However, a lot of girls who aren’t very feminine in their dress would like to be so. But where to start? That’s where I come in. I thought to share a few ways to feminize your look .  Also, I’d like to point out that if you like wearing hoodies, sweatpants etc- then that’s your choice! My advice is only if you feel the need to update your look! :)

Drab: Hoodies

Yes, it is so easy to fall into a hoodie. It’s loose, comfortable and comes in a myriad of colours. However, as you mature you’ll find that if you don’t dress them up well with your outfit, hoodies can sometimes look sloppy and don’t afford much to an overall feminine appearance. As Muslimahs we have to be conscious of hiding our figure, but not at the risk of being mistaken for a boy!

Also has the unfortunate side effect of making one look emo.

Fab: Cardigans

Instead of a hoodie, opt for a perennial favourite- a cardigan! Luckily, cardigans rarely seem to go out of style. True, lengths fluctuate (right now long cardigans and waist length cardigans are in). However, a well cut cardi will always be stylish and an effortlessly chic way of covering up arms! Here are a few of my favourites in a few different styles.

Wrap  cardigan.

Pretty details like bow make for a wonderful statement piece and dress up an otherwise basic cardigan.

When looking for cardigans, anything goes with a few exceptions! If you’re short, stay away from long or oversized cardigans and opt for shorter or cropped versions. If you want to give an illusion of height pair a cropped cardi with a long top or maxi dress!  If you’re tall, you’re in luck! Just about every style of cardigan will suit you!

Drab: Pull-On Hijabs

10 and under, only!

Yes, don’t deny it, we’ve all been a willing victim of the beguiling simplicity of a pull on hijab! But let’s face it, after the age of 10 it can look too childish, not to mention that they quickly lose their shape so you acquire the dreaded….lopsided arch!  Just because we cover our hair doesn’t mean we can’t do so fashionably. While pull on hijabs are great for working out in the gym (though I’m still convinced that a light cotton blend scarf is even better!), for our day to day wear it doesn’t look very polished. Hijab style is a very personal choice, though with the scarf we need to cover our hair, neck, and chest, and there are a myriad of styles to choose from! Some styles, however, suit others more than some. Experiment, and figure out which one suits you!  Here are a few scarves below, that all include absolutely no pull on hijabs!

Fab: Textured Scarves

Experiment with different materials, jersey scarves can create beautiful drapes and are easy to manage!

Try different understated prints to mix up an otherwise plain outfit.

And for the cooler fall months, you really can’t go wrong with a good pashmina!

As for wrapping different hijab styles, hit up Youtube! There are several different tutorials up there to show you how to wrap a scarf in any style you choose.

Drab: Jogging Pants/Sweat Pants

“What could be more Muslimah friendly?” you coo to a rack of brightly coloured jogging pants. “You are loose and comfortable, and you don’t show the shape of my legs!”

What you also fail to realize… is that if not worn correctly it can be easy for them to look silly and rather boyish! Of course, I’m not condoning baring your gams to the world, but you can certainly hide that lovely figure of yours in a way befitting the tenements of Islam and still looking feminine!

Good for lounge wear, not for the general public!

You can don jeans or trousers, granted they are long and loose and paired with a similarly loose top.

Instead of skinny jeans (a fashion crime for hijabis) I like to try and opt for straight cut jeans. You can get the look of skinny jeans, without wearing tight jeans. They look fabulous with a pair of sandals and a flowy bohemian top.

Of course, trousers and jeans aren’t your only option!

Fab: Maxi Dresses

Try wearing a skirt, or a maxi dress! My only word of advice for maxi dresses is that you should not buy any skirt or dress made of jersey material. No matter how curvy or skinny you are they are very unflattering for Muslimahs. They have a tendency to cling to your rear end and on windy days cling to the shape of your legs, so really they’re rather counter intuitive!

Instead, go for light fabrics like cotton or chiffon and be sure that the dresses/skirts have lining. Here are a few of my favourites below!

To cover your arms wear a t-shirt and a cropped cardigan!

This skirt is gorgeous and very versatile, it can be worn as a maxi or a skirt and can carry you through from the summer to the fall!

That is all for this post. Jazakum Allahu Khayrun for reading! Let me know in the comments how you’ve adapted these looks to your wardrobe! InshAllah, you’ll hear from me soon!

Ma’Salaam,
Zainab

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Right: Put to use a mini-skirt! How many have you skipped through your shopping endeavors? Not anymore. Find some that cover your thighs, match it with a lose shirt, and accessorize to pull it all together. Be sure to wear loose enough pants!

Left: A revealing shirt put to halal use (on a side note, I think I should upgrade my sense of humor as well). If the top is long and lose enough, you can easily cover the arms with a cardigan, some roomy bottoms and you are good to go. Make sure the hijab and the shoes are matching and the accessories are equally glamorous.

These sets serve as inspirations to hijabify your wardrobe. Be beautiful, be smart, be modest.

Even though Polyvore shows the pants to be bootcut jeans, I think any black slacks will be better. Your thoughts?

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?

Of course, there’s always some neck visibility, so if you’re going to put the hood up, wearing something underneath is a must. You can keep things simple and interesting by wearing a colorful ameera hijab. Or, for those who love layers, you can spice things up by trying my personal favorite – wear an ameera hijab for coverage, and then grab your favorite scarf and tie it around the crown of your head. Letting the loose ends of the scarf flow out from beneath the hood looks great and offers a unique look to your hijab.

Covering the booty isn’t a problem, either. Oversized hoodies and sweatshirts are definitely back in right now – paired with some Converses or a nice pair of boots and you’re set! Or, if you can’t get your hands on one, you can color coordinate your average hoodie on top of a long wife-beater or tunic.

It’s a double-hitter since you can also wear them to look cute while lounging around at home.

Probably my favorite thing about a hoodie is how it always comes with a cool print, logo, or saying to keep your outfit interesting no matter what. Take this one for example:

StyleIslam – $34.90

Who says your hoodie can’t make a statement?

Bottom line? A hoodie is the easiest thing to throw on when you want be comfortable, modest, and look effortlessly cool.