The Perfect Black Dress Of The Muslim Woman

Indian Clothing Trivia: Did you know that not just the muslim woman's cloak but even the salwar kameez has been referrred to as the "tent"? I can't quite remember the piece of literature, but the salwar kameez wearing heroine was a case of 'pink and green flowery tent'.(Vikram Seth's Suitable Boy was it?) And ofcourse, how many times have he heard the cliched phrase 'yards and yards of fabric' coupled with the sari?

O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. Quran 33:59

Shopping for an abaya, the tradititonal black cloak of the muslim woman is no easy task, as these days majority of the pieces are sold with bling on them. I have nothing against bling; however what about the consumer that wishes to wear it plain and simple? For example contrast the themes: black embroidery in the black backdrop, and: the night sky and here are the stars, up-close and within reach.

I recently asked my Dubai based sister-in-law to go abaya shopping for me specifying "no bling" as the most important factor. She forwarded me these three choice and I settled for the simple one nestled in the middle.

 I thoroughly enjoy abayas which have minimalistic add-ons: subtle pieces like lace, embroidery, crochet and sequins in moderation (like food) which add class without making it glitzy.




Creating the cloak of the muslim woman while keeping the looseness intact and without making it look like a maxi dress is no ordinary art. The general public may call it a tent, but the muslim woman whose heart has taken to the looseness and flowy attire, simply gushes at the sight of this perfect black dress. Yes people, this is our version of the perfect black dress.

I recently came across the UK based 'Barakah'. Their wall photos on Facebook comprise of abaya's that give importance to the drapery, the material, loose fittedness and most importantly add-ons that are subtle yet sophisticated. They also have a blog with a very interesting name : Shewasvain.blogspot.com

(Keep reading to find out the reason behind the interesting name.)

I got curious about the makers (I believe behind beautiful artworks are beautiful-at-heart people). Who are these designers who don't seem to be following the mainstream fashion trend of glitter that hurt your eyes?

Following is the interview of the lovely sisters. I have italicized 'lovely sisters' because I have never met them; the interview is the outcome of a mere email exchange; an old fashioned letter-writing-pen-friends concept of sorts. Lovely is the reply they sent forth; just like the artsy work that spills of their hands. Mashallah.

The Interview

Q:Congratulations while keep the modesty factor in the abaya intact. Its difficult to find abayas that dont cling to the body and sans sparkles. Is this a conscious choice you make when creating your pieces, to keep within the limits as set by religion. For example, I have noticed even when you cinch in the waist, you add on drapery to keep the loose fit intact, Mashallah.

 Barakah: JazakAllahu Khair, at the beginning it was kind of conscious as we aimed to make loose fitting garments and keep the rules of keeping the abayas modest, but as we started making more, it just kind of became second nature.

Q:I am impressed you are not following the mainstream bling-bling abaya fashion. What keeps you motivated to create these pieces when the majority of the consumers suffer from excessive-rhinestones and swarovski crystals disorder?
 Barakah: We've never really been into the whole excess swarovski crystal style abayas. What keeps us motivated is the abayas we design and make are ones that we see ourselves wearing. We try to make unique and classical pieces that sisters may feel comfortable in but we also want our abayas to be seen as works of art.

Q: Do you have other hobbies/interests, (like writing poetry)..do you sense a correlation between the two or get inspired by the other?
 Barakah: Yes we do have other hobbies, some of which are; photography, interior design, baking, art and painting, mostly creative things. Yes we do see a huge correlation between them which makes the design process much more exciting being able to get inspiration from things you enjoy.

Q: How many days does it take to create a single piece; the ball park range of the journey from the drawing board to the mannequin.

 Barakah: The days it takes to create depends on how complicated the design is and making adjustments can extend the process. The days also vary from the drawing board process to the mannequin depending on how quickly we get inspiration. Some days we might just drape fabrics on a mannequin to see what we can create. 

Q: Future plans...I really hope you have a clothing line in the works, Inshallah. The world needs simple yet sophisticated abayas. 

 Barakah: Insha'Allah we hope to expand in the near future, maybe get a website and open a boutique.

Q: Lastly, is there a story behind naming your blog "She was vain"?
 Barakah: "She 'WAS' Vain" suggests that it is in the past tense so she used to be vain, so She Was Vain is the girl that cared too much about her clothes, but changed and chose modesty.

https://www.facebook.com/barakahabaya
shewasvain.blogspot.com