Photo: Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
The hijab is not only a religious statement for Muslim girls and women; it’s also a statement for fashionably conscious women who insist their scarves are part of an ensemble. Simply, today’s hijab is not your mother’s hijab. It’s no longer just a piece of black cloth, although that is still hip in its own way, but rather it's a head scarf decorated in colorful stripes, flowers and even a nation’s flag to wear at sporting events. And woe the young lady who ventures to a dinner party or a business meeting without thinking how her scarf goes with her outfit.
Common Style
The tools to wear the hijab usually consist of a hair band, thin scarf, scrunchy to hold the hair in place and straight pins or safety pins. Perhaps the most common style originates from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The first order of business is to pull back the hair and tie it into a bun at the base of the neck. Secure it with a scrunchy. For the two-layered look, use a hair band – the bigger the better – and pull it low over the forehead and fasten the back under the bun to keep it from falling. Fold the scarf into a long rectangle. Place the short end over the left ear and over the hair band. Secure the scarf on the band with a straight pin. Wrap the scarf over the band, leaving an inch or two of the band over your forehead exposed. Wrap the scarf over the right ear. Secure it with a straight pin. Wrap the remaining length of scarf loosely under the chin, then over and pinned at the left ear, over the head, and pinned again at the right ear. The remaining piece can be left loose over the shoulder or over the breasts depending on whether you have a high- or open-neck top.
Khaleeji Style
Khaleeji style is a sexy, contemporary take on the hijab. Women use the basic techniques to wear their hijab, but place their hair tied in a bun higher near the crown of the head. A feathery butterfly clip helps the scrunchy keep the hair in place and gives the shape a much poufier look. Once the hijab is in place, it somewhat resembles the shape of the monster’s head in the “Alien” movies. Yet the look is striking, if not regal, when covered in a colorful hijab. This is a rebellious young woman’s style because it encourages women to wear "poufy" hair, which is frowned upon in some religious quarters.
Teen Style
Muslim teenage girls are just like their non-Muslim peers. They wouldn’t be caught dead wearing their mother’s clothes, including the hijab. Teens employ the same techniques to put on the hijab, but may twist the loose end of the scarf into a tight belt-like rope and wrap it above the forehead and fasten with a pin at the ear. Teen girls often accessorize their hijab with a broach placed near the ear or other small hair accessories, such as flowered or butterfly hair clips.
Conservative Style
More conservative girls may fold their scarf into a triangle and fasten it with a safety pin under the chin. It's almost identical to how American and European grandmothers wore their scarfs to church two generations ago. Think Grace Kelly on the shores of Monaco. The remaining length would flow over the breasts instead of being wrapped around the neck.
