http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=112223&d=29&m=7&y=2008
Tuesday 29 July 2008 (25 Rajab 1429)
The hijab goes high fashion
Homa Khaleeli, The Guardian
AUTUMN trends are already appearing on the pages of glossy magazines, but
for some fashionistas an important question remains unanswered. What will be
autumn's key hijab look?
Muslim women anxious to keep their style cutting-edge are turning to an
ever-expanding number of blogs, Facebook groups and YouTube videos to discover
the hottest way to tie their head scarves.
Jana Kossaibati, whose blog, Hijab Style, claims to be the UK's first
style guide for Muslim women, says women are getting more experimental. "Muslim
girls are very conscious of the way they dress. When you wear a head scarf you
stand out as a Muslim, so what kind of message are you also sending out if you
look drab or messy?" Kossaibati started her site because there wasn't another
like it in the UK, "but since it began 10 months ago a lot of others have
appeared," she says. Although older Muslim women often choose a style of head
scarf that reflects their cultural heritage, younger women are mixing
techniques from all over the Muslim world with newly created styles to
complement Western clothes.
On sites such as Hijabfashionista and The Hijab blog, classic "Spanish",
"simple braid" and layered styles are studied and copied by women who want to
make sure their scarves turn heads. Other sites advise on the best scarves to
wear for sport and even under a baseball cap.
With complicated knots and multiple layers, some of the most popular
looks could take hours to create, but Jana advises fashion-followers to try her
favorite, the flower hijab wrap: "It's fairly simple - you tie the scarf behind
your head and then bring it over again to tie at the side like a flower."
As for the question of which head scarf will be the hot trend this
autumn, Jana plumps for the "Turkish" style - tied under the chin and wrapped
around the neck, which she thinks "signals a return to more grown-up,
sophisticated dressing and the end of the summer holidays."
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