Experience SHUKR in person at Reviving the Islamic Spirit, taking place this year from December 25th – 27th in Toronto, Canada.

- Try on new designs and SHUKR classics

- Purchase from a range of sizes and colours

- Take advantage of our special RIS offers

- Visa and MasterCard accepted

Visit us at booth numbers 1115, 1117, 1214 and 1216.

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

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

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.

Once upon a time, men were men, and they wore dresses.

Of course I’m being facetious. The very definition of the word, “dress” is that of a feminine garment. However, the concept of an ankle- or calf-length garment for men is by no means feminine. Historically, the early Arabs merely called it a qamees, or “shirt.” Later, distinctions were made between the currently more typical short shirt and the much longer variety. Despite the fact that men have been wearing these long garments for most of human history, there remain a number of Westerners who jokingly refer to my garment of choice as a “dress.”

Ironically, I am not the one wearing clothing of the opposite gender. Rather, it was Yves Saint-Laurent who popularized women’s trousers. Prior to him, standalone trousers were not worn by women. (The salwar kameez does not consist of standalone trousers, but rather, baggy trousers covered by a knee-length shirt, hardly comparable to Western trousers.) Given that YSL was a homosexual, it kind of makes sense that he’d want to improve women’s appearances by making them look more like men.

At SHUKR, our head designer is a woman. Furthermore, the men at SHUKR believe that women have a natural advantage in the appearance department, and don’t need to dress like men to look good. Take my word for it; I wear the dress around here.

(Above: Salim Galabiyya, US, UK)

~ Moustafa, Manager, Retail Division

We often get questions from tall, slim women about what SHUKR size they might be, and what they can reasonably wear. As a 6′ tall, 140 pound (that’s 182.88cm and 63.5kg) rather thin person, I took it upon myself to research this question firsthand in the hopes of discovering for myself the best-fitting items for the ‘vertically gifted’. On my fieldtrip to our small outlet in Kharabsheh, which sells imperfect items at discounted prices, I discovered several general principles and feel I can make some cautious recommendations.

As a disclaimer, everyone’s body type is somewhat different, and though I am speaking as a tall person, you should take into consideration all of your particular measurements before making your decision about which size to buy for which garment. Though SHUKR sizes get bigger as they get longer, the style and the cut are things to take into consideration, as I found that some cuts were much more flattering on me than others.

Some of the garments that I tried on are not precisely well-stocked at the moment, so I’m also going to mention some very similar garments that the same ideas apply to, and are indeed in stock (as of the writing of this post).

Tops:

Generally speaking, all tops are the same in the bust, shoulders and sleeves. The waist and hips of the tops varies from style to style, but there is a certain minimum width that is maintained. And, if you look closely at the sleeve lengths for the models in the pictures, you will notice that the sleeves run a little longer than your average shirts in general-many times, to mid-hand or more. The following are examples of garments that I tried on, and the reasons why I found them to fit successfully.

I tried on the Nouria Tunic in medium (US, UK) which fit perfectly in the shoulders and sleeves. My arms are long, so I was ecstatic that the sleeve length was appropriate. This particular shirt bells out at the bottom, but what is really nice is that because of the gathered area in the front and back, it was flattering to my body type without being immodest:

This brings me to one of my main points about choosing shirts that are flattering for those of us shaped like marathon runners: there needs to be some sort of tailoring, pintucking, gores, pleating or gathering somewhere in the design of the shirt so that the fit is flattering. If I wear a shirt that is designed in a very simple way, it doesn’t look as if it fits me correctly. It may appear to be cut too wide, especially in the bust. You should also consider the kind of fabric, as I found that the 100% cotton garments tended to exaggerate my build (but not always-especially if the design/cut is appropriate), whereas garments with a mixed fabric blends fell in a much nicer way.

Next, I tried on our Embroidered Duster Shirt (US, UK), which was a perfect fit in medium. It is nearly knee length (on me), and because of the general design of our button-down shirts, it still fits in a nice way. In addition, the embroidery is really beautiful:

Finally, I tried on the Long Modal Undershirt (US, UK) and loved it. It’s like it was built with me in mind. A small fit perfectly, and it has great sleeve and body length. It’s soft, stretchy and comfortable-perfect for layering in the winter:

In sum, go for a top that has some sort of tailoring in front, and any of our button-down shirts should look nice. Here is a small sample of tops that will likely be flattering to the tall and thin:

The Sundial Wrap Top (US, UK)
The Mimar Blouse (US, UK) 
The Sina Blouse (US, UK)
The Sunshine Embroidered Top (US, UK)
The Viscose Work Blouse (US, UK)
The Afasa Dress Top (US, UK) – see below:

Skirts and Pants:

Generally speaking, all the skirts and pants within their sizes are the same in the waist, hips and length. It’s the flair of the skirt or pant opening that varies. As for pants, I found that the medium is long enough, but the waist is potentially too small. If you are worried, go for a large and just get it hemmed. Or, stay with the medium, but look for an elasticized or partially elasticized waist. Since I’m currently expecting (nearly 4 months along) not much is fitting around my waist anyway, so this might be my bias. For the skirts, I tried on the Tulip Shaped Cotton Skirt (US, UK) in a large, and found that I had an extra inch at the waist, and it was too long! Imagine my shock when it hit the floor! This is because most tall and slim women have slim hips, which is the part that is supposed to hold up the skirt. Since this is the case, if you are built like me, do not worry about the length of skirts too much-either a medium or large should work. You can always get it hemmed if it is too long (bet you thought I wouldn’t write something like that). 

Here are some similar items:

1. Wool Blend Huyam Skirt (US, UK) (great for winter):
2. Comfort Fit Jersey Skirt (US, UK) (flexible waist!):
3. Tencel A-line Skirt (US, UK) (wrinkle resistant) — shown below:

Dresses and Jilbabs:

Dresses and jilbabs are where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the tall and thin. I tried on size larges because adequate length was important to me. The trick is finding a certain style of dress that will also be flattering on top, because the top will naturally be a bit too large for my body type. As my mother would say, with my frame, it’s best to choose garments that “have a shape.” In addition, anything that we specify is ‘tailored’ is going to have a bit slimmer cut. Here are two that I thought would be a good bet:

1. Wool Hooded Jilbab (US, UK) — shown below:
2. Wool Blend Princess Dress (US, UK)

I hope this was helpful. In closing, here is a Hijab Haiku:

If you’re thin and tall
Don’t despair-look at hijabs
There, one-size-fits-all

To see our hijab section, click here: (US, UK)

~Beth, Blog Admin

At SHUKR, we have an office culture of wearing what we make so that we know our products, inside and out. We order, wear, layer, sleep in, live in, and clothe our families in SHUKR style. When I began working at SHUKR a mere 8 weeks ago, I noticed the proliferation of one garment in particular in the office. Three different colleagues of mine (out of a staff of 15 in Jordan) own and regularly wear the Corduroy Hooded Jilbab (US, UK) to work. My curiosity got the better of me, so I asked them what makes this garment so special.

Here is what they had to say:

Susan: “It’s comfortable and warm.”

Martha: “The reason I like the Corduroy Hooded Jilbab is because it’s warmer than an abaya but not as heavy as an overcoat; just right for fall and early winter. When it gets chilly, it’s roomy enough to add layers underneath.”

Eman: “I wear it because it’s so comfortable and for me it’s a new style-I’ve never worn anything like it.”

The staff colors of choice are Navy Blue and Camel, but it also comes in Black, Dark Brown, and Khaki Green.

Nice enough for work, warm enough for winter, a good wardrobe basic, and it has pockets…I love pockets. I also think that it’s a great testament to quality when you find employees so attached to the product.

I think I’m going to order mine in Black.

~ Beth, Blog Editor

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

Every once in a while, there’s a garment that is just perfect; the Winter London Jubba (below) (US, UK) is one such item. If you’re a no-frills guy who wants one piece of outerwear, this is it. No matter whether you wear it over jeans and a t-shirt, a shirt and tie, or a galabiyya, you’re still going to look smart. How can you go wrong with a thin Italian wool blend that reaches the knee? In autumn, wear it over a shirt or galabiyya. In the depth of winter, layer yourself in a sweater or pullover underneath it. 

In terms of indoor clothing, the classic Hooded Moroccan Zaytuna Cloak (US, UK) is definitely one of our most popular items among young men. Event after event, year after year, men will come by and ask for it. The combination of hood and V-neck opening add breadth to the shoulders and chest: the look announces masculine dignity without immodesty. This winter, SHUKR has redone it as the Italian Wool Fez Cloak (below) (US, UK). Wear it plain for no-nonsense comfort. Keep it in the back seat of your car and slip it on before entering the masjid on Fridays. And for a bit more formality, wear a white galabiyya underneath; only the envious will dislike it.

~ Moustafa, Manager, Retail Division