I don't many people who get clothes tailor made, at least here in the UK, though obviously it used to be what most people did. So I was excited to find out that
Bb-Hijabs are offering a new service whereby they
custom make a skirt to your measurements. They gave me a chance to try their service out, and I was sent a brown
Pleated Skirt.
After I had given my measurements, the skirt arrived in the post and inside the purple outer envelope was wrapped in pink tissue paper, with some ribbon bow pins in an organza bag attached to the outside:
The skirt itself is made of a thin and lightweight polyester in a chocolatey-brown colour, which has a slight sheen. It consists of eight panels of fabric sewn together to give a flared, almost fishtail-style cut, rather than being pleated though. It's high waisted, with a zip and single button closure at the centre back. The quality of the stitching was pretty good, no loose threads hanging out anywhere, although the zip wasn't concealed very well, and possibly would look better on the side.
As this was a custom-made skirt, I was hoping that the fit would be perfect. Although it did indeed fit well at the waist, I personally found the top half of the skirt to be far too tight, and really needed to be worn with a mid-thigh length jacket (consequently, it's not me wearing the skirt in the photo!). Unfortunately this is not too good a look, especially with the skirt flaring out so much at the bottom. So although technically the skirt did fit, the cut itself needs to be a few inches looser around the top half. The lack of a lining was also quite inconvenient, as in bright light the skirt was quite see through, and it needed to be worn with a slip underneath.
Although I didn't place an order through the website, personally I think a lot of improvements need to be made for customers who will be. Firstly there really need to be more detailed photos of the skirt and the different colours and fabric it comes in, as well as perhaps a simple form where you can input your measurements instead of sending a separate email in.
Overall I liked the smart style of the skirt, but would have preferred a slightly looser cut, though that can easily be remedied by adding a few extra inches. Alternatively they also offer a
Straight Skirt. It would look good with a smart blazer for smart/formal events or as a work skirt. I think the team at Bb-Hijabs are offering a pretty unique and affordable service so may be worth checking out if you're after something tailored to you.
