Hijabi Fashion

The hijab, defined as a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women has come a long way in the fashion industry. Throughout history, and even today, the hijab is seen as a threat to many Americans across the nation. The hijab on their head makes muslim women a target of hate speech and violence. In spite of this, hijabis have managed to make light out of this dark situation, with the rise of hijab fashion.

For many women who first begin to wear the hijab, it can be quite challenging to find ways to make it stylish and modest at the same time. This struggle creates a lot of confusion and insecurity for young hijabi women. Melanie Elturk, the founder of Haute Hijab, a company selling head scarves and modest clothing, expressed the same struggle in a Times interview when she said that, “a lot of Muslim girls who wore the hijab got tired of being told that they couldn’t be stylish or that they had to be frumpy or dowdy.” In recent years, however, the upsurge of hijabi models, has defied this assumption.

One of the most well-known hijabi models is Halima Aden. Originally from Somalia, Aden was the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. Aden’s appearance in this pageant received national attention, which led to her being signed to IMG models, a popular modeling agency. In a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s instagram video, Aden explains the similar struggle that her and many other hijabi women face, which is how she, “never really felt represented because [she] never could flip through a magazine and see a girl who was wearing a hijab.” As a result of this discrepancy of hijabi women in the media, she took it upon herself to be the first hijab wearing woman in a pageant, and help other hijabi girls out there not feel so alone.

Styling a hijab may sound easy, but in reality it requires a lot of trial and error. What may work for someone else, may not work for another. Fortunately, the hijab has evolved into many different forms, styles, and shapes over the years making it almost impossible to not be successful in your search for the perfect one.

Additionally, big brands are starting to be more inclusive, by adding hijabs to their product variation. These big brands include Nike, with their black and white sports hijabs perfect for hijabi athletes. Other brands like Versace, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, and Chanel are notorious for their luxury style hijabs.

The hijab has evolved from being a simple fabric you could slip on and off your head, to one that you can shape and place on your head in any style you wish, whether that is in a turban, or a traditional wrap around the face.

More recently, in 2020, the emergence of combining hats and hijabs has been a big step forward in hijab fashion. This new take on hijabi fashion includes women wearing their desired hijab with any type of hat, whether that’s a bucket hat, a baseball cap, or a flowy beach hat. This new type of hijab style allows hijabi women to get that street or beachy look, while also staying modest

The hijab has come a long way, from being a piece of fabric that sparked controversies across the world, to being seen as a powerful religious symbol. As the hijab continues to grow in the fashion industry, people must keep in mind that the hijab is not a ‘trend,’ nor a fashion statement to others. It is a religious symbol of modesty for muslim women who choose to wear it, and a symbol of bravery and strength.

As the years go by, hijabi women will continue to add a sense of personal style to this religious covering, leaving a lasting impact on the world we live in and the upcoming generations of hijabi women.