Summer Style Tips from Saif Modesty
Summer can be an uncomfortable time for many Muslim women during the hottest days of the year, so it is important to wear suitable clothing to keep your body cooler. Firstly, in hot weather try switching to thinner materials - but also try to stick to absorbent materials. Good choices for summer clothing would be materials such as georgette, chiffon or lace.
Lace undercaps can be found at any hijab store and are great for summerwear because they have “air holes” that allow more air to flow. Another option in this vain would be a light and loosely crocheted cap. Scarf headbands are highly popular lately and are a useful twist on undercaps. They provide almost the same coverage but with less material. When a regular undercap would extend to the back of the head and neck, these headbands don't, yet still provide the coverage needed at the forehead.
The main summer tip is to reduce the amount of material wrapped around the neck and top of the head as this is where a lot of body heat leaves the body. Play around with styles and how you pin your khimars. For the cooler summer days, a hat could be a stylish addition to your wardrobe. A hat should never substitute a khimar, but they can be great play on style.
I highly recommend investing in Al-Amira hijabs. This name is the Arabic for the term ‘princess scarf’. It's a slip over hijab style comes in two pieces; one piece of which serves as a hair cover while the other piece as a slip over from the same or near matching colour. These are tailor-made for the hotter seasons and most of them are made out of light and absorbent materials.
Sarongs also make fantastic summer khimars because they're a huge length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women and are usually made of very absorbent materials and come in a variety of stylish colours, patterns, and various sizes.
A maxi dress is basically a floor or ankle length informal dress. Maxi dresses are formfitting at the top and loose flowing at the bottom, cut to flow over the body. They are usually made out of cotton or polyester and come in a variety of necklines, colours and patterns. Although not designed for Muslim women, they can be practically perfect for Islamic women after a slight moderation -just add a long sleeve shirt or jacket to make them Muslim friendly.
Follow these fabulous style tips and you should enjoy a comfortable and very stylish summer!
