Sophie Allen | The Chronicle
For hijabi students at Mason High School (MHS), faith and fashion go hand-in-hand.
Many Muslim girls strengthen their faith by wearing a headscarf called the hijab and following specific standards of modesty. For them, it is a way to represent their faith and embody Islamic principles. While mainstream fashion has not always catered to a modest look, hijabi girls at MHS are finding innovative ways to express themselves through their clothing while staying true to their faith.
MHS sophomore Sarah Hayath began wearing the hijab when she was nine. Hayath said that while she had always planned to wear the hijab, she was inspired by her mother and other Muslim women in the local community to begin wearing it earlier than most.
“I just found [the hijab] so pretty,” Hayath said. “I saw my mom wearing it, [and] I was like, ‘I really want to look like that.’”
Though Hayath’s style is rooted in modesty, it also draws from her Indian heritage. She said some cultural elements are easy to incorporate into her outfits, while others need to be adapted to align with religious guidelines.
“Our cultural clothing is to the nines,” Hayath said. “I’d always go to [Indian] weddings, and everybody is dressed [with] diamonds on top of gold on top of silver on top of emeralds, so that’s the thing that started me up. A lot of [Indian] clothes are very revealing, but there is a Muslim culture in India too, so they have more covered-up clothes.”
Hayath said that it was difficult to find modest yet stylish inspiration in mainstream spaces when she began exploring fashion, but over time, that changed.
“Nowadays, there is a lot more catering towards hijabis [in fashion],” Hayath said. “I have an entire Pinterest board that [includes] full-length, fully covering dresses with sleeves, no slits [and] everything. I see fits everywhere I look, and I’m like, ‘I did not know this was a possibility.’”
Beyond online inspiration, Hayath said she found support in MHS teacher Silvia Cattini’s Fashion Design and Construction class.
“Ms. Cattini boosted me up so much,” Hayath said. “I made a dress [for the class] and she was so proud of me, so that introduced me to fashion even more. [Now] I sew a lot.”
MHS junior Hala Mansour, a member of the Fashion Club and a clothing enthusiast, began wearing the hijab when she was 12. She said she has always taken her outfits seriously, often putting careful thought into what she wears.
“Fashion is so important because it tells you about someone’s personality,” Mansour said. “It gives you insight into what kind of person they are. I’ve noticed that when I don’t feel comfortable [or] when I don’t find myself in the fashion, it’s harder to wear the hijab.”
Mansour said despite not facing overt racism for wearing the hijab, her experience has not always been positive.
“Some people don’t care that you wear [the hijab] and then others avoid you on purpose,” Mansour said. “I sometimes wish people would look beyond that. It’s part of our identity, but it’s also not everything about us.”
For MHS sophomore Jana Hasan her interest in fashion came later. Hasan began wearing the hijab in seventh grade and is currently taking Fashion Design and Construction.
“My style in seventh grade was a hoodie and sweatpants—every single day, hoodie and sweatpants,” Hasan said. “I was like, ‘That’s so boring.’ Why can’t I express myself through clothes to represent who I am and at the same time be modest?”
When trying new outfits, Hasan said she first makes sure that they are modest. Then, she experiments with coordinating the colors and fabrics of various parts of her attire to find something that she feels comfortable and confident in.
“[Since] I started wearing the hijab, it’s been a really positive part of my life,” Hasan said. “I wear it, first and foremost, for Allah and my religion. It’s a way for me to follow my faith and earn good deeds every time I wear it, which makes it really meaningful to me.”
Hasan said she cannot imagine herself without the hijab, especially with how expressive it allows her to be. She said that while she is comfortable experimenting with colors and styles, not all hijabis share the same experience.
“Some people think wearing the hijab is hard, and for some people it can be hard,” Hasan said. “But I wear cute clothes to show people that you can still look cute with the hijab on. Some people struggle with staying modest with the hijab. I just want to show people that you can be [both].”
