Covering Up: The Empowering Art of Modest Fashion
Words by Ronia Ibrahim (she/her)
The principles of modest fashion are innumerable. There must be acute attention paid to a variety of factors: fabrics, drapery, layering, seasons, temperature, opacity, texture. Unsurprisingly, there is a huge following for this art, particularly amongst the female Muslim community, with #hijabi and #hijabinsta getting billions of hits online. You can find hijab tutorials (videos on how to tie different hijab styles) and modest fashion hacks such as what to wear with sleeves during summer and how to layer for winter. The title “hijabi influencer” is a rising niche of internet celebden. It fills the gap in a predominantly eurocentric beauty industry that may not satisfy the zeitgeist of those who prefer abayas to mini dresses.
When I was 13 and first started wearing hijab, hijabi influencers were integral to my relationship with modest fashion. Dina Tokio was one of them. She is a pioneer of the modest fashion world, a British-Egyptian vlogger who rose to fame for her hijab tutorials and bubbly personality. Other favourites included SaimaSmilesLike for her absurd humour and edgier style, and Habiba Da Silva for her makeup looks and groundbreaking crinkle-scarf hijab line. Having role models to look up to while I started on my hijab journey was extremely important to help me find my own unique way of expressing myself through dressing modestly, especially when there weren’t many people who looked like me in mainstream fashion
Modest fashion is slowly becoming less of a niche. Midi/maxi skirts, long dresses and layering are becoming increasingly popular. The “cottagecore aesthetic” can be modest-fashion aligning, with its flowy dresses, big sleeves and cosy vibes. Unfortunately, as modest fashion becomes more accessible, instances of blatant cultural appropriation have also been on the rise. In 2018, Gucci came under heat for appropriating Sikh turbans and hijabs at Milan Fashion Week. This raised the issue of white figures being praised for deciding to dress in a certain way, whilst the way BIPOC/religious communities dress is looked down upon. People pointed out the double standard of praising Billie Eilish for her baggy style and her decision to keep her body private, when many Muslims women choose to cover themselves for the same reason. In more obviously xenophobic example, last year France proposed banning hijabs and other “religious symbols” in public places, as they were deemed to be “extremist” expressions of faith.
Dressing modestly isn’t something that belongs to one particular culture or religion. But it is an important value for people from all sorts of backgrounds. The concept of modesty as a whole is something that can be practised by all genders and cultures, and isn’t limited to women or people of faith. Despite this, it is a huge double standard when people from marginalised backgrounds who choose to dress modestly are seen as backwards or extremist, whilst a white modestly dressed person can be a groundbreaking trendsetter. We should all have autonomy over the way we dress, but when we view clothing through a biassed lens and make assumptions about clothing choices, we lose that. We lose the sense of freedom and expression that the art of dressing gives us.
Today, many of the OG hijabi influencers I used to follow such as Dina Tokio have since decided to stop wearing their hijabs. Some people like SaimaSmilesLike have moved onto different niches like cosplay. The modest fashion scene is constantly and super diverse. Now, I casually follow people like @nawalsari for thrifted street fashion, @itsbasra for colourful vintage and @shadbatal for the boujee-independent-queen vibe. Wearing the hijab, even if you’re not an influencer, can be a high stakes decision. For many who choose to dress this way, it is a form of rebellion against the status quo. This makes hijabis are innovative beasts when it comes to the fashion game. We take clothing and see its potential, finding a way to work around or break through the parameters of western expectations (or the searing heat of summer). It’s a conscious decision to be unapologetically authentic. As a muslim woman who wears the hijab, I choose to go against European beauty standards. I choose to express my faith. Choosing to dress modestly is one way that allows fashion to bring value and empowerment into our lives.