Modish and modest: Dana Ahmed on your Ramadan fashion necessities

Fashion blogger Dana Ahmed tells us it’s easy enough to go from day to night during Ramadan if your wardrobe is stocked with a few traditional and versatile must-haves.

A street shoot with fashion blogger Dana Ahmed. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

Few UAE-based bloggers rock Middle-Eastern fashion like Dana Ahmed does.

The Abu Dhabi-based Palestinian has been quickly rising up the social media ranks of ­Emirates-based trendsetters for her innovative and creative posts on her blog www.deefordana.com – from images showcasing her "outfit of the day" to hosting a beach party at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi in partnership with s*uce.

Ahmed, who works full-time as an office manager at an insurance agency, has only been blogging for a year, but already boasts more than 20,000 followers on Instagram (@dee4dana).

Snapchat is the latest social platform she has taken to, and uses it (dee4dana) to share behind-the-scenes glimpses of her everyday experiences.

“I’m new to Snapchat, but I already love it – we can share our daily activities live with the world,” says the 27-year-old, although she admits that Instagram remains her favourite outlet.

Scroll through Ahmed’s feed and you’ll get an instant idea of her style: refined, elegant and feminine, but still playful. The posts also reflect major seasonal trends, such as off-the-shoulder cuts, cropped denims and jumpsuits.

“Creating DeeforDana has been one of my greatest achievements,” she says. “I’ve been doing it while working full-time and studying part-time, and barely have time to sleep.”

Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, Ahmed is a busy bee: she is also studying international business at Al Hosn ­University.

Her hectic lifestyle demands versatile clothing, so when shopping for clothes, she often plans outfits that can easily take her from day to night. For Ramadan, Ahmed plans on staying home for iftar, to break her fast with her family while enjoying her mother’s home-cooked meals. For suhoor, however, she anticipates heading out to enjoy the UAE’s buzzing Ramadan-tent culture.

Such outings call for a range of outfits, both modest and stylish, and, in Ahmed’s case, designs that are culturally inspired.

“Since I’m usually on the run, moving from the office to school, meetings or events, I always choose to wear pieces that I can mix and match with the outfit I have in mind,” she says, explaining that she likes to look for designs which, when thrown together, can transform your entire look.

When we arrange a photo shoot with Ahmed, she is asked to bring two outfit choices that fit the brief of dressing during Ramadan. She turned up in a white blouse, tucked into white trousers, with two potential garments to wear on top – one for daywear, the other for an evening out.

“With an all-white look, you can wear a long black vest for the day, and for a quick change to a Ramadan evening look, substitute the vest with a bisht,” she explains.

The open, kaftan-like bisht is a modern alternative to an abaya or overcoat. It’s rarely plain or black, and often features embroidery or other embellishments.

While it’s easy to dress modestly throughout Ramadan with trousers, shirts, skirts and dresses, Ahmed highlights the importance of turning to clothing with traditional influences during the holy month.

“A beautiful thing about Ramadan is culture,” she says. “A very interesting part of it is when we start making our own statements by adding simple touches of our culture to our looks. So for me, a key piece every woman needs in her wardrobe for Ramadan has to be a bisht or kaftan,” she says.

In terms of accessories, Ahmed recommends investing in a couple of statement bags and on-trend jewellery. “Chokers and earrings – lots of earrings. Long earrings and also those that can be worn in one,” she says.

For beauty, while Ahmed generally gravitates towards natural make-up looks and nude colours, she’s open to amping up her cosmetics game for the upcoming month.

“I think it’s time for a change,” she says. “If I’m going to attend any Ramadan event, I might choose a smoky eye for an Arabian touch – after all, it is what we’re known for here,” she says.