After five days I shall rip off the page from my calendar which says February and welcome the crisp smooth page saying March. Mother Nature has her own ways of showing signs when winter is coming to a close.  The sun graces us more often and the silence of the early morning air is broken with a chirp of a bird. You take a look at the sweaters that kept you warm all winter. The sight of them makes you scorch a little and you know that it is time to start putting them away.

Along with spring comes spring fashion. Looking at the latest catalogs I feel sad that no matter what style is in season modesty never seems to make the list. It is important for me to evaluate each year whether or not my clothes are modest.

For me modesty stands for a preserve of culture and freedom, a freedom from vanity and pretentiousness. It is not hiding or being ashamed of being a woman but respecting and having confidence in one’s femininity.

In Islam modesty is not only restricted to one’s clothes. Modesty is decency in one’s mannerism and attitude towards life. And yes, it is meant for both men and women.

It is difficult to follow rules written in age-old scriptures when it comes to dressing up. Many people choose to follow MTV and their favorite celebrities instead. What I remind myself while dressing is how modesty evokes inspiration for elegance and grace within me. That in turn reflects in what I wear.

The secret to being well dressed is to take time and think about what you wear. I have become more fashion conscious since I have started wearing the hijab.  That is not because I feel I should compensate for the covering of my head. It is because I am very aware of what I wear and make an effort to shop for the right dresses.

By the way, many of you must have seen Jennifer Lopez donning a headscarf. I don’t know how far in the mainstream this hijab trend goes but I personally think JLO never looked better!

The myth is that you cannot mix faith with fashion. I say you can. You just need to be a little more creative than the rest. Someone who dresses modestly is someone who is mature and has immense self-respect for themselves.