My first ice hockey game

Posted on November 18, 2010
Filed Under Sabrina's Style, Stepping Out, The Closet | 6 Comments

The Boss and I were invited to an L.A. Kings game last night, and it was the first professional ice hockey game I’d ever been to. I’ve been to a few basketball games at the Staple’s Center, so it was kind of awesome to see the stadium transformed from hard court to ice. I figured the crowd at an ice hockey game would be less shi shi than the basketball crowd in L.A. so I decided to wear something casual. I went with a pair of worn jeans, an oversized top and slightly longer sweater vest since I try never to leave the house without covering my backside — something I started consciously doing about two years ago as I become more and more aware of the faith-based clothing guidelines I choose to follow. Of course when I’m at home, or in a place where my clothing guidelines don’t need to be enforced, or have wiggle room, Backside Coverage would not be an issue. Unless of course someone was offended by my mooning jokes. Party poopers.

Vest, Rubbish, BP at Nordstrom
Top, Trouvé, TBD at Nordstrom
Jeans, Joe’s at Bloomindale’s
Bracelet, Target
Necklace, Target
Shoes, Kenneth Cole, thrifted

Game Day threads

Posted on November 12, 2010
Filed Under At Home, The Closet | Leave a Comment

Some of you may remember my Lakers game day uniform (and snacks!) from last season, but this year, I’m working with something new (don’t worry last season’s “jersey” is still in the rotation!)  As a little sister, I’m not unfamiliar with (nor would I ever object to) hand-me-downs, which is why I was so happy when I got this bad boy from The Boss. Yup, a hand-me-down from my husband. You Guys, the people who think my religion is gender bias are going to have a field day with this one!

Running errands and the beach

Posted on October 29, 2010
Filed Under Sabrina's Style, Stepping Out, The Closet | 3 Comments

(Photos: The Boss)

The Boss and I had to run a quick errand. I didn’t want to get dressed. That’s quite a conundrum, wouldn’t you say? On the days I’m feeling exceptionally lazy, I turn to a simple, easy-does-it outfit that can get me through my day with minimal effort: Worn jeans and a top with a little give. Lazy days (for me) not only mean having to dig for the motivation to change my clothes, but they also mean that there is NO WAY I’m going to iron my scarf, or take more than 13 seconds to put it on. I just can’t do it. And yes, I mean that in the most melodramatic sense of the phrase.

We ran our errand all while I daydreamed of returning home, slipping back into my sweats and pulling my hair into a disheveled ponytail. But then, we saw the beach. The beautiful beach with surfers and sail boats dancing atop glittering waves. And it was all just three blocks away. We changed our plans mid-step and within moments, my lazy-day outfit went double-duty, and I forgot all about my sweats. Well, until I got home that is.

Red hijab, a gift from my mom
Black scarf, a gift from my aunt, from Nordstrom
Short-sleeve shirt (under gray top), Merona from Target
Top, a gift from MIL from Forever 21
Jeans, Joe’s (either Meg wash or Maribelle wash, I can’t remember) at Bloomingdale’s
Earrings, BCBG Max Azria
Sun glasses, Chanel

On a boat and out to lunch

Posted on October 27, 2010
Filed Under Sabrina's Style, Stepping Out, The Closet | 10 Comments

(Photos: The Boss)

The Boss and I went on a sea life boating trip last weekend. It was raining in the morning and there was a little bite in the air. Since it’s always colder on or near the water, I started with a fitted black tank top that would provide a bit of insulation over my chest, and then added an over-sized long sleeve top. The sun was supposed to come out later in the day, so I took a sweatshirt with me as an extra layer of warmth that I could put on and take off as needed. I decided to wear rain boots not only because it was raining, but also because I knew the deck of the boat would likely be wet. I didn’t want to loose my footing and go flying overboard because the truth is, I’d be so embarrassed I fell, I wouldn’t even call for help. Next thing you know, 30 years have passed, and I’m still stuck on an island extracting my own teeth and talking to a volleyball. Now do you see why I chose to wear rain boots even though the rain stopped four hours later? TO AVOID ALL THAT.

Hijab, Target
Earrings, H&M
Oversized sweatshirt, BP at Nordstrom
Two pearl necklace, BP at Nordstrom
Key and tooth necklaces, Lucky Brand at Macy’s
Top, TBD at Nordstrom
Skirt, a gift from MIL from Macy’s
Burberry rain boots, Nordstrom
Bracelets, H&M and BP at Nordstrom

Getting the car serviced

Posted on October 26, 2010
Filed Under Sabrina's Style, Stepping Out, The Closet | 5 Comments

I went to get our car serviced at the dealership, and since I was going by myself I put some thought into what I was going to wear. Since I’m a woman, I’m aware of many scenarios where people (ahem, MEN) try to bamboozle the female species when it comes to car services. Clothes say a lot about who you are, and since my appearance screams MUSLIM! every time I step outside, I wanted to look nice, but not flirty, feminine, but not clueless, confident, but not overdressed. I decided on a smart-casual ensemble consisting of a black tank dress with a black cardigan and black flats, and threw in a little color by adding a teal hijab. I debated on if/how much to accessorize, and decided on a large bib necklace that was a little Gladiator-esque to intimidate any possible scammers. What? You don’t think that’s intimidating? Well, duh! That’s only because you haven’t heard my growl that goes with it.

Hijab, BP at Nordstrom
Cardigan, TBD at Nordstrom
Racerback tank dress in black, Mossimo at Target
Coin bib necklace, H&M
Jeans, Joe’s at Nordstrom (Marissa wash)
Earrings, H&M

A meeting in the cold and foggy

Posted on October 15, 2010
Filed Under Sabrina's Style, Stepping Out, The Closet | 6 Comments

I had a meeting to attend downtown the very day the temperature in L.A. dropped about 20 degrees. The painfully hot weather suddenly turned cold and foggy, and just as my wardrobe isn’t equipped with clothes for painfully hot weather, it’s barely equipped for any weather under 65.

I figured a cardigan was my best bet at keeping semi warm (plus I’d be inside a building for my meeting) so I layered it over another long-sleeve shirt for a little extra insulation for the short walk outside.

Since I didn’t need to be very formal in my dress, I skipped the slacks and wore the harem pants that MIL got me, and slipped into a pair of brown boots.

I pulled the pants down over my boots so they were about six inches from the bottom when I left the house — I just did this for the picture.

I kept accessories minimal. Just a pair of earrings and a ring.

Because it was cold, I wanted to “close” my sweater, but since I was wearing an open-front cardigan, I wrapped each side of the front around my body and then used a brooch to hold it in place.

Related Note: I’ve heard that when you (esp. women) have to put something on/near your chest area, like a pin, brooch, or name tag, it’s proper to put it on the left side of your body, well above your breast, but just below your shoulder. Apparently, the onlooker’s eyes are drawn to the right side of your body first (your left side) and you don’t want those same eyes to be drawn straight to your boob. HA. I just said boob on my Web site.

Hijab, H&M
Long sleeve tee, James Perse at Nordstrom
Cardigan, BCBG at Nordstrom
Harem pants, gift from MIL from Egypt
Boots, Frye at Nordstrom
Ring, H&M
Earrings, H&M
Brooch, gift from a parent when I worked summer camp

A tour guide in blistering heat

Posted on October 12, 2010
Filed Under Sabrina's Style, Stepping Out, The Closet | 6 Comments

I might be writing too many posts like this. Posts where I keep talking about what I wore in temperatures that I imagine rival the fire of hell. The heat wave in L.A. lasted about two weeks, and even though the weather has significantly cooled off (we had about three days of rain) the trauma of those painfully hot days has been a little hard to shake.

When my friend Stephanie was in town, I planned to show her as much of L.A. as we could possibly fit into her trip. This involved not only avoiding the tourist traps, but taking her to The Valley where temperatures are anywhere from 12 to 15 degrees hotter than the rest of L.A.

I needed something that would keep me cool, not only for a few hours, but for the entire day. This outfit needed to have at least 12 hours of stamina, it couldn’t stick to my body (this meant jeans were NOT an option) and it had to be appropriate enough for lunch at a nice cafe.

I decided on an oversized shirt (you’ll see me wearing these a lot!) and a pair of white linen pants. White linen always reminds me of summer. It also reminds me how lucky I am to be married to a man who does all the ironing. Of course I do all the laundry so it all evens out.

I added some accessories (specifically the long necklace) to dress the outfit up just a little because it was looking a tad simple for what I wanted.

I wore my go-to earrings, and although it was brutally hot, I tied my hijab tight and proper the way I normally do. I thought about wearing one of my lighter and looser scarves (as I often do in my YouTube videos) but I knew with a whole day of walking around, picture-taking and running back to the car to make sure the meter didn’t expire, the last thing I wanted to fidget with was my hijab.

Shirt, H&M
Pants, H&M
Hijab, H&M (or possibly taken from my sister. Oopsies.)
Chandelier earrings, Airport in Boston
Necklace, Nordstrom
Bracelets, H&M and Target