There are almost 60 scarves in Shahnaz Rukhsana’s collection. Or 56, she’s not entirely sure. Either way, that is a lot, and they’re all spilling out of a cupboard that’s full of maxi dresses, long tops and the occasional black abaya.
Give her the once over and it’s obvious that fashion is something she takes seriously; her make-up is never overdone, her clothes are colour co-ordinated and she has the remarkable ability to pull off a high-waisted long skirt. There is one thing that makes her stand out – the scarf wrapped around her hair, also known as the hijab. The hijab is a veil worn by Muslim women who choose to cover themselves, showing nothing but their faces and hands, as required by religious doctrine. “It varies from person to person, depending on your interpretation of the hijab,” says Nazia Jassim, a student of psychology and adds, “Some women wear a basic abaya, while some others team it with a pair of jeans, a kurti and a scarf. Modesty is the central factor.”
Pinterest and Instagram helped bring in a new twist to a tradition that is centuries old. For girls in Chennai who decided to embrace the hijab in different styles but didn’t know how to approach it, social media became a source of inspiration. “If you're just starting to use a hijab, blogs are the best places to get ideas,” says Shahnaz. “YouTubers like Rubia Zia and Dina Tokio have tutorials on how to sport them in different ways, and tell you exactly where each piece of clothing was bought.”
Chennai sees a lot of girls experimenting with their hijabs, giving them a fashionable look. Zarine Mohideen, an engineering student, says, “I love pairing skinny jeans with a button-down or silk shirt and pairing that with vibrant scarves. I shop at stores like Azure, Anokhi and Cottonworld; they’ve got breathable material that’s really important for the summer.” Bright scarves are a favourite as they can lift up any outfit. Nazia buys her scarves from the many Kashmiri stores in Spencer Plaza. For the summer, Yamna Sathak, a student of architecture, pairs her maxis and long summer dresses with scarves that have simple colour-blocking to prints with skulls, peace symbols and tribal designs.
Ayesha Nawab, a fashion designer who has her own label titled Mysha, swears by street shopping. “I’m really vintage oriented, and the clothes and accessories that street vendors sell in Pondy Bazaar interest me. I usually get shirts in deep colours like oxblood and pair it with palazzo pants and a floral scarf.” “Even if you can’t find what you like in the city, there’s always online shopping,” says Aafreen Mukthar, who is in the garment business. “UK-based sites like ASOS and Zalora are stepping up their games with free deliveries and returns globally.”
As for the hijab itself, there’s no one way to tie it, and it takes experimenting to find out which style suits you. “Use what scarves best suit your face shape. For example, silk Turkish scarves and Pashminas work well for oval faces and square scarves for heart-shaped ones,” says Aafreen. “It helps if you use a cloth cap underneath to prevent your scarf from slipping,” adds Zeba Rahman, a post-graduate student who majored in multiple disabilities. “There are a lot of pins to keep it in place, which are studded with tiny crystals or shaped like flowers, which make great accessories.”
Most people assume that a dress code wouldn’t be fun to follow, but a new generation of hijabis are convinced that religion doesn’t compromise their fashion or their visibility in society. “It’s actually made me more creative and confident,” says Shahnaz. “I can make the hijab work with anything, whether I’m keeping it casual or dressed in a gown or salwar kameez for a formal evening.”
What was once a niche style statement is slowly making its the way to the surface, with Chennai bound to see more of a new kind of fashion. “Five years ago, when I started using the hijab, there was hardly anyone sporting it differently,” says Zeba. “Now you see hijabis constantly doing new things with their clothes and scarves, whether they’re at a play, a marathon or at work.”
