Two lovely ladies with their prayer rugs.
We live in a suburb of Denver named Aurora, Colorado.
It took me a while to fall in love with Aurora. I wanted to be a Downtown Girl. I bought a house downtown and that’s where I met my husband. But he’d been living downtown his entire life and wanted to be a Suburban Boy.
If you can find the right suburb, it might actually be more ethnically diverse than a city neighborhood. These days city neighborhoods tend to be either entirely gentrified upper-middle class white or entirely (targeted for regentrification) working and poverty-class black and Mexican.
Aurora is more diverse both ethnically and socio-economically than almost any Denver neighborhood. I think it must be the most diverse city in Colorado.
Aurora has a lot of hijab wearing ladies.
We see women in full Abayas or even Chadors from time to time. But we see mostly Hijabs with Westernized clothing-though very modest Westernized clothing. Actually, mostly Al-Amira – since those are pretty trendy right now. Of course, the Al-Amira and Shayla are more styles of Hijab than actual differences in coverage area. The Al-Amira is what I would wear if I was Muslim. It’s just a stretchy piece worn under the more scarf-like piece.
My Morrocan neighbors tell me the Al-Amira just means “like a Princess’. This stretchy jersey-like headpiece makes it easier to put on and keep in place and is more comfortable to many. 
We had already purchased a full long black Abaya plus black Hijab for dolls. We posted earlier about Our Fulla in her traditional, head-to-toe-but-face-fully-visible Abaya and Hijab.
After I posted about Our Fulla, I had a message from the woman who owns MuslimToysAndDolls.com. I checked out her site and liked what I saw. They had clothing much more like what we see day-to-day around our beloved Aurora.
NOTE: Click on the site’s menu item “Dolls and Accessories” then click on “Islamic Doll Clothes” or just click HERE.
I spent about $30 on the site. I got two modern outfits and two prayer rugs. The site owner called me to check on something and she called me, “Sister Kristl” a few times and it made me feel all warm inside. I don’t know why. I’m a pretty odd person when it come to stuff like that.
The order arrived today and I couldn’t wait to dress up a couple of dolls I’d set aside to become Muslim sisters.
I chose not to buy Fulla or Arrosa dolls (just their clothes) because, unfortunately those dolls tend to be light-skinned, and somewhat light-haired. They often even have light eyes. Not my cup of tea. I wanted light brown skin, black hair and brown or Ebony eyes.
My girls are Thrift Store rescues. Both are rebodied on light-skinned Liv Alexis dolls (For light vs Dark Alexis explanations, see this post).
Disney's Esmerelda. Why would a gypsy woman have blue eyes in the first place? Ugh. And her hair is too long for my liking.
Both heads are Disney. One is a very early version of Pocohontas. The other is an Esmerelda. Later versions of Pocohontas have her eyes much more Native-Americanized. In other words, not with tons of eyeliner as this doll clearly had. She’s a beautiful doll, but I find she works better as a Persian or Arab ethnicity doll.
My Esmerelda had blue eyes so I colored in the Irises with black Sharpie.
Shorter hair, Ebony Eyes. Much better.
REMEMBER: Only use Sharpies over face paint, never on raw facial plastic – as it can bleed and migrate.
Two beautiful, modern, Muslim Women for Leah's barbieland.
I am loving the outcome. I also think the outfits could work well for barbies you want to have playing older characters – mothers and such. IOW, just leave off the headscarf and the outfits are just good, wholesome outfits. Nothing like the trampy stuff we are offered in stores for BBBBarbies.
As for modern women rocking Hijabs just like my two plastic gals, a fun site to check out is called Hijabs High. It seems to be a little dormant, but even looking at older entries is fun. These human Hijabistas (that’s what the site calls them) have got it going on for sure.
A picture from the blog Hijabs High
They’re beautiful. I lived in Aurora, Colorado for two years…it was pretty cool. I’ve worked downtown and also 1yr for Clear Channel, Colorado. It’s a beautiful place, love how beautiful the winters are but I eventually moved back to San Diego…been here ever since. I think that was in 2000. Anyway, nice post.
Tracy – that’s so cool. I could enjoy San Diego I think
Thank you so much for posting about hijab styles for dolls. I have been looking at Fulla dolls on eBay but hadn’t scraped together the money to buy any. I really like what you did with Esmeralda and Pocahontas. Your experience of diversity in the suburbs is really interesting. Here in the Atlanta metro area, Gwinnett county has one of the most international populations in the country. I live on the other side of the city in the historic West End. This area is predominantly black because it is next to Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark-Atlanta Universities but there is incredibly diversity within the community. The “black” population represents the entire African diaspora and the religious diversity is especially rich. We have the Shrine of the Black Madonna, an Afro-centric Christian congregation, we have a black Jewish congregation, and we also have a mosque. There are many hijabistas in the neighborhood and some of them wear the full niqab. In fact, a few years ago I customized a doll in hijab and gave it to the little Muslim girl next door. I wish I had known about Muslim Toys and Dolls then. Thanks for the link. I think I will follow your lead and buy some clothes and prayer rugs for the dolls I already have.
Paulette,
I always think Altanta might be a great place to raise a mixed child but sometimes I get the impression that Atlanta is a very bling-oriented town.
I guess it must be like any town though – it has the different suburbs and city neighborhoods, each with their own personality and character. Your neighborhood sounds AMAZING!! All those HBCUs – you must get smarter just be breathing the air in your neighborhood.
Don’t you just love the word “hijabistas”? I love that you customized a doll for that little girl. I’ll bet that meant so very much to her.
The woman who runs the site is exceedlngly nice. I think you’ll enjoy your transaction.
Lovely transformations!
When I was in college, it seemed like all of the gals wearing head coverings were South/Southeast Asian. Diversity within diversity!
(As an aside, I’m amused by the reassurance of “doll clothes by our Muslim sisters in Indonesia,” since I’ve seen many pictures of the ladies working in Mattel factories making Barbies, and there were lots of head coverings visible there, too, so the statement strikes me as a bit misleading. I’m not saying it’s not nice to have modest clothing produced by Muslim people, I’m just pointing out that lots of skimpy Barbie clothes are also being made by Muslim people.)
That is diversity within diversity!
I see lots of Somali women here wearing the hijab. I should make one of my brown ladies into a Hijabista Muslim Sister!!
That is kind of funny about the Muslims making the skimpy clothes. I took her little note and imagined a small, home-based business, with happy, well-paid workers sitting in a quilting circle. I had “fair trade” dancing in my head as well. Your note brought me back down to earth.
I am, if nothing else, a cynic (mostly-optimistic, likes dolls, but still a cynic); these might very well be as you imagined–lockstitch sewing machine stitches look like lockstitch sewing machine stitches, whatever setting the machines are in, after all!
Andrea – I’m not absolutely sure I know what you are talking about.
Awesome post. I’m going to share it with my friend, an Imam with a young daughter. I can’t wait to add a Muslim family to my collection. I’m all about diversity!
Since you mention family – I too, am hoping to make a family. I have saved an ebay seller that crochets little Kelly clothes. When I am ready I am going to commission hats – cant think of the names – for the males.
Then I am going to make (yes, I can’t see any way of getting around breaking out the sewing machine) and making mens outfits. I could do a long garment like the Saudi men wear (thobe) or I could do more of a Shalwar Kameez.
Anyway, I’m thinking along the same lines as you – I need more than just a couple of Hijabistas! I need a family.
When I first saw Esmerelda up there, I thought she looked a lot less scary than a lot of Esmereldas I’ve seen. Of course it’s because of the eye fix!
One time I got a mixed bag of barbie clothes, and in it was a yellow head wrap that looked like it was intended to be something like a Niquab. I’m not sure where it is now. It was a wee bit small for the modern big-headed barbies, but it was still neat to see in a random bag of stuff.
http://www.mixis.com/
Do you know of these yet (have these)? I searched your blog and it seems you haven’t posted about them. If you don’t know of them yet, I’m so excited to show you! Since your daughter is a “mix” in a substantial-in-our-culture way, I think you ladies might like them.
I guess the slogan is “my mix is” … and the four dolls, I suppose, are supposed to look … unidentifiable? in between things? I don’t know, I just know I do not see myself (I did in the video though)! Oh well.
I had heard of the Mixis. Another blogger suggested them to me a while back. I love head variety. I didn’t pursue them bc their bodies are stiff. I should give them a second look.
I don’t remember Esmeralda’s eyes color according to the book, but she wasn’t a real gypsy. She was kidnapped by gypsies when she was a child. So her mother was french, and she could have eyes of any color.
The doll definitely looks better with black eyes.
Hi :^),
It’s fascinating what I learn from comments. I had no idea! I think this is another thing Disney runs into by trying to re-interpret so-called classics – they have things that are unspoken that are carried into and out the other side of their stories. I have often wondered why Esmeralda got the heave-ho. There are a number of factors I think – but most of them don’t seem like the type to bother Disney. This is a good example of that. Esmerelda was kind of the first non-European (Western European) princess, but, based on what you say, she actually wasn’t breaking the mold of the Western Europe Princess if she was a kidnapped French woman. Yikes. Well at least they kept her black hair.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esm%C3%A9ralda_%28The_Hunchback_of_Notre-Dame%29
Link above to book Esme–
Esmeralda’s eyes are green in the Disney version because they didn’t use her necklace as the explanation for her name (which means Emerald).
Not all gypsies are stereotypically dark folks with giant hoop earrings and tambourines. Coming from a racially mixed family (white and black) that does have “gypsy” heritage on one side, I’ve always found it irritating when people make gypsies out to be “magical primitives”- similar to the “magic negro” and “noble savage” tropes. True, traditional communities tend to be insular, and the Romany have a specific “look”, but there are wide variations even there. There’s no reason that Esme couldn’t have been “native gypsy” and been pale. There’s no reason she can’t have a deep tan and be French. Unless we’re working from stereotypes alone, of course. I think what really breaks the mold about the way Esme’s depicted is that she’s the first “Princess” that saves herself– takes on a hundred guardsmen with a stick and a goat— and holds her head up with pride in the face of death. Only a few of the others are so badass (Mulan, for example, although she should have followed history and remained a General at court, with her loyal Captain as her husband. I think it was very de-empowering to change the ending of her story so that she gives up the role she was born for, to go back to being something she isn’t.).
As far as your delightful hijabista Esme having green eyes– why not? There are green-eyed Middle-eastern Muslimas. ( http://news.az/photos/page-photo/82102.jpg , http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Persian-Iranian_girl_with_green_eyes,_rural_Iran,_09-07-2007.jpg , http://s2.hubimg.com/u/11061_f520.jpg ..etc etc etc) Her family may have been mixed or from (as these women I’ve shown) Iran or Afghanistan. Moot now, since you made her eyes black, but still.
Wow- what beautiful dolls you made.
hijab styles- I live in Arizona and it is defiently a melting pot of cultures. Now I know why the dolls looked familiar to me, they were Disney! and yes, Disney has remakes of their dolls. Sometimes not as good quality as Mattel does themselves in my opinion, but using the base from Disney and creating hijab styles is just simply awesome.
Good day! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this
post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept talking
about this. I will forward this write-up to
him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
genius!
although i suspect esmerelda is a Romanian gypsy, she looks much better as someone who is of Persian or Arab ethnicity!