Life & Style | Beauty & Fashion

Under cover: the latest hijab fashion this season

Wondering how to strike the perfect balance between style and tradition? tabloid has your guide to the latest in hijab fashion

By Nasheet Jaffer Khan, Copy Editor
Published: 20:12 August 28, 2010

Image Credit: Megan Hirons Mahon/Gulf News
What better way to make a style statement than to accessorise! Vintage pins and feathered bands are a quick, easy and cheap way to add style to the scarves you already have.

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The horizontal rainbow of scarves sits prettily on one shelf in her wardrobe. Some hang from a rod fixed to a door. On last count, Hasheera S. had 150 headscarves, except for a minor problem — she knew only one way to drape them.

“I’d like more variation in the way I wear the hijab, especially because the mummy wrap tends to get a bit boring at times,” says Hasheera, a 24-year-old aeronautical engineer residing in Sharjah.

Pictures: Top ways to drape your hijab

Hasheera is not the only hijabi to face this dilemma. She represents one of countless Muslim women who every day seek style solutions for their modest dressing needs, looking to drape a fine line between the desire to be stylish while abiding by Islamic traditions.

Enter Rabia Z., a Dubai-based fashion designer who specialises in conservative-chic ensembles. Rabia is aware of this trend she faced a similar battle as a modern hijabi looking to fit in the US’ fashion mainstream. For Rabia, the answer was to launch her signature shaylas for the woman who dares to drape. This earned the designer an opportunity to be the first Muslim woman to showcase her creations at this year’s Miami Fashion Week, among other laurels.

“There is certainly a trend in women choosing more stylish hijabs now, more than before,” says Rabia. “When I first started wearing a hijab, there were no stylish hijabs, just as there was no stylish modest clothing. But I am happy to say that we have managed to change that.”

tabloid! went ‘undercover’ with Rabia to unveil the top styles to drape your hijab this season, as modelled beautifully by Hannan. Follow the easy steps and before you know it, yours will be the most stylish shayla around.

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