Muslim Women On How They Express Themselves Through Modest Dressing

Modest fashion means something different for everyone. For some, it’s wearing looser or longer garments, and for others, it's wearing a hijab, turban, niqab etc., or just taking small steps every day to work towards ultimately dressing more modestly.

For Muslim women, dressing modestly is an act of worship and is done to strengthen one's faith and spirituality, but there are also women who dress modestly for totally different reasons. We all know that having autonomy over our own bodies is a basic right, and yet, there is constant pressure and bias against women who decide to wear more. At times, it has felt as if feminine liberation only looked a particular way and there was no room for me within it. 

I've personally always found strength in breaking the norm of what social and fashion standards mean when living in a Western society. With women's bodies and dress codes constantly being a topic for debate, choosing to wear the hijab and dress modestly was, for me, an act of rebellion against beauty and fashion standards at the time. Instead of wearing mini skirts and mini dresses on their own, I styled them layered over jeans or maxi skirts; instead of wearing crop tops on their own, I wore them over loose, long-sleeve blouses for a layered effect.

I've never felt like I've missed out on partaking in a trend entirely — I have just redefined how it could work for me.

When I first started wearing the hijab at 15 years old, I played it mostly safe with fashion trends and styles because I wanted to just fit in in high school, but when I started university, I began exploring who I am and what I like. Launching my online profile felt like a mission to be creative and also to break down stigmas and prove to the world that Muslim women are liberated and beautifully dynamic.

Upon reflection, I can acknowledge that was a lot of pressure to put on myself and mostly impossible to assume I can change everyone's prejudiced thinking on my own. But it did help me find an online community of like-minded women who have had similar experiences to me, and who are also representing their faith and exploring their creativity through fashion.

Ahead, I interview some of my favourite online creatives from around the world, who also happen to be Muslim, and are exploring modest fashion through their content. They inspire me in so many ways and I hope you can also find some inspiration in their platforms, too.