A Silky Purple Abaya by Hafina Official

I was recently gifted a gorgeous silky open abaya from modest clothes company Hafina Official, which does beautiful dresses, co-ords and abayas in gorgeous, vibrant colours. The abaya I received was a beautiful silky abaya in a rich purple shade, with white piping and lace embellishment on the hem and sleeves.

This is the abaya - doesn't it look gorgeous? I love how silky the abaya feels and looks, and it looks quite easy to style open or closed. I love my deep, rich colours and this is a gorgeous shade of purple which you can't go wrong with.

This is how the abaya looks on me, it's quite flowy and long, which I love. I can imagine this will be perfect for the summer months when I don't want to layer too much with heavy outfits, as it is quite modest and still feels quite loose and cool.

I also wanted to show a close up of the sleeves, which I love. I really think that the lace adds a gorgeous delicate touch to it which makes it look quite girly without being too heavy or OTT.

I love how easy this outfit was to style andwear - I can imagine wearing it with a plain dress to dress up an outfit, or using it as a summer staple, which I'm looking forward to! I love that there's a good range of colourful abayas out there, which means there's something to suit everyone's tastes, and also doesn't necessarily mean that it's just aimed for people who wear hijab, but just want something modest.

Hafina Offical has a pretty range of dresses, abayas and co-ords so the website is worth checking out. Let me know what you think of this piece!

Website and Shop - Hafina Offical

Instagram page - Hafina Offical

SPARKLY GIVEAWAYS: Curly Fries x Elegance of Oooh My

To start the 2019 in the right way, I’m having a giveaway! Take a look at my latest post on Instagram, where I’m giving away a kurta or casual suit of your choice from clothes boutique Elegance of Oooh My for one lucky winner. Check the post for the terms and conditions, and the giveaway ends on  Monday January 21^st 2019.

Good Luck guys!

Love,
Curly Fries xx

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Grey & Red Outfit by Elegance of Oooh My

I'm always looking for affordable (translation: cheap!) outfits online - if I can't find them on the high street then I usually have a search online on various websites, Instagram pages or just stalk some of my randon style icons to see where they shop!

I was recently sent a lovely outfit by online company Elegance of Oooh My, (their sister company is modest fashion wear Oooh My), which sells affordable ready made Asian outfits, ideal for casual wear or slightly dressier occasions (I'm thinking dawats, bbqs and random dress up days!). The outfits on the website aren't too dressy and are mostly cotton, lawn and chiffon embroidered pieces, with the emphasis on comfortable, including kurta style tops and 3-piece outfits.

I was invited to pick an outfit to try, and picked this outfit below - a grey 3-piece suit with black embroidery, accented with a pretty scarlet red scarf and red rose embroidery on the hem of the kameez. This is the kameez below - I loved the tassel details!

Here are the details while the kaam is not high end, I think what you pay for a cheap outfit is not too bad. The embroidery is machine-worked, and the material is standard cotton, but I thought the cut of the outfit was done quite well.

This is me wearing it - I really liked the fit of the kameez and thought it looked lovely with the red dupatta. I'm a little wary of outfits which don't fit well in a flattering way, and also am not too keen on kameezes which are too short - so this was the perfect length for me, short enough to  be trendy but still long enough to be modest.

I loved how easy it was to wear this - just pair with red shoes, red lips and you're done! It was also a lovely suit for the heat - the material is quite lightweight and it's very fuss-free.

Outfit - Elegance of Oooh My

Shoes - New Look

Handbag - Zara

Overall, my experience with Elegance of Oooh My was great - the communication with the seller was great, my outfit arrived in about 2 days after I confirmed the order, and it was exactly what it looked like on the website. 

I have often bought custom-made outfits in the past (especially in the days of Facebook sellers!) but am a little more wary now - I would rather buy an affordable branded outfit or a buy from a reputable seller who posts pictures of their actual products rather than generic photoshoot or catwalk photos so I know what to expect. I am also finding that as the prices of designers and custom-made businesses are raising their prices, there are also more companies filling the need of those who want affordable ready made outfits (although not all of them are brilliant!).

I thought this outfit was a pretty good bargain - this particular one is only £35.00 which is cheaper than a lot of the pieces I've seen on the high street, and the company has come across as quite reliable. The website itself has outfits ranging from £25 to £38 which I think is reasonable, and the outfits are pretty on-trend which is always great!

Elegance of Oooh My - website
Elegance of Oooh My - Instagram page

I'll be posting most of my experiences of Instagram sellers, but do let me know if you have tried any companies worth recommending!

Sukhman & Hernoor - A Floral Boutique

It's great when your favourite bloggers and fashion influences put their hard work towards something beautiful and create something that we can all have. Two of my favourite influencers, Sukhman and Hernoor have put their amazing tastes and creativity to use, and have launched a beautiful collection of outfits through their new brand, Sukhman & Hernoor. Each item of their collection is carefully designed, with hand-selected fabrics and gorgeous cuts, and is a beautiful fusion of Indian and British tastes to suit everyone.

"Sukhman & Hernoor offers a range of ready-made apparel designed by the Grewal Twins with a spirit of understated simplicity and elegance.

Their dual identity as British Indians, their affinity for travelling, and the diversity of cultures in their home city of London all play their respective roles when it comes to taking the sister's style ideas to the design drawing board.

Each fabric is hand-selected by Sukhman & Hernoor and all garments are exclusively designed and made with care and precision in London, UK."

One of the things I really like about this brand is how much care has gone into designing and creating the outfits in the collections - you can see how much love and work has gone into it, and for me, it makes such a difference to have a unique outfit than just an ordinary mass-produced outfit. Each of the outfits from this brand have their own story - perfect for special occasions.

Here are two outfits I've seen which are love - both are beautiful outfits which I loved as soon as I saw them.

Firstly is the Gulbargh collection's Rose Garden Dress, which is beautiful floral print maxi dress. If you know me, you will know I love my maxi dresses, and I love floral ones even more - so this is right up my street.

One of the things I love about this dress is how elegant yet simple it looks - it's all about the cut and the luxuriousness of the fabric - I can imagine this being perfect for a summer wedding, or a registry outfit to make for an elegant look.

Secondly is the Gulbargh's collection the Rose Garden Sharara, which harks back to the vintage years, and also reminds me a little of the 'Pakeezah' style years in old-era India, which you just can't go wrong with. As with the previous dress, the beautiful floral and roses print looks lovely - perfect for a daytime summer wedding!

BRB, trying to convince my husband to hand over his debit card.

The brand also did a collaboration with jewellery company Sahib Jewels recently, which was a beautiful photoshoot of gorgeous jewellery to set off their beautiful floral collection. I really like that the pictures below show how well the jewellery and the outfits work, and make a classic look which can be dressed up or down for a beautiful look. I also love how the outfits and jewellery speak for themselves, and look seriously glamorous.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what this brand grows into, especially when two seriously talented people like Sukhman and Hernoor are at the forefront! I love that this is something which is so culturally relatable for me - not just Punjabi, or Asian, but also as something which reminds me of our roots and our fusion tastes - both British and Asian. I also really love that these outfits are pretty modest, which is always a worry for me - but in this case I can easily see myself in these!

Social Media links

Instagram page - SukhmanHernoor
Facebook page - Sukhman & Hernoor
Email - mail@sukhmanhernoor

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Mauve Hali H Gharara Outfit

I've already posted before about this beautiful mauve gharara outfit I got from fashion brand Hali H, which I was really happy with. I thought I'd show what the outfit actually looked like when it was on, because it's one thing seeing it on the hanger (or on my bed), and another seeing it worn! Ghararas are trending all over the place recently, and I love how they are being styled at the moment, so really wanted to try one for myself, and this fit the bill perfectly.

This is the outfit, which was a 4-piece ensemble, consisting of a beautifully embroidered short kameez, a matching full-sleeved slip for underneath, a silky jamawar gharara pants and a matching duaptta. I wore this to a wedding of a close family friend, and the outfit was perfect - dressy enough without being super heavy, comfortable and right on trend.

This is how I wore the outfit, I didn't go too much on the accessories side (although I did go for purple eyeshadow!) - I went for pretty silver bangles rather than any other jewellery, and opted for khusay, rather than my usual heels. I do love my heels but I just felt that with this outfit, the khusay completed the look perfectly, and let me walk around in the gharara a lot more comfortably.

This is how the outfit looked on me, which looked very flowy and girly. It took me a while to get the hang of the pants and not trip on them, but I really loved how gorgeous they looked, and how elegant. I have always loved wearing lengha outfits and this felt the same - very dressy, elegant and perfect for the occasion.

Outfit - Hali H

Khussay - Green Street
Rayon Hijab - Inayah Collection

Clutch bag - Dune London

Bangles - Bees

One of the things that I liked about this outfit is that it is such a throwback to earlier generations - my husband loved the colour of this outfit, although he said he couldn't believe how old-school and vintage this outfit looked, and kept remarking that it looked like something from our parents' generation. I couldn't wait to show this to my mum when I got this outfit because I knew it would be something she would love - and indeed when she saw it on the day of the wedding, she laughed and said she couldn't believe this was in fashion now.

My sisters and I have often found that it has become more difficult to find outfits which are both reasonably priced and good quality - often you get one or or the other! One of the things I really liked about this outfit was that it really does tick all the boxes - trendy yet classic, beautiful colour, comfortable, easy to style and looked great on. I'm already thinking of how else I can wear the outfit (I'm imaging the top with plain, tapered trousers maybe) and the fact that I can dress this up or down.

What do you think of this outfit - would you wear a gharara?

My Online Shopping Experience: Hali H

I haven't ordered a lot of outfits in the past year, partly because I've had less of a budget, and partly because I haven't had as much need to, as there's been less weddings and events to go to. I do still keep an eye out on the fashion trends though, and do love a new outfit every now and then!

Over the last couple of years, there has been a huge increase of Instagram sellers (remember when it used to be the Facebook sellers?), who have created a business online by selling replicas, designer outfits and budget-friendly outfits for people to buy. I find that Instagram has been much more successful for businesses that Facebook because it's more visual and accessible, and pretty easy for people to place and order and order and outfit.

I wanted to post about a brand that I found online recently whose service I loved, and who I ordered a outfit from for a wedding we had recently. The brand is Hali.H, a UK vendor on Instagram who sell their own designs, which are pretty, trendy and quite wearable. I have seen their designs before, and was also recommended to them by a friend who had ordered and who had a good experience with them. The brand is actually not just Instagram-based - they have a website as well as a London-based stored which is in Tooting so London customers can easily go there and try on things before they buy.

So after being recommended to Hali Ldn, I messaged the company via the Instagram messaging system and asked the vendor to show me their latest stuff, as I wanted to see what they had as well as what was on their page. The vendor showed me a few things from their collections, as well as a few things which were on display in the store, like these pretty outfits below - I loved the colours of all of these and couldn't decide what I wanted!

Before I had a chance to pick, I saw a new design from Hali Ldn which had just come in, which was on the company's Instagram page - this pretty, mauve outfit with a gharara. Ghararas have become pretty fashionable and popular in the last few months, and I've been in two minds about them - I've never thought I suited them in the past, and I always get confused by shararas and ghararas! (Although now I know the difference, shararas are looser, flowy two-legged pants, and ghararas are very similar but have a band around the knee and more 'ghair' or excess material which flows out from the knee).

The vendor also showed me the other colours in this same style - a pretty lilac and golden-beige, both of which I loved. I almost picked the lilac but just loved the mauve so went for that. The seller was very quick to respond to my messages, and extremely thoughtful about a lot of things, like adding lining to sleeves of the outfit, as well as checking the measurements would fit me properly. I'm very conscious of outfits fitting me properly as well as outfits which are too sheer or short, and it was really sweet of the seller to consider this in regards to my order.

I paid for the outfit via bank transfer, and the seller confirmed that she had posted out the following morning. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get the outfit on time because the wedding I wanted it for was only a couple of days away, but the outfit literally arrived the day after.

This is the outfit I received - isn't the colour beautiful? I'm a big fan of dusky pinks and purples, and this is right up my street, a gorgeous colour for a formal - perfect for a wedding! The outfit is a 4-piece one - with the kameez coming with a full-sleeved slip for underneath, the pants and a beautifully embroidered dupatta.

I loved the detail of this outfit - the beautiful jamawar used for the gharara pants, the embroidery on the kameez and the beautiful pearl and embroidery detail on the border and hemline. I have had bad experience before with bad finishing, and even bad stitching, and in this case it wasn't an issue at all - there was nothing out of place or badly made, and I thought the quality of this was great.

I was really happy with how fast I got this outfit, and how lovely it looked - we've all had that experience of ordering an outfit which ended up looking nothing like the pictures! One of things which keeps me going back to the same sellers and designers that I've been happy with is the customer service I get, as well as the quality of the outfits - and in this case it was above and beyond my expectations. Ordering on Instagram has made a lot of people's lives easier (especially those who aren't near a lot of shops selling Asian outfits, like I am) and it's really nice to see a brand which takes their customers seriously, and gives not only beautiful outfits but customer care - from quick delivery, careful packaging and being on top of their messages.

I'll be posting the outfit as I wore it at the wedding soon (which I loved wearing!) so watch this space!

Hidden Pearls - A Hijab Review

I was recently sent a few hijabs by hijab and accessories company Hidden Pearl, which is a UK-based hijab, hijab accessories and gifts company. In today's day and age of shopping online, or markets and shops which sell cheap knock-off items, the issue a lot of the time is quality without having to pay a heft price tag. It's pretty ironic that for a lot of women like myself who wear hijab, hijab is so important to us, but we often end up buying cheap scarves just to make do for everyday wear, and it would be nice to find something decent-made and long-wearing.

Hidden Pearls is one of those companies which combines a good balance of business and ethics - for them hijab is not just about selling but also about being. This is reflected by how the fact that they sell a variety of hijabs, hijab pins, handbags and purses, and various types of Islamic gifts including Eid gifts which all tie in together making moments extra special for women around the world.

I also like a company who can keep their finger on the fashion pulse without charging huge prices, which is a big bonus from this company - hijab fashion is changing and evolving each year with more and more demand for variety, style, colours and materials (and after seeing it on the catwalk, it's been popularised more!) so it's great to find a company like this. Hidden Pearls sells a huge range of scarves from plain hijabs, crinkle, jersey, pom-pom, Turkish, shimmer, multi-tones, ombre, silk, floral, pearl, lace, ribbon, diamante and even glitter hijabs (and that's not even all of the list!) - so there's something for everyone, just check out their categories!

I was sent a variety of scarves from the company, and picked a group of shades which I know I'd use a lot - as you can see below I picked a lot of pinks shades!

This is the full group picture of the scarves I received - as you can see there are a variety of shades and a variety of textures, so there's something every season and occasion.

Here's a look at the crinkle hijabs I was sent, in pink and grey - crinkle and pleated hijabs have become quite fashionable in the last year or so, and it's great to see available on this site. I've been looking for a decent crinkle hijab for some time and was delighted with these, the shades are perfect for the outfits I wear, and the material is beautiful soft without being too thick.

Next up are the jersey hijabs, which I received in two colours, cream and mauve. These were made from a beautifully soft material, and again are colours I can see myself using a lot. One of the things I love about jersey hijabs is how comfortable they are, and how easily they wrap without needing too many pins or fussing about. I also love how good quality the jersey material of these actually are - I've seen a lot of cheap jersey hijabs which wear down too easily or are too thin and doesn't look nice, and I love that these are have a beautiful feel to them which really shows the quality of the scarf.

Lastly are the chiffon scarves, which I though were lovely, as they both had different textures - one was a luxury chiffon scarf, while the other was a plain chiffon scarf. Again, both are colours I wear all the time, and they are beautifully made. One of the issues I have in the summer when it's hot (the last few weeks especially showed this!) is that my head gets too hot if I use thick materials for scarves, so chiffon is perfect for the warm weather because it's breathable, light and comfortable. I also love using chiffon scarves for special events and weddings because they give that touch of luxury, which really pulls an outfit together - if you see in the close up of the scarves below, you can see just how well made these scarves are, and they're not even see-through!

I love the colours that I was sent and will definitely be using them in the future (I've already worn these a few times already!)

I really like that this is a website I can see myself buying different scarves from in the future as well, and there is a real personal touch to the customer service which really makes all the different. The scarves themselves are pretty affordable, which start from as little as £5.99 for a chiffon scarf, which I think is excellent value for the quality you receive.

The company are also releasing Islamic Gifts and Eid Gifts boxes, which are a really sweet idea of curated boxes of luxury items (and they're also launching their new Eid Presents for Kids, so keep an eye out!). Hidden Pearls is doing a regular and deluxe version of the box which offers a beautiful hijab (or two hijabs in the Deluxe box) from their luxury collection, you get a set of gorgeous hijab pins and an everyday essential hijab bonnet or ninja cap. Along with this, is also  additional items in the box ranging from chocolates, pretty earrings, a bow and other really nice stuff!

Image from Hidden Pearl website

If you're like me then you've probably seen a lot of versions of these for Christmas, Easter or New Year, but I've never really seen an Eid Box like this which is affordable. I often find things like to make a much more thoughtful gesture when giving as a gift to a fellow Muslimah, and is definitely a sign of a company helping to pave the road for the Islamic gift market.

You can purchase hijabs from Hidden Pearls from their website here.

Social Media links:
Facebook page
Instagram page
Twitter: @HiddenPearlsUK


*Disclaimer: These hijabs were given to me for an honest, non-paid review*

Eid Outfit Inspos!

We all have this struggle every year - what to wear for Eid? My sisters and I always make a trek along the local high streets and either get lucky in finding something we love, or look online and in shops for ages before we finally settle on something.

It's a little cheeky to be looking for Eid outfits before it's even here, but the one thing I've learned for myself is that the earlier I look, the better deals I find and the more happy I am with my outfits!

I thought I'd post a few outfits I've seen recently which have caught my eye as Eid outfit inspirations - even if I don't buy them, treat them as inspiration!

#1 - This Amber Gohar pearl outfit
I saw this online, which is currently being stocked by UK vendor Hina Rasim on her instagram page, and loved the look - pearls, trendy bell sleeves and a gorgeous border on the hem. I quite liked the outfit in white, which would look great as a summer piece. My husband also loved this piece too, but it's slightly more pricier than my budget allows at £250.00, so I'm still thinking about it!

#2 - This Sana Safinaz Luxury Eid Collection piece
Pakistani brand Sana Safinaz released their Eid Collection recently for pre-order, and some of the pieces look really dreamy. My favourite is this pretty piece, a mint and peach ensemble with gorgeous embroidery. It's different from a lot of pieces I've seen in that it's a longer kameez style, but I think it looks pretty chic, and at Rs. 12,500 (that's about £95.00), that's not bad. The only issue is being to actually get it before it sells out, and as these come unstitched, getting a tailor on time!

#3 - This cape-dress from RDC London
RDC London is one of stores, so we always take a look in the shop whenever we're in the area. The black cape-dress on the left caught my eye last week - I loved how elegant the cape looked. It's a little dressier than my usual embroidered kameezes that I go for, but I have a few weddings coming up so this could be handy! I wouldn't pick the black shade (my family tend not to go for black when it comes to Eid these days), but it does come in cream as well. I also saw the red outfit on the right a few weeks back and it looked quite funky to me - a little Russian-inspired to me! Not sure I could pull it off  but it's an interesting idea.

#4 - Agha Noor outfits by Kurta Kouture
You can't go wrong with Agha Noor, it's reasonably priced, easy to wear and looks pretty. UK-based Kurta Kouture stocks a range of Agha Noor and has a few pretty pieces online - I quite liked the pieces below, although I haven't decided on anything yet!

I'll be keeping an eye out for more pieces (watch this space for a Part 2 of this post!), and will post any more ideas I find, whether it's online or in the shops!

I'm also looking to go to a Ramadan souk (bazaar) called The Exhibit at The Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge, which is happening in two weeks. This will be a multi-brand trunk show showcasing a range of brands, which I'm hoping to find something at - so more about this soon!