Hijab
The hijab is an Arabic term meaning "curtain" or "barrier," and it refers to a garment worn by some Muslim women to cover their hair and maintain modesty. It is rooted in Islamic principles of modesty and is often seen as a reflection of personal identity and values. The hijab goes beyond just a headscarf; it represents a lifestyle choice that embodies dignity and self-awareness. Many women choose to wear it as a conscious decision to express their faith and commitment to modesty.
1. en.wikipedia.org
Hijab - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijab
2. muslimamericansociety.org
Why Do Muslim Women Wear Hijab? - Muslim American Society
https://muslimamericansociety.org/why-do-muslim-women-wear-hijab/
3. www.understandinghijab.com
What is the meaning of Hijab?
https://www.understandinghijab.com/2025/10/what-is-meaning-of-hijab.html
4. www.understandinghijab.com
What is the real purpose of wearing the hijab?
https://www.understandinghijab.com/2025/06/what-is-real-purpose-of-wearing-hijab.html
5. www.britannica.com
Hijab | Definition, Meaning, Veiling, & Characteristics | Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/topic/hijab
The word Hijab is sometimes used to generally describe a Muslim woman's modest dress. More specifically, it refers to a square or rectangular piece of fabric that is folded, placed over the head, and fastened under the chin as a headscarf. Depending on the style and location, this may also be called a shaylah or tarhah.
Here is a video about Hijab vs no hijab. Presumably, she means modest attire generally, not just the head covering.
Modest Muslim clothes doesn't mean these women are oppressed. It means their sexuality is a private matter for their own enjoyment and that of their husband. Not for your casual consumption as an acquaintance or stranger in their physical presence.
Middle Eastern men I've spoken with are astonished at the idea that a woman wouldn't enjoy sex. They don't seem to use their women as sex objects the way some Western men do.
To a large degree, modest Hijab attire is more in line with business casual dress codes than most Western women's wear. I worked at a Fortune 500 company for five years and had to conform to a business casual dress code and it was insanely challenging to find tops that actually covered my cleavage.
And I'm not particularly busty.
I happen to have plans to create a head covering for purposes of warmth that is likely to work as a hijab. It's based on something I used to wear in Germany and Kansas to keep warm in very cold weather.
I'm not really trying to design clothes for devout Islamic women. I'm trying to design clothes my mother would approve of and which I like and find physically comfortable and pretty but not trashy.
My mother was descended from German nobility and was strict about some things similar to the rules for British royalty. It's happenstance that what I want to make is easily tweaked to fit Islamic expectations for modest attire.
If you're Western and you work with a modest Muslim woman, maybe you should ask her where she shops. Because if you get past your prejudice, she's probably more closely conforming to the dress code than you are.
And if no one is reprimanding you, it may say they don't really care because you are going nowhere fast. Because rest assured when I accidentally caught the eye of top people in my department, they were extremely unhappy when I sometimes failed to meet dress code while other women showed up dressed like prostitutes repeatedly in the same trashy outfit and no one cared.