"Cover"-ed Girls! - Page 46

[umsami]

Originally Posted by kangamitroo

are any of you mamas athletes? do you make exceptions or find alternative ways to cover when you are training?

I wouldn't call myself an athlete...but I do like to be active. I used to swim competitively... play lacrosse, field hockey, etc. As for covering, a few Muslim Mamas I know simply wear a bandana when they're exercising. Not 100% Islamic in terms of covering (neck bare, ears show)... but it's a compromise that works for them. They'll wear sweat pants rather than shorts when playing soccer or basketball or whatever.

As for me, I wear a Muslim swimsuit when swimming... and then just a cotton Al Amirah hijab when biking, walking, etc. Coolmax or other wicking fabrics, if I can find them, for long sleeve t-shirts, although cotton is great too. Seems to work well. I figure if I ever wanted to swim at the Masters level... by wearing my Muslim swimsuit it's like I've been training with a really bulky drag suit for years.

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

What activities do you have in mind? I'm not really a team sports person, but I have at times in my life taken distance hiking very seriously, and while not competitive about any of them have been involved in biking, swimming, trail riding, etc. I'd like to take up running, but right now I feel as though I'd be lucky to be able to run to my mailbox without getting winded.

There are certainly activities that would make it a challenge overall (competition swimming, gymnastics), but on a whole I think most activities at most levels of participation can be adapted to most definitions of modest dress. If that makes any sense.

i am working my way back to running, as well as hiking. my fantasy is evntually to do a trail half marathon, but i have the getting winded problem at this point, too. of course, right now i cover my head only at the masjid. however, i want to explore options. i need more physical activity, and want to approach things with integrity.

i guess coolmax will be my friend because i get hot so very very easily! it is freezing out now, but my mind is wandering ahead to warmer days. if an Olympian can do it, well...

i have seen online athletic style hijab--meant to stay put and breathe? but i'd be curious what others do.

[Liquesce]

I have in the past gone looking for wicking fabric hijabs and didn't find any, so it's on my mental list of things to maybe-possibly-someday get around to sewing for myself. As it stands now I just go with cotton or rayons, and like umsami if I'm going to be doing anything where loose fabric could get in the way I make sure to wear an amira. Much though I loathe them fashion-wise, they are really, really practical.

IMO hiking is like the world's most perfect outdoor hijabi activity. But even back in my teens before I really cared about religious modesty I was that person who in the middle of summer would not touch a trail without long sleeves and long pants to help with warding off bugs and brush, and I usually added a bandanna to keep branches and ticks () out of my hair and to help keep sweat from running down into my eyes. So oddly enough hiking was when I was my closest to wearing hijab before I wore hijab.

There's a periodically updated book series which gets into a lot of hiking equipment recommendations ... I'm like 99% sure what I'm thinking of is The Complete Walker. At any rate, they talk a lot about modern materials for keeping cool and dry while covered ... a lot of it is with cool-weather layering in mind so you don't get sweaty and then freeze to death when you stop, but it's just as practical advice for warm weather coverage just by stripping off the over-layers. Anyway, my whole point is that, while the series is oriented to hikers, it could be a really good resource for learning about what options are available for keeping covered while active in a more general way. (And I'm guessing there are probably similar guides oriented towards runners anyway?) Not really a "buy now!" kind of thing, but I know my local library back in PA carried it.

(Also? The trail marathon sounds really cool. Good luck.)

[Faliciagayle]

Kanga - I've posted this on the Modest Mamas thread but thought I'd post it here for you, too http://miraclothes.com/products.aspx
It's an exercise/running skirt and long sleeve/3/4 sleeve top. Both are made from wicking, technical fabric. Go to the library and check out a copy of a summer or winter gear issue of Runner's World and they will discuss all kinds of fabric options. I dunno if the skirt would work for you since lower legs show.. but it's an option. GL!

My last couple races I ran in tech pants that hit right under the knee, a long sleeved tech top, and a baseball cap.

[kangamitroo]

liquesce, you crack me up! yes, on the trail i feel like my family doesn't think i'm nuts to avoid shorts. "oh, thorns and bugs. right." if i do decide to cover my hair while hiking, i think you're right that al-amira would work. tho my hair is so short, a Red Sox cap would nearly do the trick.

faliciagayle, thanks for the tip. i recall seeing the post in modestmamas a while back, and it's an appealing option. i am still flexible on leg coverage.... tho looking for looser than the usual running tights when i go long. it is so good to hear the experience of others, what has worked well.

in a culture where covering/modest dress is not the norm, i am grateful for the support here.

[RainRaven]

So I got a new cover today at the Mall in HotTopic for 3 bucks it is quite nice brightly colored plaid. Im stoked and I just found this one on line I may need to save up and get it http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Acc...ood-126525.jsp

[Moonprysm]

Originally Posted by RainRaven

So I got a new cover today at the Mall in HotTopic for 3 bucks it is quite nice brightly colored plaid. Im stoked and I just found this one on line I may need to save up and get it http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Acc...ood-126525.jsp

I need to make a trip to Hot Topic, I think!

[Panserbjorne]

Oh my goodness! I was in a store today for a big sale (J.Jill...lots of modest stuff) and the most beautiful covered woman walked in. The way her scarf was wrapped was breathtaking and I have NO idea how she did it! I did accost her (LOL) and talked to her enough to find out it was rectangular...but I didn't want to harrass her and ask her to show me how she did it. I doubt she's on here, but if you are....I meant it! You are stunning and I so want to know how you did it!

Sigh....I need new ideas. I have a TINY head and I need a good style that adds more bulk. I wish I could make a bun style fly.

[jul511riv]

you can "cheat" with a bun style. You basically just need hair long enough to get into a pony tail. If you can actually make a bun, even better. Wrap around with a large scrunchy band. Then tie a bulky scarf at the back of your neck and take each end and wrap around the bun, tucking in the ends into the actual bun. I think if you search on youtube for bun hair wraps or something you will probably find a tutorial.

[Panserbjorne]

I think I've seen a few. Problem is my hair isn't even close to ponytail length!

[Faliciagayle]

I like the bun wrap but find it highly annoying in the car.

[Liquesce]

So, I am in love with this image, from this company. I am not, however, in love with either the price or the up-close swatches of the print. Has anyone ever worn/made anything similar? I'd like to give it a try, but I'd rather some kind of pattern rather than just winging it.

[Panserbjorne]

I love it! The scarf too. Can't wait to see if anyone has any suggestions. That is pretty pricey though!

[Liquesce]

At first glance I want to say, "ok, so it's a snood. No big deal." But the back is folded up in, rather than being a sort of a bag, and the ties are so much longer. I guess, for scale, adapting a snood patter would be the most simple thing though.

[Faliciagayle]

I dunno. It looks more like the wrap is a triangular piece with contrasting, extra long ties thick enough to fold over and create a cuff...

http://www.happyheadwraps.com/howtowrap.html




seriously tho, how do you all get around driving with a scarf? Every time I drive with a scarf tied in some pretty way it gets mangled my the head rest.

[Liquesce]

I also just found these images that I had pulled from the site of a Turkish scarf styler:

(images redacted, sorry)

There's a lot more on her site here ... it's heavily big fantasy wedding oriented (translation: overdone for my liking), but there are some simpler/more classic ideas buried in there here and there.

ETA: Wait, did I post those before? Now I don't remember if that's why I had them in the first place.

Edited by Liquesce - 2/11/12 at 2:21pm

[AFWife]

Jumping in again...

I started covering, finally. I "happened" to be reading a blog post on it when my husband was sitting with me. I asked how he'd feel. He said he had never really thought about it but he would support me if I wanted to try. So, we went to Walmart and got a couple of bandannas for a buck each.

Is it normal to feel a bit...silly when first starting out? I still feel a bit weird doing it. That is, when I remember I have it on. Half the time I forget I'm even wearing it. Advice?

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by umsami

As for me, I wear a Muslim swimsuit when swimming... and then just a cotton Al Amirah hijab when biking, walking, etc. Coolmax or other wicking fabrics, if I can find them, for long sleeve t-shirts, although cotton is great too. Seems to work well. I figure if I ever wanted to swim at the Masters level... by wearing my Muslim swimsuit it's like I've been training with a really bulky drag suit for years.

I looked at some of the Muslim Swimwear...they're pretty! And they look really warm!

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

ETA: Wait, did I post those before? Now I don't remember if that's why I had them in the first place.

that was awesome. totally made my day.

Now that that's outta the way, there were a few that I really liked!

[Magelet]

Originally Posted by AFWife

Is it normal to feel a bit...silly when first starting out? I still feel a bit weird doing it. That is, when I remember I have it on. Half the time I forget I'm even wearing it. Advice?

Welcome.

It sounds pretty normal. I'd say sometimes I felt absurd and definitely not comfortable with it when I first started covering (I felt like it was most certainly the right thing for me, but really weird like everyone else must think that I looked weird). Slowly, I got used to it. I realized that a lot of the time people don't notice (this might be slightly less the case in a city with less covering people, however there are a LOT of hijabi and hippies who wear bandanas as fashion here, so wearing any sort of headcovering doesn't stand out THAT much.) And often they think its a pretty fashion accesory. And just getting used to it. I don't know your reason for covering, but my reason is... entirely my own spirituality and neither required nor encouraged by any branch of my religion for me (though it is required/encouraged/suggusted/not paid attention to by various branches of judaism for married women). So part of my process was figuring out why I covered. And what types of coverings felt comfortable.

I'd say keep covering for a while, and see how it feels. It may very well just be newness. (and even after a year of on and off covering and 8 months full time covering in public, I do sometimes feel weird about it. Like in a beach town if I have on a very full headcovering, and I'm with family in bikinis, it feels weird. but I stick to my convictions that this is right for me.)

And whatever issues, questions, concerns, or style advice you have about covering, know we're here to help eachother.