Jess Style

 

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss."

Qur'an, 24. 31

My fashion inspiration: Gyaru

❤ السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته  

I want to talk about my clothing/fashion as a Muslim revert. Going into Islam it really scared me that I, in time, must cover completely. It's not that I dressed provocative but I don't like to wear lots of layers or long sleeves as I get warm easily, especially in the summer!  Other than the fact of covering my arms and neck, wearing loose clothes was no problem for me as I had previously acquired a street fashion inspired look from Japan/Korea. I grew up being a bit of a tom boy. Then I became goth in middle school later obsessed with Japan. Japanese anime, manga, video games, music, then the fashion that went along with the music:  Visual/Oshare kei. I have always been into rock, metal, punk, and Jrock or Visual/Oshare kei are the Japanese versions. So this dark, Lolita type dress has always clung to my taste. Near the end of high school this style did tone down a bit. I wore less accessories (like spiked collars, yes, spiked collars) but always had a hint of  darkness whether it be in my make-up or shoes. Within the past few years I got a little bit girly too. Liking bows, polka dots, pink, and Hello Kitty. When becoming a Muslim I grew excited to fuse modesty into my own unique Asia inspired attire. The thing I like about Japanese fashion is that it's always different. It some how, for some reason, is different from American fashion. It steals from Europe and becomes it's own label. Right now I'm into Gyaru. It's an array of looks but there's just something about it that makes it special. Possibly the fact of how feminine it is. The girls are always super girly, cute, and unique. Although for a Muslim to be a 'real Gyaru' by some standards it does not suit the rules of modesty. I have found inspiration from it nonetheless and have found my own way to tone it down. I add simple accessories which make a huge difference, like a pendant necklace, rings, printed shoes or scarf. I never wear nail polish, falsies, lenses, or lip sticks. I might for big events or if my Mr. wants me to for him. My make up is usually just mascara and liquid eyeliner, with lip gloss. In my clothing I use light colors with a bit of brightness or pattern in one piece.

It's not hard to acquire a modern look with Muslim modesty. You just need to think outside the box, about layering, and looking at the different types of styles. Don't follow the girls in your town or school, or even copy the 'latest trends' from the magz. I also personally believe every Muslimah needs a good colorful cardigan, fab shoes, lots of long pendants, a good maxi dress/skirt and beautiful scarves. With those few pieces you'd be surprised at what you can put together. Shop around and try something new~

 

My different looks.

 

Remember the meaning of modesty! It means to be free from ostentation or showy extravagance. You don't wear things to impress others or show off. For myself, I don't care about brand names (expect that Juicy shirt that I found for $20 lol I had to buy because of the fabric), I like my clothes cheap, I bargain hunt, shop at thrift stores, and wear what's comfortable for me, I wear what I like for myself. Modesty is also an attitude and trait.

A lot of my clothes in these pictures are new and I have purchased them from yesstyle.com. It has a huge selection of different styles and they're affordable! Sometimes it's hard living in the West to find these types of styles. I know when I went to Taiwan 4 years ago I fell in love with all the t-shirt dresses and baggy pants they had. These styles are slowly making their way to the Western hemisphere but I just don't find them to be the same. So I purchase them online (It's easier to shop that way too lol no digging!) Other places I love shopping at are Ardenes, Sirens, and thrift stores.

I hope you enjoyed this post and take something from it~

What do you consider modesty as? And what do you feel makes a perfect piece for a Muslimah's wardrobe?

On Self Confidence

“Beautified is the life of this world for those who disbelieve, and they mock at those who believe. But those who obey Allah’s Orders and keep away from what He has forbidden, will be above them on the Day of Resurrection. And Allah gives (of His Bounty, Blessings, Favours, and Honours on the Day of Resurrection) to whom He wills without limit.”

Qur'an, 2. 212

Beautiful Leah Dizon (Old Role Model)

Beautiful Hana Tajima (New Role Model)

 

❤ السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته   Excessive or deflated confidence in one's own judgment or ability: self confidence. A lot of women struggle with confidence. Whether it is our looks or our talents, our perception is misguided all thanks to the standards set by society via the mass media and 'men'. As a young revert Muslim living in the western hemisphere I am constantly at battle with what ‘beauty’ is. Jesse’s self confidence: deflated. Like most people I look up to celebrities and actresses. I admire, obsess, compare, and sometimes cry because I can’t look a certain way (astagfirallah!). I look at local girls who acquire these celeb looks, fashion, hair, make-up, and look at myself in pity because I got a cheese burger belly, 20 something moles on my face, and thin hair. It puts me into great distress sometimes. It even drives me so mad that I feel angry when I see some girls I am extremely jealous of. I will even spend time finding faults in them to make myself feel better. I do all these nasty things and at the end of the day when I do my evening prayers I reflect on my behaviour. I look at myself and wonder how I could ever act so foolishly. I have something these girls don’t. I have faith. I have Islam. I have Allah (swt). I look at myself with my scarf thrown around my head before prayer and smile because I’m alive. I smile because I have people who love me. I smile because I have a chance to reach jannah. I smile because I have a piece of mind that puts my soul at rest when I’m lost and all alone. I am blessed to be who I am and Allah (swt) made me this way because I am beautiful, because I am here to live Islam. My purpose, my life, my soul exceeds all these silly problems in everyday life. I remember Allah and my jealousy escapes. It’s hard sometimes but I am writing this to remind you ladies that you’re not alone and that Allah (swt) is there. You just need to trust him and see yourself for who you really are. We need to stand up against these false standards and start following our religion properly. We need to stay true to our hijab. I feel the more I try to look like girls in magazines I feel more frustrated with me. I feel sad. When I do what I do because I like it, because I think it’s ‘cool’ for Allah (swt) I feel 100% happier. I eat that cheeseburger because it makes me happy and I exercise for my health, not my weight. I work hard to worry about myself now. I promised myself to stop comparing to those who I don’t even know. It’s seriously such a waste of energy. I like myself because I am me. I am an intelligent, capable, artistic, kind, generous, sweet person. Most importantly I should worry more about my deen and what I do to please Allah (swt). Remember that trying to impress people who want you to change is the first sign that they’re not good people. Surround yourself with confident happy women and read your Qur’an because it honestly gives us the answers to all these daily struggles. {Above I posted two woman I think are absolutely gorgeous. I used to adore Leah Dizon and wanted to always look like her. I admire Hana Tajima more because she stays true to hijab, proving how easy it really is. She's not fake. Pick a role model that fits your lifestyle who makes you feel better about yourself, not worse. Better if you don't compare or work to be like anyone; just be yourself!} Do you struggle with your self-confidence? How do you deal? Tell me your stories! :)