Today we’d like to introduce you to Fatima Mukhtar.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Fatima. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I think all of life’s experiences, personal and professional, have prepared me for the position I am in today. Modest fashion has always been part of my very existence. As a teenager on the tennis team, it was trying to figure out what to wear besides tennis skirts and tank tops. In my twenties and my thirties, it has been about finding modest fashion that fits into the many facets of my life. Now, it is about sharing it with others.
I am a mother of three kids, ages 10, 6, and 5. When my eldest was born, I decided to take a break from the corporate world to focus on raising him. Along the way, I earned my MBA and had two more kids. I always had the intention of returning to work. When my youngest was three, I decided I was ready to go back, but I failed to find a job. It was devastating. I think of myself as a smart, hardworking woman and couldn’t understand why this was happening. I took some time for self-reflection to think about what I was really passionate about and what I have to offer the world. Again and again, I came back to fashion.
Modestly Speaking was born out of my desire to help women similar to me, women, who have a modest aesthetic but don’t believe it should stand in the way of life’s moments. With that in mind, I started the blog in April of last year. Each week, I share modest fashion looks with my followers to give them ideas to create their own.
Has it been a smooth road?
No new road is ever smooth. There are sharp turns, obstructions, and blind curves. I am a perfectionist, establishing Modestly Speaking has been an exercise in easing these expectations of myself. One mantra I repeat to myself is ‘done is better than perfect.’ It has helped me stay focused on what needs to be done and to adhere to timelines.
As a mother trying to balance raising children, running a home and managing a blog, I am still trying to find a balance in which I am succeeding in all three areas. I recently did a blog post about Valentine’s Day, but I kind of forgot about my kids’ school valentines and had to run to Target the day before to buy candy instead of making handmade ones. At times like these, we as women just need to forgive ourselves and remind ourselves that we are trying our best and that is the most we can do.
Entering a fairly saturated market, like that of the fashion blogger world is daunting. One can’t help but have a bit of self-doubt when you’re comparing yourself to bloggers who have millions of followers. For young women starting your journey, my advice to you is what I try to live by myself. First and foremost, be authentic. I share this quote by Oscar Wilde with my children: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” I think we as adults should take this advice too. As hard as it is, try not to compare yourself to others. You have a unique identity and set of skills to share with the world, be proud of them.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Modestly Speaking story. Tell us more about it.
Modestly Speaking is focused on presenting modest fashion to fit the lifestyle of modern Muslim women in America. From athletic and swimwear to holiday fashion, the blog has proven to be a valuable resource for women searching for modest fashion offerings for their multifaceted lives.
I am proud of the fact that Modestly Speaking transcends religious and cultural barriers. This pride is more in my followers than in myself. It makes me happy to see that people very different than me have an appreciation for modest clothing.
I wanted to make sure that Modestly Speaking wasn’t just another fashion blog, that there is intellect and thought behind it too. While most of my content revolves around fashion, there’s always a story behind it. While our fashion sense may be different, these stories have connected and resonated with women of all walks of life.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
To women just beginning their careers, I will tell you that the only way to success is hard work, pure and simple. There are no shortcuts in life or your career. And if there are, the rewards are usually short-lived. I have had quite a convoluted career/life journey that I hope still has quite a ways to go. I started out as an Assistant Buyer at Macy’s, moved to the oil and gas industry where I worked in employee development. Eight years later, I am managing a fashion blog. The type of work, compensation, and amount of time dedicated to each of these jobs have been different, but throughout all of them, I have always given 100%.
Shawn Achor, author, and positive psychologist defines happiness as ‘the joy we feel striving towards our greatest potential.’ There are so many reasons we embark on a career, but if that career is to be sustained, I believe one has to find joy in it. For me, that is knowing I am doing my best.
Contact Info:
- Website: modestlyspeaking.com
- Email: fatima@modestlyspeaking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modestly.speaking/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modestlyspeaking/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/modestlyspeaking/
Image Credit:
Ahsan Mukhtar
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