Hijab Chic

[UNiQFashionista]

niqab is something that developed through culture and tradition..not islamic as one said above (niqab is the covering of the face exept the eyes)...i do agree that girls who make a commetment to be "muthajbah"should express their individuality..but the thing i dont agree with is the whole over the top make up and really tight clothes...i mean whats more attractive a girl who doesnt have her hair covered wearing a cute trapeze chloe dress or a girl with her hair covered wearing tons of make up and skinny jeans with over the knee boots and a tight top?! u get my point? i see it in paris every year...and who do the cosiety pic on? the cute girl wearing a knee length big a$$ chloe dress and not the girl with the hair covered...uhh...double standard!!!!

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

UNiQFashionista: I totally agree.

i never understood the point of the heavy eye makeup and the black eyeliner!!! it s just too confusing
isn t the point of wearing hijab, not to draw attention to u ???

 

[Bluestar07]

I come from a predominantly Muslim country although I'm not Muslim myself. So TFSers who are please feel free to correct me.

Reading this thread, I found that some members are confused as to why some people wear trendy designer "hijabs" when the whole purpose of it is to "not draw attention" to oneself.

My own understanding is that there a many parts of the woman's body (aurat) that is considered something akin to being sacred and is should only be reserved for her husband's eyes. I know the hair is one such example, hence the covering with the veil. So are the arms and legs. The covered up way of dressing is to protect these sacred parts of the body. So you can cover it up with designer stuff if you want. It's not so much a matter of "not drawing attention to oneself" as much as it is to "preserve" what is deemed to be sacred to the body.

AGain, please correct me if I'm wrong because I've not read the Quran and this is what I gather from my Muslim friends.

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

Bluestar07: well I am Muslim and I can tell you, that putting tons of make up on does not go hand in hand with hijab. and the point of hijab IS not to draw attention to yourself thus to not ATTRACT males. so with just a bit of thinking you can come up with the conlusion that if u go out with your face all made up, u re bound to attract males' attention. now THAT is the confusing part I was talking about.

 

[Bluestar07]

^ Ahhh I see!

YEs and now I"m part of the confusion as well

 

[sakina]

Bluestar07: well I am Muslim and I can tell you, that putting tons of make up on does not go hand in hand with hijab. and the point of hijab IS not to draw attention to yourself thus to not ATTRACT males. so with just a bit of thinking you can come up with the conlusion that if u go out with your face all made up, u re bound to attract males' attention. now THAT is the confusing part I was talking about.

I think that most women rationalize wearing heavy makeup as a way only to attract their husbands... and that they're not suppose to be wearing heavy makeup for anybody else... Of course, personally, I was raised in America and am far from religious or conservative so this is just what I percieved.

plus it is a cultural standard.

I would feel more modest in a mini skirt or shorts than I would wearing heavy makeup in America. However, in some other countries (half syrian personally) I would feel more modest wearing a hijab with heavier makeup simply because more of a cultural norm.

 

[vikingqueen]

Bluestar07: well I am Muslim and I can tell you, that putting tons of make up on does not go hand in hand with hijab. and the point of hijab IS not to draw attention to yourself thus to not ATTRACT males. so with just a bit of thinking you can come up with the conlusion that if u go out with your face all made up, u re bound to attract males' attention. now THAT is the confusing part I was talking about.

i don't necessarily agree completely - for one, the hijab is worn for several reasons, ONE of which is to maintain a barrier between the sexes, for the sake of both women and men. It does not necessarily follow from that that woman HAVE to dress with the sole purpose of not attracting men .... if you wear the hijab properly, then you are meeting your religious requirements.

Some men might notice a woman because she's wearing a bright colour ...that doesn't mean Muslim women are not allowed to wear bright colours b/c it MIGHT draw a man's attention

men, too, have an obligation in Islam, to be respectful and control themselves - i mean, they're not animals (most of them), so as long as i'm doing what i have to do i shouldn't have to worry if a man gets a little too happy b/c i happen to be wearing a little too much eyeliner

 

[UNiQFashionista]

good points everyone..
just a note that i dont mind any woman wearing hijab to be stylish and trendy and wear designers...i just hate the skin tight stuff that some wear to compensate....hijab and tight clothes dont mix. period.

 

[vikingqueen]

true enough!

i figured we should have some pics to accompany the discussion - it's SO hard to find pictures of regular Muslim women wearing hijab ... lots and lots of close-ups of eyes behind burqas or niqabs

here are some of Linda Sarsour, who is from the Arab American Association...she is Palestinian I beleive, but raised in Brooklyn NY...
*gettyimages

 

[vikingqueen]

more, gettyimages

 

[UNiQFashionista]

she looks good,...stylish and pretty...

 

[vikingqueen]

more, gettyimages...hey, look Princess Diana! and Jemima Khan ...they're wearing more traditional Pakistani/Indian clothing, but the idea is the same...

 

[vikingqueen]

And for those who think hijab and sparkles don't mix, take a look at these wedding pictures from the royal wedding of the Price of Brunei (I think) ...not exactly my taste....!!!

 

[Assembler]

I had the understanding that the restrictions in islam on women's clothing had to do with concealing special parts of the body. Or exposing too much body.

I think in Christian morals there is a similar restriction. I would feel immodest if I were showing my nipples for example, or my butt-crack (can i write that?). Even if I were totally covered up, head to toe everywhere else, if my nipples were showing (not poking out of the shirt, though i avoid that too, but fully visible) it would feel wrong and immodest to me. But I have no problem with wearing somewhat revealing clothing, even bikinis.

I think modesty is subjective based on both cultural and personal considerations. I just read an interesting post on someone's blog (i think it was a blog, i didn't read to far into it so please read at own risk) http://www.jolique.com/modesty/only_modesty.htm.

 

[lucy92]

vikingqueen, dont forget to post your source on your images...

i really liked that fashion spread marie claire USA had last issue with women in dubair in their hijabs...

i think that some women wear heavy black eyemakeup in the middle east perhaps to keep the sun out of their eyes similar to when football players wear greasepaint near their eyes...perhaps it cuts down on glare.

 

[vikingqueen]

woops, sorry ...the pics in post #70 are from my personal collection and gettyimages (left to right) and the pics in post #73 are from bbc.co.uk

 

[Lena]

love those marie-claire pics posted, c'est tres chic

 

[TripHop_Diva]

hijab chic in the arabic peninsula @ marie claire magazine

*pictures erased*

debbieschlussel.com

That is a very beautiful spread. I notice a lot of women in the Middle East look prettier wearing hijab and abaya. I don't know what it is...

 

[MulletProof]

Interesting thread, so many great posts that are educating me quite a bit! and beautiful images, too.

 

[UNiQFashionista]

I love the thread...and those MC pics are great (even though non of the models are actually from the gulf..) but thats exactly how a large percentage of the younger, more modern girls wear their abayas and tarha(head scarf) in saudi..
next time i go..i wish i cant take pics of the do's and don'ts of wearing the abaya and tarha..hmm..IDEA!