From brightly-colored sleeveless dresses to tank tops and miniskirts, it seems almost impossible for us Muslim women to follow today’s fashion trends. But just because we don’t adhere to society’s outlook on fashion, doesn’t mean we can’t have any of our own. In fact, the style that we often probably pay attention to the most is the style and appearance of our hijab.  There are many ways we could spice up the look of our hijabs and still appear modest.  One of these ways is through color and decorative designs. Nowadays, it is possible for many to obtain hijabs in a wide variety of colors and patterns (like sequins, vibrant designs and shapes, etc.), so we could not only cover ourselves as we were commanded to do, but look presentable at the same time. In addition to this, an assortment of  beautiful stick pins could be used to pin a headscarf together, for those who wish to wrap their hijab in layers.

Colors and designs aren’t the only qualities that a hijab carries though – another factor that is common with Muslim women nowadays is the way the hijab is worn. When I first started wearing the hijab a couple of years back, I began with a simple style known as the “square hijab”, which is literally a square-shaped headscarf that you fold into a triangle, wrap around the head, and pin together with a safety pin under the chin. However, when I found that another hijab style known as the “pashmina” or the “wrap-around oblong” headscarf worked better with me, I began to wear my hijab in that way instead. Unlike the “square” hijab, the pashmina hijab is a rectangular-shaped scarf that is pinned together under the chin from one end and wrapped around the head afterwards, usually along with a “headpiece” or bandana-like cloth beneath it.

But of course, we all know the list doesn’t end at just two styles. Here are a few others:

This style is commonly known as a “Qatari Style Hijab”, a hijab style  that, as the name indicates, predominantly originated in Qatar. This style is bascially an oblong, shawl-like headscarf wrapped loosely around the head, with a bandana scarf or headpiece worn underneath. It’s better to wear a second hijab under it though (along with the headpiece, if you wish), so the neck area and all other areas are properly covered, like this girl did. I think the style looks cuter and more “chic” that way, don’t you?

This is another style that is done with the hijab. I think this one is quite creative and suited for fancy parties and other formal events. It consists of one or two oblong-shaped hijabs wrapped around the head in layers, with the outer layer scrunched up in a decorative way on the side. I believe a headpiece is worn under the two hijabs as well. If you like layers, than this style is definitely for you. However, I suggest that an additional scarf should be added to cover the neck area, even though a majority of the neck is covered in the photo. The more proper, the better.

This is a cute and simple hijab style that I think would be a great to try for any occasion. Its a square-shaped headscarf, but instead of folding it into a triangle and pinning it under the chin as you normally would, you take the entire scarf and pin it under the chin from one end, then wrap it around the head/shoulders as you would with an oblong-shaped headscarf. Of course a headpiece is worn underneath the scarf as well. This style certainly is a fashionable way to wear your hijab to any non-formal event.

One of the things that I also love most about hijab is that it’s incredibly convenient when it comes to the type of cloth we use. In other words, almost anything could replace a regular hijab, as long as it is decent and covers the proper areas. About a year ago, I discovered that simple shawl wraps that were made to be worn as shoulder scarves make excellent hijabs, especially for the “oblong” style. This is a big plus for those who can’t afford to buy those expensive, high-quality fabric headscarfs, or for those who simply just can’t get one. Till this day, I still continue to buy them from everyday department stores and use them as hijabs!  

The possibilities of how we fashion our hijab are endless. And while there may be many hijab styles that are trendy and follow the correct guidelines that Allah set for us, there are others that go a bit too far and neglect the main reason we wear it in the first place. Or the hijab is worn correctly, but the outfit worn with it isn’t.  We should always stick to the guidelines of Islam and Allah rulings as much as we can. What we wear and how we wear it represents ourselves and our character. Remember that hijab isn’t just a piece of cloth to wear over your head, or an everyday accessory in our wardrobes – hijab is a foundation that brings out our personalities and character, and helps us stand as people rather than objects. We may dress fashionably and style our hijabs in cute ways, but as Muslim women, we stand as examples of our faith, our religion. Sometimes what we wear could say so much about who we are.

So – with that said – how do you girls wear YOUR hijab?

Related posts:

1. Hijab? It Protects the Valuable
2. Back-to-School Staple: Hoodies!
3. My Hijab is for You, Too
4. Sarah Elenany – The Newest Talent in Muslim Fashion
5. Ethnic Flair: the Tunic