Pixie, Your Personal Shopper: Beautiful Muslimah Online Boutique to Open Soon


Bismillahi Al rahmani raheem.



Asalam alaykom ramatullahi wa barakto sisters,


BEAUTIFUL MUSLIMAH ONLINE BOUTIQUE OPENING SOON: As you all know, I announced a while back I was almost ready to start selling items from here in Oman, and eventually, other nearby GCC countries like UAE, Bahrain, and KSA. I posted a few items I would be able to stock for future sale, like niqabs.


But besides those items, I kind of had another idea.


The new "Beautiful Muslimah Online Boutique" is not exactly going to be your traditional internet Islamic shopping experience. #1 difference is that for the time being, I am not going to stock a lot of merchandise. What I am going to do instead is treat every individual customer like they are my personal shopping client. That means, no matter where you live, USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and elsewhere, you will be able to shop like you are in the GCC, and more than that, like you are a VIP. All that is required for great style and this fabulous shopping experience is that you be able to take your own measurements according to my guidelines, and provide me with a secure way to ship the items to you, if my preferred methods are not available.


HOW IT WILL BE ORGANIZED: the boutique will be based online on blogger up until the point I feel it is necessary to create a website. It will be organized with your specifications tagged on the sidebar menu [design, cut, colour, designer, latest trends, new in stock, price categories, SALE, ect]. Once you click on the specific tag, it will take you to all available merchandise in your selection. You may also, of course, simply peruse the entire blog. If you find an item you want to place an order for, write down the order name of the item as listed, taking into account the shipping time listed on the description of the item. Some items will be in stock and in your size and may ship immediately. Others will require 2 days-1 week for tailoring depending on the supplier and this will be specified. Most items will be made to order, customized to your measurements for a perfect fit, and will take as little 2 days to 3 weeks to manufacture. I will specify where possible.


HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER: On the sidebar will be a link to the email address where I receive all orders. In the email you will have to state your measurements, the item order name/and or names, shipping address, and preferred method of payment.


CONCERNING PAYMENTS: I will be taking Western Union orders, wire payments and Drafts & Money Orders. I do require that I receive the entire payment before I place your order for tailoring or pick up from the supplier. So that means that depending on the time you require your item in, you may have to use a certain payment method, as I require all drafts/money orders to clear at the bank before I place an order for purchase and shipment. I will look into Visa, but don't really like encouraging riba/interest as it is a sin for Muslims. Prepaid visas seem okay to me so I will look into it.


Once I receive your email purchase inquiry I will immediately receive all order options for your item for you and correspond back to you if there are any additional options for you to decide on, such as fabric cost and quality, and the exact time of production for your item, as well as the full shipping cost, and any return policies.


QUALITY GUARANTEE: *Most stores that tailor the items won't allow for returns so I will personally guarantee the quality of your order before I hand over your hard-earned money. If they are later then they said they would be I will argue to get you a deserved discount*


Once you confirm your order and I receive your payment I will go to the stores for you, have your order placed, and I will pick your order up. I will be responsible to make sure that the quality you paid for is delivered, and I guarantee ;p I will be more reliable than ebay. I will then package the item according to its shipping requirements personally, and make sure it gets to you.


***I wouldn't sell you something I thought I was utter crap. Or even crap;D. I mean, unless I told you it was crap in writing, and that I wouldn't wear it or recommend buying it, but you still asked me to pick it up for you anyways. That's another story. Which will be highlighted shortly, under the heading WHAT WE DO NOT CARRY VIA THE BOUTIQUE WE CAN FIND.***


RETURNS: If you are not happy with your item in anyway at all and it was a returnable item, you will have to pay for the return shipping, but I will refund your money. If the fault of the item being not to your standard was my own [this is up to Beautiful Muslimah Online Boutique's own discretion] I will also reimburse the shipping also so please specify the cost of the shipping and the receipts for the shipping as well as our store receipt in your return.


STOCK: I will peruse monthly all of the abaya and shayla and hijab dealers in Muscat, Oman, from high end runway designers to individual tailor shops of quality who won't charge an arm and a leg for their services. I will let you, my clients, view the merchandise based on your specifications (colour, cut, design, designer, latest trends, prices, ect). Because I buy in larger quantities and have an established relationship already with merchandise providers, I am able to get discounts from some designers that you couldn't, even if you boarded a plane over here and walked into the store. For example, "Kitty Kat Bling" is an abaya worth her weight in genuine Austrian crystals designed by UAE's brand Hanayen and she costs approximately 200+ rials Omani. That is over $600 USD. I can buy her for 90 Omani rials (that's not a sale price from Hanayen btw, that is my preferred customer discount)--- $270 USD. Quite a discount, right? I am the QUEEEN of bartering!


I have made a deal with certain high end brands and some quality tailors to photograph their stock. I am working on uploading these items into their categories online. This process is kind of slow and ongoing so bear with me. I am starting with the more well-known brands and will move on to tailors soon inshaAllah.


Also, if there is an item you desire but that you do not find available through the boutique, then please read the next section.


WHAT WE DO NOT CARRY VIA THE BOUTIQUE, WE CAN FIND OR HAVE MADE: If there is an item you desire but you do not find available through the boutique send an email inquiry detailing the desired item to the site email with the subject being: INQUERY. If you have a picture of the item, even better. I can do my best to get a tailor to make you an old design, or to even tailor an abaya for you in a different fabric or colour. Want a silky bisht abaya in lilac purple or something? I can get the fabric cost and quote you for how many meters your design is going to require with fabric options +the tailor's fee. It can be done. You can also choose a cheaper embroidery or fabric then I would recommend for your abaya and shaylas and niqabs, and I can find you less quality items when available for those on a budget at your request. But if I tell you the item is not up to my standard, you are NOT allowed to complain about it to the hijab fashion blogging community later, right? Deal.


I will try to make a section quoting how many meters of fabric are required for some standard abaya designs that are popular, and three price selections for different qualities of coloured fabric, since bridal and special occasion abayas a lot of sisters would like custom-made. Like, for lace, how much, for silk, how much, for poly-sateen how much (though I'd save and splurge for the silk but you might be able to wear it wear you live).


***ONLY for abaya orders, I will hunt for a required accessory for you, on a personal basis, but don't intend to photograph accessories as listed stock in the meantime.***


PRICING: Final quoted prices will include shipping, the item cost, and my personal shopper fee/and or the profit I made from obtaining the item for you. For the most part, my fee will be in the quoted item price as it is listed in the available merchandise section. For tailoring orders, it will be specified per 1 item, and will be reduced + an item for additional items.


My personal fee is either a flat fee charge for my services in placing the order and its pickup and shipping, and/or for consulting for you a massive VIP shopper's discount, or a percentage fee in my manufacture of an item. I will never gauge you like some Islamic Online Boutiques. I know how hard it is to get good Islamic clothing THAT YOU LIKE in the West, and I want to eventually, inshaAllah, be able to cater to all income brackets.


LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE IDEA SO FAR and if you have any interest in the abayas I posted above! They are a bit pricey though since they are designer and of really good fabric and workmanship, around $130.00 USD -$200 each.

Comments

Imani said…
Salmaualikum!

Ahh Thank you pixie!! This is perfectttttt. I have been sketching and sketching, and while i could get abayas made here, the fabric selection is horrible! Is fabric something you could look into getting as well? Like the different abaya fabrics, in different colors?
Anonymous said…
Assalamu Alaykum pixie:
Mashallah great idea to start up helping us sisters in the west to get quality abaya, although i don't think i would buy any of the ones shown i would definatly be interested in buying once i see others that i love..perfect for Eid that is coming up in a couple of months. Jazakallah Khair
**Bella-Vita**
Pixie said…
Iman: Wa alaikom e salaam, jazzakallakheir for the feedback. The thing is, most abaya fabrics besides the occasional crepe or silk, are not produced in colours other than black. Saudi has fabric bolts but I can't drive there as of yet starting out to pick them up for my tailors.

I know I can substitute coloured crepe, coloured silk, coloured poly sateen, coloured chiffon, coloured cotton (in some colours), and coloured linen (in some colours), as well as bright printed stretch jersey. Getting my favourite abaya crepe or harare (my absolute fave besides Bahraini silk) is impossiple in any colour other than black unless I get to China or something and order it because it isn't on the market.

But if you email me an idea of what you'd like, I can check out which fabrics and colours I'd be able to tailor it for you in.

Sorry if that is not exactly what you need!
Pixie said…
Belle Vita: Wa alaykom e salaam, jazzakallah kheir too for your feedback.

I am totally okay with sisters sending me a link of a designer abaya they'd love to get a hold of here on this post and me trying to find you one similiar to it in a few different price and quality options that I'd take photos of. My husband is working on getting me a photoshoot (yay, am so excited) for the upcoming month. So let me know your style so I can see if I can feature a few models (abayas, lol, not my Russians;)) you'd find tempting.
Salaam Pixie!!

MashaaAllah, it's a dream come true and it's a very good one -- bringing fashionable, Islamic clothes to women in the West :-D May Allah make your endeavors easy and successful, ameen!!

Luv, Aalia <3
Anonymous said…
Assalaamu alaykum, Pixie!

Masha'allah, what a WONDERFUL idea!!! My only thing is that I don't wear black unless I absolutely have to; you've already said that getting your hands on colored abayat will be hard, how much would you estimate cost would be for 4-5 plain old no embellishments closed abayas in pastel colors like light blue, beige and pale pink? I live in the semi-tropics and georgette is my friend, jsyk!

Shukran!

<3 Anna

PS- Kiss your "eyelash" for me! ;)
Anonymous said…
Assalamu alaykum;

Pixie, I don't know if you know this but if you go onto the beautiful muslimah online blog there is a picture of some one (you?) with no hijab. Didn't know if that was supposed to be there or if it got stuck there by the blog-troll. Lol, jsyk!

<3 Anna
Anonymous said…
@Pixie: Mashallah the photoshoot sounds so exciting, this could be so beneficial to many sisters. iv just gotta save some money,so when all is ready i'll definatly be contacting you to put my order in with photos if the styles i like. Im from Australia and there just isn't anything of real quality here.
May Allah make u successful in all that you do (that is halal of course).
**Bella-Vita**
Anonymous said…
AWESOME

Dont forget to put Germany on your list :) All the good stuff is , well hmm not here in germany...
looking forward..
salam
Pixie said…
Girls from Germany: I will definately ship to you, am just working out the costs. Tryint to negotiate something less than $15.oo USD. Everyone does 2-5 days courier but they don't seem to want to give out their cheaper rates so let me keep working on it inshaAllah!
Pixie said…
Anna: I found a few colour selections for Georgette. I am working on getting more.
Pixie said…
Aalia: I know! InshaAllah it is successful. If it is, maybe I can hire you to be the UAE branch;D?