By Our century has been marked by a growing trend of technology integrated in almost every aspect of life, from how we travel, how we communicate, and how we learn. Not one corner of the market is devoid of a technological invention that can better the situation of any individual. Science has really revolutionized the sports industry, particularly in designing workout clothes that are not only comfortable, but also “sweat friendly.”
One area of the market that has been totally ignored but requires pressing attention is the creation of clothing suitable for religious constraints concerning Muslim women. It is quite surprising that no variation has been spun out of the hijab (traditional headscarf) in order to make exercise and sports more convenient for hijabi women. Whether it be in hail or snow, heat or humidity, or even rain, Muslim women across the globe have stuck by their head garments for the purpose of maintaining modesty and their religious obligation, and thus have inconveniently endured the hardships of wearing scarves that are just NOT suitable for the elements of weather. And when hijabis engage in sports, they too become soaked with sweat just like anyone else.
Here to tackle the problem is the VEIL, a start up company by two individuals from Cleveland who have already revolutizoned the industry by introducing a climate-adapting hijab. Created using waterproof nylon fabric, this hijab is reported to keep wearers seven to ten degrees cooler (reflecting almost 80% of sunlight!) than the average hijab during the summer time, and also prevents water from penetrating through the fabric during those rainy days. How neat!
It’s almost magical!
Not only has the VEIL made this hijab pretty much weather-proof, but it has also used laser technology to seal the fabric edges in order to create a more sharp, clean, and streamlined finish. Not only does this keep chafing “virtually nonexistent” (I’m going to cry), but it also makes sure that any “oil, soil, and liquids that often come in contact with our apparel in our daily activities” are easily released when washing due to the fabric’s low absoption of stain marks and excellent oil repellency.
Since we obviously know that many of you are just dying to know more about the company that’ll truly transform your lives, we got you the freshest scoop from Ahmed Ghanem, 22-year-old co-founder of VEIL.
MuslimGirl: Tell us a little bit about the founder of VEIL. What prompted this idea?
Veil was founded by myself and one other sister, who is a hijabi and friend of mine. I actually came across a company one day that produced business shirts. They used technology in their shirts to help keep business people cooler in hot weather, and that’s when, “why hasn’t anyone done this with hijabs?” came to mind. That’s the story on how Veil came to life.
Why do you think it’s so necessary?
I have a lot of family members who wear the hijab and I see how hard it is for them sometimes. When I came up with the idea I knew it had to be done. So many athletic companies are so far ahead technology wise so I felt like it was my obligation to help our sisters out.
According to the Kickstarter, you only have two colors (other than black) available because the cooling technology is specialized for darker fabrics. Does this mean we can still expect a wider range of colors in the near future since they will already be cooler?
We definitely want to bring more colors to the table in the near future. I think a lot of people misunderstand a few things about this project, though. We aren’t going to the local fabric store, you know? We’re actually working with a huge company with only the best materials and technologies, so the costs to produce each color is very, very high. We know it’s a very important area to tackle, but for now we’re taking things one step at a time. Patience!
What kind of reactions have you gotten so far?
A lot of positives and some negatives, but we tend to pay no attention to the negatives. Some people might ask what’s the point, but I’m sure athletes don’t ask that question when Nike produces high-tech wear for them to battle the weather. We feel like women who wear the hijab need these types of garments more than anyone, and we’re sticking to our mission to help them stay more comfortable no matter the weather.
What is VEIL’s next step?
Our hijabs are going to go into production! Once production is completed we will ship all the hijabs out to all our amazing backers who preordered. We hopefully have more amazing projects coming soon, but we’re keeping them a secret for now. You’ll just have to stay updated with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to find out!
To support this amazing effort, donate at Kickstarter. We can’t wait to see the final product!