Take this Hijab and Love It

Last updated on: January 13, 2010 at 12:00 am by Guest Contributor

Take this Hijab and Love It 2010-01-13T00:00:05-04:00 Guest Contributor

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This post was written by Jillian C. York, and originally published in the Winter 2009 issue of Bitch magazine.

Muslim women, as a group, don’t lack for media attention, but to say their representation in mass media is lopsided would be an understatement: They’re the subject of political, religious, and feminist debates, but their own voices are nearly invisible in the mainstream media, in film, and in books. But the one place Muslim women–in particular, muhajabat, or wearers of the hijab–are perhaps the most ignored is in the world of fashion.

It’s not that, as many might assume, women who sport the headscarf don’t care about fashion. But it’s got to be frustrating to be a muhajabah in a world of miniskirts and booty shorts. When your religious beliefs dictate a well-covered person but the mainstream fashion magazines are more like 80% bare skin and 20% clothing, you won’t be turning to Elle for advice on, say, matching a red hijab with black pants.

But without a mainstream outlet, some muhajabat have taken media matters into their own hands–or, more specifically, their blogs. With names like Stylish Muslimah, Hijabi Couture, and Hijabulous, these online fashion forums serve a dual purpose–they explain and demystify Muslim dress codes for novice muhajabat and curious outsiders, and they cull the web for fashion that can be adapted to their needs. Hijabs High, for instance, patterns itself after seen-on-the-street fashion blog The Sartorialist, with snapshots of stylish women from Singapore to Washington, D.C., posted as inspiration. The blogger behind Stylish Muslimah (“The Muslim Vogue”) assembles youthful, on-trend outfits with precise detail and links to online outlets where all the pieces can be found. And We Love Hijab highlights fashion-forward for plunds up seasonal trends in scarves, and even offers a hijab-specific version of What Not to Wear. (Sheath dresses: yea or nay?)

Perhaps the best part of hijabblogs is the sheer sense of positivity they put forth. Hijabs High says it best: The blog, its proprietor writes, “is inspired by the stylish and dynamic global community of Muslim women who fuse their identities and pronounce their place in the world everyday through beauty and fashion. It is my hope that this blog inspires, motivates, and encourages Muslims and non-Muslims alike to revisit their perceptions of the ‘look’ of Muslim women who wear the veil and encourage us all to be a little more fabulous.”

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