About Us | Qalbi Modest Wear Australia

Our Story

Three weeks out from Umrah, and we still hadn't found an abaya.

Everything else was sorted. The flights, the paperwork, the plans. But we kept coming back to this one thing, opening tab after tab late at night, and closing them all again.

We weren't being fussy. We just wanted something that could be worn for hours of worship without thinking about it. Something that felt like it belonged on a trip like this. Something that wouldn't fall apart after one wear.

What we found instead was a choice we didn't want to make. The beautiful ones cost more than we could justify. The affordable ones, you could tell, just from the photos. Thin. Rushed. Fine for a Tuesday, not for this.

We ended up with something that was okay. Not wrong. Just not it.

The trip came and went. We came home. And then, about two months later, the thought arrived properly: if we struggled this much to find one abaya, how many other sisters are going through the same thing?

There was no plan behind what happened next. No market research, no competitor analysis, no brand strategy, no e-commerce experience. Just that question, and a decision to trust Allah SWT with it.

We started looking for places that could make abayas the way we'd wanted one made. Then came sampling, and honestly, we had no idea what we were doing. No frame of reference for what to say yes to, what to push back on, what came next. We ordered a few anyway. While they were being made, we taught ourselves to build the website, night by night.

That's how Qalbi started. Not with a strategy. With a gap we'd felt ourselves, and a lot of bismillah.

What we've held onto since is the thing that started it: the days that matter most shouldn't ask you to choose between what you can afford and what feels right.
Iḥsān- doing everything with excellence and sincerity, as if Allah sees you, because He does, was never meant to live only in a certain price bracket. It belongs in every seam, whatever a piece costs. And modesty was never about hiding; it's about revealing your true worth through character and grace. The quiet confidence of dressing for Allah first.

What we didn't expect was how much of this would happen face to face. Some of our best days have been at pop-up markets, standing alongside other small Muslim-owned businesses, meeting the women who actually wear these pieces instead of seeing them as orders on a screen. It's why Qalbi has never really felt like a shop to us, it feels closer to a sisterhood, built alongside the women wearing it. It's also why part of every order goes to our ongoing partnership with MATW: choosing something for your own meaningful days should quietly support someone else's too.

We called it Qalbi — قَلْبِي — "my heart" in Arabic. Not because it looked elegant on a label, but because it was the most honest word we had for what all of this has actually meant to us.

If you've ever stood where we stood, three weeks out and still searching — this is for you.

Every stitch carries a prayer. Every piece begins with heart. And you are always at the centre of our story.

What Guides Us

Modesty & Dignity — Ḥayāʾ & ʿIffah

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty..." — Qur'an 24:31

Our abayas and scarves are designed to honour this timeless guidance protecting dignity while celebrating beauty in a way that is refined, never extravagant.

Excellence & Beauty — Iḥsān & Jamāl

"Indeed, Allah is beautiful and loves beauty." — Sahih Muslim
"...and do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good (muḥsinīn)." - Qur'an 2:195

This is what drives our commitment to premium fabrics, thoughtful design, and skilled craftsmanship. Every piece is more than cloth, it's an expression of faith and identity.

For You, and Your Little Ones

From flowing abayas to delicate hijabs and thoughtful accessories — pieces made for daily life, special occasions, quiet reflection, and blessed journeys like umrah. Whether you're preparing for umrah, getting ready for Jummah, celebrating Eid, or simply living an ordinary day, we're here.

Looking for quality abayas that are affordable, Browse our Abaya Collection
Shopping for your little ones too? Browse our Kids Abaya Collection.