Shopping Advice

Whether you're new to Islamic clothing or an old hand, this section offers some helpful advice you might like to consider when choosing what to buy.

A good intention
Cultural concerns?
Modesty
Style
Practical considerations
Internet purchasing

A good intention

Let's admit it, most of us like to look good. And in fact there's nothing wrong with that, given the right intention, because the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) reassured a man who was worried that liking nice clothes and sandals might be considered a form of arrogance, that Allah is beautiful and loves beauty in His servants (Muslim). In fact, there are many routine acts that we carry out in our everyday lives that can, with the right intention, be made into actions pleasing to our Creator. Just think of the simple act of eating food. How many times a day do we eat or drink something to fulfill our appetite or quench our thirst? By remembering our Lord at these times and intending to give our body its rights for food and drink these daily actions become meritorious and pleasing to Allah. Likewise, going to sleep at night for up to maybe eight hours, a third of the twenty-four hour day: by intending to give our bodies its right to sleep and to strengthen it for worship, this long period of time doesn't get passed in vain. Similarly, when buying and wearing clothes, by beautiful intentions we can transform otherwise mundane worldly events into actions beloved to Allah. So a good start is to intend, when buying clothing, to give our body its rights for warmth and protection and to fulfill the obligation of covering our 'awra' (nakedness). Then we can improve on this by intending many additional things: to look beautiful for the sake of Allah; to follow the blessed Prophet of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) by wearing clothes that it is reported he wore; to please our family and spouses; to show non-Muslims the modesty, dignity and beauty of the Muslim man or woman; and to provide the person we are buying from with their means of livelihood..

Once we receive our new clothing items, we can read the dua' or supplication which is recommended to say upon first wearing a new outfit. Thereafter, for every day in our lives whenever we get dressed in the morning or at other times, we can bring to mind the above-mentioned intentions.

Cultural concerns?

SHUKR clothes span the full wardrobe of styles most likely to be needed by Muslim men and women. We have clothes for most occasions and preferences. However, as Muslims living in the West, much as we would like to express our Islamic identity, we have to take into account the way our dress will be interpreted and received by those around us - people at college, work, in the street, or even our families! There are serious issues of safety to consider, as well as more subtle points about how one's dress will affect other people's perception of Islam, Muslims, and oneself. SHUKR's philosophy is one of being proud of our Muslim identity and being recognized as Muslims. This doesn't mean that we all have to get out our galabiyya's and jilbabs and refuse to wear anything else. As we mentioned in the 'About SHUKR' section, although we are pleased to reproduce some of the clothing which has always been worn in various parts of the Muslim world, our ultimate aim is to create a line of clothing which is truly reflective of, and relevant to, the needs of Western Muslims. So our general advice is: be strong and proud that you are a Muslim, but have wisdom in what clothing you choose to wear out in public.

You need to ask yourself what you want the garment for and where will you wear it. Is it for work? school? college? the mosque? special occasions? home? What is appropriate for you to wear at different places will depend upon your individual circumstances. Maybe your employer might appreciate you coming in for work wearing a smart 3-piece SHUKR suit, but he or she probably wouldn't look too favorably upon a Shami galabiyya. School or college is normally much more relaxed and although the galabiyya might still be pushing it, a shalwar kameez for brothers or sisters wouldn't be out of place. Items like the SHUKR blouses and skirts, or the long shirts and baggy bottoms, although more modest, are similar to mainstream fashion trends and so shouldn't be out of place anywhere. When you're back at home or at the mosque feel free to rip off those work clothes and get back to some Moroccan heritage with a Fez or Marrakesh cloak. And when those special Eid days or weddings come along, don't be afraid to dazzle others with a smart jubba, suit or nicely hand-embroidered Qarawiyyin thawb.  

Modesty

Muslims, especially in today's times, often differentiate themselves from others with their concern for modest clothing. After all, the Lord of all the worlds has enjoined upon us that we should cover our ' awra (nakedness) with clothing which meets certain criteria, most notably that it be loose and not transparent. The requirements of modesty apply to men as well as women, and it is sometimes sad to see Muslim brothers unaware of these requirements, like when they tuck their shirts into a tight-fitting pair of trousers, leaving very little for the imagination. Seeing this phenomenon was the inspiration for our range of long men's shirts which protect the modesty of the Muslim man by allowing him to leave the shirt loose, hanging over his rear. Most of SHUKR's clothing has been designed to fulfill these Islamic clothing criteria, and so it can be worn outdoors without any problems. However, sisters in particular need to be aware that the odd SHUKR garment, like the Paris dress, shouldn't be worn outdoors unless covered by a looser over-garment. What is appropriate to be worn outdoors depends not just upon the particular clothing item, but also on factors like the body shape and the way the hijab is worn. Fuller- chested sisters generally tend to make extra effort to conceal their body shape. The SHUKR blouses can be worn outside without the need for an overgarment providing that a loose hijab hangs over the chest.

Style

Apart from making sure that our clothes fulfill the requirements of modesty which we abide by, we also need to make sure that the clothes look good on us. This depends on four main factors – the choice of garment, the choice of colour, the choice of size, and the choice of matching items:

i. Which garment?

Firstly, we need to choose a style of clothing that suits us. Although most of SHUKR's clothes can be worn by almost anybody, regardless of their ethnic background, body shape, or size, some garments look better on some rather than on others. For example, the Cairo shirt, with its low neckline, tends to look better on brothers with broad chests which are not too hairy, and so it normally suits Afro-American brothers best. From your own personal experience, you should know what type of garments flatter your particular body shape and size.

ii. Which colour?

Secondly, after choosing a particular style, we need to choose the colour. All of us have our favourite colours and ideas about which colours suit us best. We need to consider our skin tone, hair colour and eye colour. Generally speaking SHUKR's colour choices are based on natural earth tones and most colours will suit everybody. There are some exceptions to this however, so maybe you can get the friendly (but honest) opinion of an associate or family member.

iii. Which size?

Sizing is extremely important. We may have chosen a garment which will look great on us, in a colour which really suits us, but then we go and ruin it by choosing a size which is either too large or small for us. Thankfully, it's not too hard to choose the right size. SHUKR has prepared sizing charts to guide you in this matter. Look up the general sizing chart to see whether your body measurements make you a small, medium, large or extra large. Because Islamic clothing is generally quite loose-fitting, there is quite a bit of room for flexibility. The most important measurements you will normally need to consider are your height as well as the length of the garment. Consulting the size guide and choosing the right size helps prevent the disappointment of receiving your garments only to find that they do not fit.

iv. Which matching garments?

We may have chosen an excellent garment, but we still need to consider what we will wear or match it with. For example, a sister buying an embroidered blouse might like to consider a matching pair of embroidered trousers or skirt to go with it, or if buying a jilbab then a matching hijab. If this is familiar stuff for sisters, brothers might not be too aware of how to mix and match their Islamic clothing. The Shami galabiyya can be made into a set with matching baggy bottoms and a Kharabsheh waistcoat. This waistcoat can also look good with shalwar kameezes, and shirts can be matched with the baggy bottoms as well. Don't forget a matching hat to cap it all off.

Practical considerations

Having settled issues of modesty and style, there are other less interesting but nevertheless practical considerations which we might want to take into account:

i) Fiber content

What are the garments we are purchasing made of? The fiber composition of each garment is listed under the detailed description of each garment. For some people the material is not an important consideration whereas for others it is. Refer to our Fabric Guide to understand a little bit about the fibers which your garments are made from.

ii) Care instructions

Some garments are machine wash, some hand wash and others dry clean only. If you have particular preferences for how to care for your garments, make sure you choose items which can be cared for in such a manner. For general advice on caring for your clothes, please see our Caring for Your Clothes section.

iii) Cost

It goes without saying, but the cost of the garments you are going to buy is obviously one of the most important considerations. We have tried to price our garments so that all people – students as well as professionals - can afford at least something from our line of clothing. Don't forget the shipping costs. To make things easier for you, SHUKR has prepared a table of shipping costs which depend upon your order value, so you can easily calculate what shipping you will have to pay. Please refer to our Shipping and Returns.

Internet purchasing

Purchasing over the internet is still a relatively new phenomenon and many of us may not have purchased clothes, or indeed anything, via the internet before. However, the sheer practicality and ease of home shopping is quickly changing this, and it won't be long before most people's shopping is done via the computer screen.

Clothes present a slightly more complex scenario than other consumer items. When you buy, say, a new computer part or book over the internet, you know exactly what you are getting. Clothes, however, are normally touched, examined from different angles, and tried on. SHUKR, like other clothing companies, is aware of this and we have tried to make it as easy as possible for our customers to have as much information as possible about the garments they want to buy. Firstly, we have taken clear photos and shown them in a large format on the screen so that the details and 'feel' of the garments can be grasped. If there are any noteworthy elements of the garments, like embroidery, which do not show up clearly in the one single photograph, then we have provided an alternative close-up of these details in another, accompanying photo. Secondly, we have provided very detailed descriptions of all our garments, pointing out all the salient features like pockets, buttons, slits, cuffs etc. Thirdly, we have produced sizing guides so that you can measure yourself at home to make sure that you are the right fit for the garment. Last of all, we have a simple, no-questions asked returns policy. We recognize that, despite all our efforts to inform you about our garments and to make sure that they fit you, for one reason or another you may not be 100% satisfied with your clothes when you receive them and try them on. No problems. Simply return them to us so that we receive them within 20 days of the order date, and we will give you a full refund.