To find the Scarlet Vine Print Tayyiba Dress, shop here: US, UK, Canada

To find the Nur Pants, shop here: US, UK, Canada

To find the Constellation Print Cowl Neck Trapeze Top, shop here: US, UK, Canada

To find the Flower Sundry Print Contrast Skirt, shop here: US, UK

If you are in the Chicagoland area, come and check out this fashion show and bazaar put on by an amazing group of people. While you’re at it, check out and bid on some of SHUKR’s latest designs!

Here at SHUKR, we are happily expanding in new, exciting directions. One of these is our new product category, Urban Casual: edgy, sporty, fun, and at the same time, elegant.

Shop Urban Casual in the US, the UK and Canada.

Some of the most common fabrics that SHUKR uses are cottons, denim, linen, rayon and tencel. So, why does the Cowl Neck Abaya (US, UK, Canada) (made of rayon) look and behave so differently from the Gia Lai Dress (US, UK, Canada) (also made of rayon)?

Fabrics made from the same fiber (for example 100% rayon) can have different appearances, feels, and drapes because of their weave. A fabric weave is simply the pattern for manufacturing a fabric. Weaves can be simple, complicated, artistic, or even incorporate different kinds of materials in order to change their flexibility, strength, stability, durability, and texture, among other qualities. Oftentimes, weaves and fabrics are often mistaken for each other. One good example is Jacquard. This is actually a type of weave, not a fabric, and can be made from polyester, rayon, silk, etc. (For more info, see this article from the Textile Exchange).

In order to find out more about fabric in general, please visit our intensive explanation page about fabrics on our site called the “Fabric Guide.”

In the meantime, I’ll provide a brief overview of the most common types of each fabric we stock, and then give examples of each one from our website. This will likely be most helpful to those already familiar with our garments; however, we hope it will be useful for new SHUKR customers as well.

On each item webpage on the US site, like for the Selina Dresstop with Pockets (US, UK, Canada), you will see a ‘More info’ tab to the right of the main image. When you click on it, the first thing listed is “Fabric Type.”

So, what does that mean?

1. Code. SHUKR, like all companies, often uses the same fabrics for many designs. Repeat customers may like a fabric of a particular garment they purchased in the past and would like to know what other products are available in this same fabric. In order to help customers we have now included a code for all fabrics that we use. In this example, the code is R16. Other garments made with this fabric are the Cowl Neck Trapeze Top (US, UK, Canada) and the Embroidered Short Moroccan Djelleba (US, UK, Canada).

2. The weight and thickness are fairly self-explanatory. This particular garment is ‘light’ weight, and is “thin.’

3. The third category, “class” deserves a little more explanation. “Class” refers to the fabric construction, meaning either ‘woven’ or ‘knitted.’

A woven fabric is made nowadays by high-tech specialist weaving machines, which interlace 2 distinct set of straight threads, one running lengthwise (warp thread), the other crosswise (weft thread). There are 3 basic types of weave: plain, twill and satin (yes, satin is actually a type of weave and not a type of fabric).

A knitted fabric, on the other hand, is made by a machine that directs the yarn on a meandering path, forming symmetric loops symmetrically above and below the mean path of the yarn. Knitted fabrics normally have a lot more elasticity than woven fabrics. Jersey is a popular type of knitted fabric which SHUKR often uses.

Here is a list of the most common fabric codes that SHUKR uses, along with some examples of garments from each:

Cotton:

C1 –The Inspiration Blouse (US, UK, Canada) and the 100% Cotton Cocoon Tunic (US, UK, Canada)

C3 – The Guardamar Twill Cotton Jilbab (US, UK, Canada).

C12 –The Princess Dress (US, UK, Canada)

C18 – The Long Corduroy Shirt (US, UK, Canada)

C24 – The City Hoodie (US, UK, Canada), The Racing Stripes Hoodie (US, UK, Canada)

Denim:

D23 — L.A Denim Jilbab (US, UK, Canada), Najma Jeans (US, UK, Canada), Leah Denim Shirtdress (US, UK, Canada)

Linen:

L11 – The Linen Shangri-La Dress (US, Canada)

Rayon:

R16 – The Cowl Neck Trapeze Top (US, UK, Canada), The Embroidered Short Moroccan Djelleba (US, UK, Canada)

R3 – The Embroidered Sleeve Duster (US, UK, Canada), The Cowl Neck Abaya (US, UK, Canada)

R8 – The Sporty Top (US, Canada)

R22 – The Gia Lai Dress (US, UK, Canada)

R19 – The Shawl Cardigan (US, UK, Canada)

Tencel:

R21 – The Tencel Denim Duster (US, UK, Canada)

I hope this was helpful. What are your favorite fabrics/weaves? What would you love to see from SHUKR?

Ramadan Mubarak from SHUKR!

This is one of our busiest times of year here, and one of our favorite! This year we have a stunning Ramadan/Eid Collection, and I wanted to highlight my top 10 picks from this collection (in no particular order).

My favorite piece this year is the Gia Lai Dress (US, UK, Canada). Tabassum outdid herself on this one. Basically, I’m obsessed with it. It is two pieces: an inner dress and an outer gown. The inner dress is this nice mandarin collared number, but it’s the outer gown that kills me. It just has such great flow. It’s simple, elegant, and I’ve never seen anything like it.

My second favorite is the Mussaret Dress (US, UK, Canada). This is another wonderful two-piece combination, except the inner dress is simpler than the Gia Lai, and the outer gown is more complex due to the embroidery. This one is a hair’s breath from a traditional abaya, but has this classy elegance that I’m becoming so fond of.

Third on my list is the Cowl Neck Abaya (US, UK, Canada). It’s just timeless. Such a nice sense of dignity, modesty and grace, it reminds me of some amazing women who have shaped my life. You know who you are.

Fourth is the Embroidered Drawstring Skirt (US, UK, Canada). I’m normally not a big skirt person, but this one is amazing. The gold embroidery in that interlaced pattern strikes the difficult balance of being both fancy and understated. I could match this with almost anything in my wardrobe and instantaneously take my outfit up a notch.

Fifth is the Dotted Swirl Tunic (US, UK, Canada). It’s just such an unusual addition to the SHUKR collection that it stands in a class by itself. Made from chiffon, it also has a very good flow.

Sixth is the Contrast Duster (US, UK, Canada). I love garments that are simple and practical, but also have some flair. On this piece, it is the cuffs that give it that extra push. And, it’s a great garment to wear to the office.

Not to neglect the men, the seventh is the Hussein Galabiyya (US, UK, Canada). Seriously, this is what a modern galabiyya looks like. Sharp, easy to care for, and lightweight.

Number eight is the Azhar Jubba (US, UK, Canada). A modified remake of the Damascan Jubba (US), it has a slimmer fit, wider sleeves and loses the shoulder pads. I could definitely see Keanu Reeves in this.

Ninth on my list is the Kalima Tencel Denim Trousers (US, UK, Canada). Nothing is more comfortable than these are. Never heard of Tencel? Made from wood pulp, this natural fiber combines softness, strength, and durability, is easy to care for, wrinkle-resistant, and breathes really well. If you’ve been looking for that perfect (yet modest) pair of jeans, you’re not going to come closer than these.

Last but not least are the Hasan Trousers (US, UK, Canada). Comfortable and casual, these might be the perfect pants to wear while you are fasting. They are loose, soft and have big pockets. I’m not sure about the connection between pockets and fasting, but given the choice between pockets and no pockets, I’d choose the pockets every time.

Feel free to comment letting us know what your favorite garments are (from any collection), so in the future, we can have a customer-based top ten list. We’d love to hear from you.

~ 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.

What goes into the SHUKR garment that you order and receive in the mail? In a series of 5 posts, we’ll give you an exclusive, behind the scenes look at how SHUKR works. The first post is from our Head Designer, Tabassum Siddique, who starts the ball rolling with her collections of exclusive designs. She designs SHUKR’s 3 seasonal collections: 1) Spring / Summer; 2) Autumn / Winter; 3) and Ramadan / Eid.

Part 1: The Design Process: It’s Much More than Making Pretty Drawings

Sometimes my collections for SHUKR will start out like this…

…an early morning walk snapping photos of everything that catches my attention. By the way, these aren’t pictures of my neighborhood, but believe me, I wish they were. The beachside is an extremely inspiring place. I suppose that it has a lot to do with all of the negative ions in the atmosphere that make you feel more balanced and recharged, with your senses stimulated, and in contact with your creative side. Since I am constantly working on large collections, I have reached a point where I know exactly what I am looking for when I am out scratching for new ideas. Most people think that designers just sit around and wait for inspiration. Or, the opposite-that they are constantly jet-setting to exotic locations and drawing pretty pictures of clothes, but that’s not true. To come up with ideas at least several months ahead of a new season takes several factors: discipline, for the most part; a business sense; knowledge of apparel construction, design, and art; and, scratching in the best places to have the best ideas-there is no process of osmosis here.

 The research part of the design process includes such activities as short trips, attending fabric fairs, style hunting, museum visits, reading books (and the topics vary greatly), watching films, writing, sketching, looking at graphic designs and prints, studying patterns or testing new ones out, collecting samples of everything, and finally, speaking with customers, co-workers, friends, or family. Once I have finished the research, I bring all of these elements together and look for a common thread to create a cohesive idea. I would say that the least glamourous part of this process, if any part of my job could actually be considered glamourous, would be reviewing past sales reports and other more technical aspects of coming up with new collections-a vitally important aspect of the business of an apparel company.

Once I get the parameters for each collection, I have to decide how can I make my ideas work, given my restrictions and within the context of the company’s style. At this phase of the process, which gets increasingly more intense (and the part that my husband dreads) is when there are many late nights, no weekends, and rattled nerves. But alhumdulillah, he has been a good sport about it and a great source of inspiration and support as well. Usually about the same time, or in the research phase, I have already thought about the colors and fabrics that will be used. If there are any fabrics that we would have to import, then I sometimes have to call or email these companies to inquire about prices and place orders. Although I may have developed a collection with concrete ideas and everything mapped out, this is not to say that things do not get changed at the last minute.

Some common challenges that I encounter could be that the color palette changes, some designs get edited out, the fabrics that I had wanted to use are now not available, or there are designs that can be too time-consuming, too costly, and or too difficult to produce. This can sometimes be very frustrating for a designer. Many times, what I have designed in the beginning can end up being something else by the time it’s up online. What is important, regardless of the ever-changing limitations, is to always make the collections work.

After all the concepts have been sketched out, they have to be presented, reviewed, and later modified. From these approved sketches, I redraw them and turn them into technical drawings with detailed descriptions on how each garment is made and what details it requires. This will be used by the patternmakers to produce the samples and then the production orders.

This is probably the most time-consuming and arduous part of the design process. Throughout the entire design process, nothing is at a standstill. I still have loads of other things to attend to while I am working on a collection: tons of emails, marketing, other projects, and prepping for the next collection. This is where discipline plays a key role, and being able to zone in on my work and focus despite all of the other responsibilities I have to attend to.

Even though there are long periods of working around the clock, deadlines, and sometimes very tedious tasks, I love what I do. From the inception of a collection and especially at the very end, I always find it very interesting to see how the entire collection has transformed and developed throughout this part of the process.

~Tabassum, Head Designer

This global recession has got us all so pinched that getting to the end of the month would be a miracle, and sadly, now just getting to the 15th of the month is the goal. So how can you dress well on limited budget? Having a versatile wardrobe really is the key to having great style on any budget regardless of fashion trends or the economic situation. Almost every piece in your wardrobe will have to do double-duty when it comes to putting together a look. We really can’t afford to have a closet full of singular pieces that cannot be paired up with another piece or be worked into another look. For example, we need to be able to move from work to an evening dinner with only changing or adding one piece.

Many people believe that you have to spend a lot of money to look good. The truth is, yes and no. Where you would need to spend more money would be on good shoes, a nice bag, and a great winter coat and sweater, etc. In other areas of your wardrobe you can get away with spending a bit less, but they must be of good quality. If you have an arsenal of great pieces that are classic and of high quality, then you can mix-and-match them in different ways each day of the week for a new look. Toss in a feature piece to give yourself a distinctive, polished look: a beautiful silk print hijab, one of our Cotton Turban hats, or a bold shoe. That’s all you need for great style! It’s that simple. The important thing about selecting great staple pieces is that you don’t have to go back to the store every month and buy a whole new wardrobe because your trendy pieces are not trendy anymore and they didn’t last for more than 2 wears. It doesn’t seem like it, but buying cheap trendy pieces are more costly in the long run than spending a little bit more once in a while for a classic piece that will last.

When designing for SHUKR, not only am I thinking about you, I’m also thinking about the versitility of the collection: Are there staple pieces? Are there pieces for every occassion? Are there at least a few standout pieces? To have a well-balanced wardrobe and to be well dressed on a budget is to have a foundation of great “versatile” pieces mixed in with a few select standout pieces. So when you go to get dressed in the morning or before heading out on your next shopping trip, look in your closet and check to see if your clothes are versitile. Can some of your pieces go from day to evening? Could that skirt work for the next meeting as well as that wedding you have to attend next week? If not, you’ll need to take stock of what’s in your closet and do some reorganizing and a little bit of shopping.

Here are some versatile picks, and with just a few of your own pieces you can have a week’s worth of style. And remember: there is no need to sacrifice your personal style or downplay your color palette just because we are in a recession. If anything, these elements can serve as mood lifters to help you maintain a positive outlook, feel more confident, and be more effective throughout your day.

Men:

*Mojaddadi Kurta (above) (US, UK): A nice basic piece that can work with your own style. With the Mandarin collar, it will give any look, whether casual or semi-formal, a polished touch.

* Akbar Shirt (above) (US, UK): This can work as a dress shirt or casual shirt. It is equally as polished, due to the Mandarin collar.

* Winter London Jubba (above) (US, UK): A timeless classic coat that mixes well with any man’s personal style.

Women:

*Super Wide-Leg Rayon Trousers (above) (US, UK): Try this one in Mauve Shadows instead of basic Black to lift up any look. With its flowy drape and comfortable fit, it can be casual-chic or evening-elegant.

*Soft Linen Seanta Duster (above) (US, UK): It’s a top and jacket in one. Button it up and pair it with trousers or a skirt, or leave it open for a layered look over dresses, tops, and bottoms.

*Sina Blouse (above) (US, UK): Another great base for any look. This minimalist design has a slimming effect and a diginified appearance.

~ Tabassum, Head Designer