Meet Fatima Mukhtar: Modest Fashion Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fatima Mukhtar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fatima, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
The intent behind Modestly Speaking is twofold. First, I provide a service to women who choose to dress modestly by sharing modest pieces you can find at traditional retailers and highlighting brands that focus on just modest styles. Another aspect of Modestly Speaking is to educate followers and brands with which I work about modesty and Muslims. There are so many stereotypes people have of us, and by sharing my world I hope followers in the community and around the world can learn something.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Modestly Speaking is a fashion blog focused on presenting modest fashion to fit the multifaceted lifestyle of women that often involves work, family, and hopefully some time soon, travel. 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. These stories have connected and resonated with women of all walks of life. 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. Getting to this point with Modestly Speaking has been an exercise in hard work, discipline, and faith. Starting your own business from the ground up requires it. It also requires a whole lot of input that doesn’t necessarily derive an equal reward. Whenever I get frustrated by this, I have to remind myself why I’m doing this. Do I believe in it? As long as the answer continues to be yes, I will keep doing it. If there is one thing I would hope people would know about me and Modestly Speaking, it is that it’s more than the clothes I’m wearing. Beyond the fashion is a person who is passionate about inclusion, social justice, and values.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m so lucky to live in a city with such a diverse culinary scene. It makes up for the lack of other stuff to do here. In a post-Covid world, these would be my must do’s: Visit/To Do: 1. Hermann Park/Houston Zoo/Centennial Gardens 2. Bike ride along Buffalo Bayou 3. Museum of Fine Arts 4. Spring visit – Azalea Trail 5. Rodeo Carnival Eat: Common Bond Torchy’s Guru Burger Pho Ben Aga’s Milk + Sugar Croissant Brioche North Italia Uchi

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many friends and family members have supported me throughout this journey, but I owe a great deal to my friend Pilar Hernandez, the creator of En Mi Cocina Hoy, The Chilean Food and Garden, and author of The Chilean Kitchen. Her life story and blogging career is inspiring in and of itself, but her encouragement pushed me to take the leap into blogging and she continues to mentor me along the way.

Website: https://modestlyspeaking.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modestly.speaking/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-mukhtar/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modestlyspeaking/
Other: https://www.pinterest.com/modestlyspeaking/

Image Credits
Ahsan Mukhtar