Free Fridays: First Eid without dUCk.

20 March 2026

Yes, I too was eagerly waiting to see what colour his baju raya will be this year. 😂

We all watched the announcement on TV. Tomorrow is Eid, Alhamdulillah. And I’ve been sitting with a feeling I can’t quite describe – somewhere between unfamiliar and freeing.

Why?

Because this will be the first time in ten years that I don’t have a new dUCk Eid collection to don on Raya day. No new print, no “this is what everyone has to wear” announcement to the entire family.

And strangely, I feel… light.

This year, I get to experience something I haven’t in a long time – I get to be a customer. If previous years, what I wear gets dictated by dUCk’s design team, this year I actually get to search my heart’s desire at other brands’ shops and bazaars. I walked with my family, booth to booth, touched fabrics, admired details, compared prices and did what everyone usually does.

It was so fun, albeit a little overwhelming. Choices are crazy abundant!

I chuckle thinking about how in the previous era, I was the Eid-zilla in the family. If you know me, Raya outfits in the family used to be… a production! I’d pick a theme colour, make sure every person matched perfectly (same shade, same print, even the tiny babies needed to match), run back and forth between fabric shops and tailors, get everyone appointments to do their measurements and stress about every tiny detail. Mind you, this I impose on both families – my side and Fadza’s side. From the newborn to the grandparents, we all had to match.

I even had a powerpoint file of everyone’s needs. I remember being so stressed about every detail. Everything had to be perfect.

For what? For the photos.

Bless my family for cooperating and not killing me.

This year?

Was at family dinner.

“Eh so what colour this year?” my sister in law opened the conversation.

“Black?” Someone said. I can’t remember who.

“Ok.”

“Good. I already have black, no need waste money.”

“Cool.”

JUST. LIKE. THAT.

And I dare say I think everyone’s pretty excited that they get to wear what they want – their own style, their own fabric of choice, their own design of choice. No Eid-zilla Vivy to boss everyone around.

It made me realise something.

Life is actually very simple.

We’re just very good at making it complicated.

And maybe this is what this new era looks like for me – less control, more appreciation. Less perfection, more presence.

I’m sad Ramadhan is ending but I also can’t wait to celebrate tomorrow. To eat during the day (pleasures of life!) with my family, to visit both sides of the family, to hug everyone tight after a month of Ramadhan together. And to see them shine in their outfits, beautiful inside and out.

As long as they show up in black.

Or else.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

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Before you go…

Let me know you’ve read this. Comment your Raya outfit theme colour on my latest post at @sincerelyvivy.

See you there! :)