your waist will do quite a lot of adjusting, so your slacks should too.

Here are a few items we typically recommend:

The Sundial Wrap Top (US, UK). This is made of a soft rayon fabric, and is also ideal for breast-feeding as it has a front opening (shown below).

The Sunshine Embroidered Top (US, UK). This v-neck top features an embroidered empire waistband and is one of our most elegant. It’s sure to make you look beautiful, even when you don’t necessarily feel your best (shown below).

The Jersey Pleated Dress Top (US, UK).

The Embroidered Light Sweater Top (UK) is made of rayon (96%) and elastane (4%). You should find this top very suitable throughout pregnancy, from the initial stages to the end.  (Sorry, it’s currently only available in the UK).

If you find the above garments to be low in stock, we have some new arrivals that will fit the bill nicely:

The Aghabani Embroidered Blouse (US, UK).  This elegant 100% rayon top has a lovely empire waist.

The Sukar Tunic (US, UK).  A fun, flowy top with a drop empire waist, made from a nice tencel-rayon blend.

The Lace Flared Top (US, UK). This top boasts a surplice neckline with lace, and elasticized waistline.

The Nouria Tunic (US, UK). Tried and true from personal experience.

The Jersey Tie Front Skirt (US, UK). Great for early pregnancy.

Our Drawstring Wide-Leg Trousers (US, UK). Shown below:

The Faux Wrap Viscose Dress (US, UK).

The Mediterranea Dress (US). (Sorry, currently only available in the US).

These are only a few examples of our maternity-friendly clothing. Feel free to browse the website and look for anything that has a forgiving waistline, as most of our garments do.

The best part is that SHUKR clothing doesn’t look like maternity clothing and will still fit you after the baby is born. It’s naturally loose and modest, so you can look elegant throughout your pregnancy and beyond. As the savvy shopper, you won’t have bought something that you couldn’t wear again.