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Macy's becomes first major department store in the U.S. to sell hijabs.

Just in time for New York Fashion Week, Macy's announced it will be partnering with a modest fashion line for Muslim women.

Photo via Macy's.

Starting Feb. 15, the retail giant will feature an assortment of hijabs, cardigans, abayas, and dresses from the Verona Collection on Macys.com.


Lisa Vogl, founder of the Verona Collection, is a graduate of The Workshop, Macy's business development program for minority and/or women entrepreneurs. After her conversion to Islam in 2011, the single mother quickly realized how rare it is to find affordable, trendy modest clothing — and that "many other women, both Muslim and non-Muslim, felt the same way" — so she decided to launch her own fashion line.

But the Verona Collection, according to Vogl, is doing more than simply creating affordable, trendy clothes: The brand represents a new diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry.

“Verona Collection is more than a clothing brand. It’s a platform for a community of women to express their personal identity and embrace fashion that makes them feel confident on the inside and outside," said Vogl in a Macy's press release.

This isn't the first time major retailers have catered to Muslim women.

A recent example came in December, when Nike released a sports hijab in response to the growing worldwide trend of female Muslim participation in athletics.

In June 2015, Uniqlo launched a collection with British-Japanese Muslim fashion designer Hana Tajima also featuring hijabs and long dresses in their UK, Singapore, and online stores. That same summer, DKNY released a Ramadan-themed collection aimed at Muslim women, and the famed designers and retail brands Oscar de la Renta and Zara followed suit.

In January 2016, Dolce & Gabanna announced their own line of hijabs and abayas. Major international retailer H&M featured hijab-wearing model Mariah Idrissi in their Close the Loop campaign.

Here's what makes Macy's modest clothing line particularly special: It's the first major department store in the United States to sell hijabs.  

Photo via Macy's.

Macy's, founded in 1858, is one of the few old-school giant department stores left in the U.S., making their latest efforts to expand their customer demographic to include Muslim women a huge milestone for the rapidly evolving fashion industry.

Azmia Magane, an Orlando-based writer and marketing specialist for Muslim consumers, applauds the new partnership.

"I'm really excited to see Verona Collection as an offering at Macy's," she said to Upworthy. "It's a win not just for Macy's and Muslim women, but any women looking for modest fashions. It also sends a message of inclusivity that's vital in today's sociopolitical climate: Muslims are welcome here."

Maryam Sarhan, a 22-year-old in Washington, D.C., said that she hopes Macy's is just the first of many other big-name retailers to create modest fashion lines for women of faith.

"I'm pleased to see a department store like Macy's diversify their collection and offer more options for women of various backgrounds and beliefs to feel beautiful," Sarhan said. "I hope other companies follow this example with an open mind."

Aysha Khan, who's worn the hijab since elementary school, doesn't really see the difference between buying hijabs at big retail stores and from smaller Muslim vendors. Still, she's excited that there are more options — and a platform for Muslim women designers.

"I'm mostly excited about this move as it uplifts Muslim women designers," the 22-year-old Denver journalist told Upworthy. "I'm always here for bigger brands and platforms giving Muslim women opportunities in the mainstream fashion industry."

However, some Muslim women are asking an important question about the booming trend of modest fashion lines: at what cost?

Photo via Macy's.

There is a concern among some Muslim women that consumerism is hijacking their faith.

Mediha Sandhu, 34, considers herself to a part of the Muslim women consumer market. While she sees the value and optimism in Islamic fashion recognized nationally by such a staple in American culture, she still can't help feeling a bit perplexed.

"I also feel sort of at a loss that something unique and intimate, like a small business, has become mass-produced, and hijabis are the targets for mass consumption," Sandhu told Upworthy. "It's like my favorite secret spot became a tourist attraction, where the secret spot is Muslim hijabi stores."

Binta Nur, a 25-year-old Muslim hijabi from Philadelphia, where she says "Muslim women make careers by catering to their sisters," is skeptical of the modest fashion partnerships like Verona Collection and Macy's.

"I'm not a fan," Nur said in an interview with Upworthy. "They are just trying to capitalize on this market. Like, there are Orthodox Jews and Christians who wear head coverings and [are] just [as] conservative."

Worried that the trend will quash independent female Muslim entrepreneurs, she added, "This is going to put so many Muslim-owned companies out of business."

Yet for many, this broad effort to tap into the Muslim women market is also good for business.

Photo via Macy's.

In 2013, Fortune reported that Muslims spent around $266 billion worldwide on clothing and shoes. That's roughly more than Italy and Japan's spending put together. But that figure is expected to rise in 2019, according to the 2015 Thomson Reuters State of Global Islamic Economy report — to about $484 billion.

Today, Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions, and its booming population could have something to do with the rapidly expanding market. For instance, Pew Research Center estimates that, by 2050, the world's Muslim population in the world will equal that of Christians.

Sabiha Ansari, co-founder of the American Muslim Consumer Consortium, said that she's spent a lot of time and effort explaining to businesses the benefits of tapping into the Muslim consumer market.

"It's about time," Ansari told Upworthy. "We have been raising awareness about the American Muslim consumer market and its spending power since 2009. I applaud Macy's on pursuing an emerging new consumer."

She adds that it's not only Muslim women who will be interested in the new line of clothing: "I wouldn't just limit modest clothing to Muslim women alone. There are plenty of Jewish and [Christian] women who can be potential customers as well."

There is a long road ahead, but these seem like the right first steps.

While I like to support small businesses, I'm mostly excited about this move as it uplifts Muslim women designers.

Still, I'm always here for bigger brands and platforms giving Muslim women opportunities in the mainstream fashion industry — even if these first steps are imperfect for now.

Health

4 simple hacks to help you meet your healthy eating goals

Trying to eat healthier? Try these 4 totally doable tricks.

Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Most of us want to eat healthier but need some help to make it happen.

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When it comes to choosing what to eat, we live in a uniquely challenging era. Never before have humans known more about nutrition and how to eat for optimal health, and yet we’ve never been more surrounded by distractions and temptations that derail us from making healthy choices.

Some people might be able to decide “I’m going to eat healthier!” and do so without any problem, but those folks are unicorns. Most of us know what we should do, but need a little help making it happen—like some simple hacks, tips and tricks for avoiding pitfalls on the road to healthier eating.

While recognizing that what works for one person may not work for another, here are some helpful habits and approaches that might help you move closer to your healthy eating goals.

man pulling chip out of a chip bagOur mouths loves chips. Our bodies not so much.Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

Goal: Snack on less junk food

Tip: Focus your willpower on the grocery store, not your home

Willpower is a limited commodity for most of us, and it is no match for a bag of potato chips sitting on top of the fridge. It’s just a fact. Channeling your willpower at the grocery store can save you from having to fight that battle at home. If you don’t bring chips into your house in the first place, you’ll find it a lot easier to reach for something healthier.

The key to successful shopping trips is to always go to the store with a specific list and a full stomach—you’ll feel much less tempted to buy the junky snack foods if you’re already satiated. Also, finding healthier alternatives that will still satisfy your cravings for salty or crunchy, or fatty foods helps. Sugar snap peas have a surprisingly satisfying crunch, apples and nut butter hit that sweet-and-salty craving, etc.

slice of cakeYou can eat well without giving up sweets completely.Photo by Caitlyn de Wild on Unsplash

Goal: Eat less sugar

Tip: Instead of “deprive,” think “delay” or “decrease and delight”

Sugar is a tricky one. Some people find it easier to cut out added sugars altogether, but that can create an all-or-nothing mindset that all too often results in “all.” Eating more whole foods and less processed foods can help us cut out a lot of ancillary sugar, but we still live in a world with birthday cakes and dessert courses.

One approach to dessert temptation is to delay instead of deprive. Tell yourself you can have any sweet you want…tomorrow. This mental trick flips the “I’ll just indulge today and start eating healthier tomorrow” idea on its head. It’s a lot easier to resist something you know you can have tomorrow than to say no to something you think you’ll never get to have again.

Another approach when you really want to enjoy a dessert at that moment is to decrease the amount and really truly savor it. Eat each bite slowly, delighting in the full taste and satisfaction of it. As soon as that delight starts to diminish, even a little, stop eating. You’ve gotten what you wanted out of it. You don’t have to finish it. (After all, you can always have more tomorrow!)

colorful fresh food on a plateA naturally colorful meal is a healthy meal.Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Goal: Eat healthier meals

Tip: Focus on fresh foods and plan meals ahead of time

Meal planning is easier than ever before. The internet is filled with countless tools—everything from recipes to shopping lists to meal planning apps—and it’s as awesome as it is overwhelming.

Planning ahead takes the guesswork and decision fatigue out of cooking, preventing the inevitable “Let’s just order a pizza.” You can have a repeating 3-week or 4-week menu of your favorite meals so you never have to think about what you’re going to eat, or you can meal plan once a week to try new recipes and keep things fresh.

It might help to designate one day a week to “shop and chop”—getting and prepping the ingredients for the week’s meals so they’re ready to go in your fridge or freezer.

woman holding blueberries in her handsOrganic foods are better for the Earth and for us.Photo by andrew welch on Unsplash

Goal: Eat more organic/humanely raised food

Tip: Utilize the “dirty dozen” and “clean 15” lists to prioritize

Many people choose organic because they want to avoid pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals. Organic food is also better for the planet, and according to the Mayo Clinic, studies have shown that organic produce is higher in certain nutrients.

Most people don’t buy everything organic, but there are some foods that should take priority over others. Each year, researchers from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyze thousands of samples of dozens of fruits and vegetables. From this data, they create a list of the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” fruits and vegetables, indicating what produce has the most and least pesticide residue. These lists give people a good place to start focusing their transition to more organic foods.

To make organic eating even simpler, you can shop O Organics® at your local Albertsons or Safeway stores. The O Organics brand offers a wide range of affordable USDA-certified organic products in every aisle. If you’re focusing on fresh foods, O Organics produce is always grown without synthetic pesticides, is farmed to conserve biodiversity, and is always non-GMO. All animal-based O Organics products are certified humane as well. Even switching part of your grocery list to organic can make a positive impact on the planet and the people you feed.

Healthy eating habits don’t have to be all or nothing, and they don’t have to be complicated. A few simple mindset changes at home and habit changes at the grocery store can make a big difference.

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