08 October 2008

The Great British Hijab

Britain is home to around 2 million Muslims so that would mean about 1 million are Muslimahs, how many hijabis would that make? I don't know maybe 500,000. Anyway, so that's about half a million different styles, tastes and methods of wearing hijab. Great! Here are some photos to give you a taster of the diversity of hijab style in the UK.

These 3 girls featured on a program about Muslim women in Britain on the BBC a while back, I like their different hijab styles:

Taken at the GPU event, to hijabi sisters. So cute:
Going hands free..hijab style lol..
I love hijab and sunglasses look, especially when its with a Turkish style hijab. But these are nice too :D
This photo is soo cute, not sure where it is but I love it anyway

OK, not exactly 'stylish' but a great photo nonetheless:

Interesting pic, not sure if its even from Britain though..but it probably is..we'll just say it is for now :)

I tried copying a British hijabi's style on polyvore, here how is turned out:

I really think its great that hijabis are finding new ways to dress and are able to mix and match modesty with 'modern' styles. Although I am not intending to live in the UK for the rest of my life I think it is better for wearing hijab than some other western countries. Although, of course Islamic countries would be my preference for that issue in particular. So thats my post for the day, hope you liked it!

11 comments:

Yasmin (Umm Zayd) said...

Love this post, especially the hands free hijabi pic. I do it all the time lol.
And the Muslim Chic pic isn't from the UK, it was an article in the New York Post about Muslimah fashion in NYC.

StylishMuslimah said...

yasmine: thanks! oh is it? lol i din know but hey im guna keep it there cuz i like it :D yeh the hands free pic is pretty cool :)

Inspired Muslimah said...

Salam,
Nice post, I tried to find that documentary to watch it and I cant find it anywhere.I was surprised since everything is on you tube these days..:)

StylishMuslimah said...

hmm i cant remember what it was called but il have a look and if i find it il post a like here

Ange said...

cute pics

HF said...

lol @ hands free!

Anonymous said...

i just came across your post n i shud say u have really done a good work .
as i m frm india...only a few things i would lyk u 2 note in d indian hijab style.
the 2nd picture where a lady is carrying a baby..her dress is no form of hijab...i even doubt tht d woman is muslim...coz we have some tribal castes where tht dress is their traditional dress no doubt it covers your whole body but in case u wore it u will b considered frm tht non-muslim caste.
and the 4th picture frm d pakistani hijab style is again not a form of hijab. its d common indian & pakistani dress.

ne ways gud job.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE THESE POSTS!:)THEIR AWESOME.MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU COULD DO RUSSIA!LOL

Anonymous said...

Dear sister,

Assalaamalaykum

hope you are well inshallah. i was researching on the hijab for an assignment when i came across your website. what i have seen of it you are advocating hijab firstly and foremost for the sake of allah (s.w.t)which is great.

However and please do not get offended i do not see the such need for putting up pictures of our muslim sisters for everyone to look at although you have said this is for women only. if it is accessories and styles you want to show then they can be displayed without sisters modeling them.

If you are saying a sister looks cute then any male who comes across your site mite also think similarly and save the pictures etc if you know what im getting at. you may have asked for the permission of these sisters but it is not their premission that is required it is the permission of allah (s.w.t).

The verses in the Quran that address the issue of clothing are 24:31-32, 33:59 and 24: 60. These verses highlight that Muslim women should be modest and should not reveal themselves to men other than their fathers, brothers and husbands. By having these pictures on the internet i dont think these rules are being followed. The hijab fashions that are displayed here are not totally islamic either. Although you are saying these jeans etc should be loose or looser in simple fact they are not and no one would wear size 12 jeans if they are a size 8 would they.

I would love to write more and explain more fully but i hope you have understood my point. I know there are a large number of websites which are similar to yours and i cant share my view with all of them but like i said i came across yours by chance.

Please dont be offended by anything i have said it was my duty as a muslim sister.
all the best, your sister in Islam.

StylishMuslimah said...

Anonymous: Wa Alaykom Al Salam, I'm not offended at all! You are entitled to your own opinions. Although I see where you are coming from with your main point about having photos, I obviously disagree that I am doing anything haram. Firstly, because these girls are wearing hijab so go out like that in 'real life' anyway and secondly the Quran tells men (surat Al Nur) to lower their gaze and guard their own chastity BEFORE it tells women to cover at all so it's not my problem if they choose to go around looking for photos of women - they have been told to lower their gaze, I'm not going to lower it for them. If the iyas had been the other way around I would, perhaps, not post the photos but the message is clear to me.

Regarding the hijab fashions posted, well it's a never ending debate about what is Islamic and what is cultural which i do not want to start. I post what I see as Islamic, I am not forcing anybody to wear it, I am simply trying to make it easier for girls to wear hijab in this day and age. And Allah (swt) knows best.

Wassalam :)

silvia said...

Hi Zaenab..

I really like your blog..

Btw why don't you post Indonesian Hijab Style? :D

We're Malaysia neighbour and lottss women now wearing hijab here :D (just like me).. Some are stylish..some are don't.
And the fashion industry for muslimah here are very vibrant :D

Salam from fellow sister in Jakarta-Indonesia