WHY I WEAR HIJAB – MODEST FASHION Q&A
Asalamualaikum! Today’s post is a little different from the others because I am collaborating with Zaynab Ansari, a fashion marketing and management student at university. She contacted me to help her with her with her research project by answering a few questions on the topic of modest fashion and why I wear hijab.
1.) WHAT DOES MODEST FASHION MEAN TO YOU?
In my opinion, I feel like it is the best way to dress. There is a lot of wisdom behind dressing in a modest manner. All of the clothing that I wear is very loose, comfortable, and ergonomic. As a result, I don’t have to deal with the struggles of having to wear tight or restrictive clothing. In addition to that, dressing modestly is a requirement of my religion. As a female Muslim, I have to cover everything except for my hands, feet, and face.
2.) HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DRESSING MODESTLY?
Overall, I would say that the hijab makes me feel really classy! Ever since I started wearing the hijab and dressing in a modest manner, I feel like I have become more in tune with my true self. Visually, I have become a better representation of the woman I want to eventually become, Inshallah.
I feel like my hijab is a declaration to world, saying that I am a Muslim in America, and this is who I am. It is a statement, saying that I am a confident female that doesn’t feel the need to show off my body to feel attractive. It simplifies my life and I love the way I dress. I never have to worry about small things, like whether my legs “look good”, or if I can fit into a dress. I wear my clothes in a way that is still stylish but follows the guidelines that I want to abide by.
3.) DO YOU THINK HIGH STREET STORES CATER TO MODEST DRESSERS?
I would say that most high street stores do not think of the modest dresser as their main consumer base. There are definitely certain articles of clothing from stores that I can add to my wardrobe, but overall, it seems that many brands feel sufficient without catering to my consumer base. At the moment, I do know that a few companies are looking to serve the modest fashion customer. DKNY released a Ramadan last year and this year, MANGO released a collection as well. I would say that high street stores are slowly moving towards serving my type of customer, but it is still in the baby stages at the moment.
4.) WHAT DO YOU THINK HIGH STREET STORES CAN DO TO CATER TO PEOPLE WHO DRESS MODESTLY?
The first thing I would recommend for any high street hoping to serve the modest fashion market, is to create clothes that actually cover the body. Every time I enter a store, I see a lot of clothing that doesn’t serve me as a customer. If they started manufacturing clothes without cutouts, sheer fabric, etc. then it would attract my consumer base.
In addition, I would recommend that brands would need to do research what the modest fashion dresser is looking for. Not every person in this target market is Muslim. If a high street store decides to cater to this category of people, a lot of research needs to be made to see just what steps need to be taken in order to appeal to my customer base.
Lastly, I’d say that if a high street store decided to release a clothing line that was meant for my target audience, it would benefit them to advertise in a way that appeals to my type of people. I think that the efforts would benefit the high street store because if the target audience is even aware of the existence of the clothing line, then no one will purchase it.
5.) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ZARA LAUNCHING A CLOTHING LINE FOR WOMEN WHO WANT TO DRESS MODESTLY?
Overall, I think that it is really great. It is a recognition of the fact that the people who want to dress modestly exist. As a modest dresser, I find it difficult to go to stores and find clothing that I actually like. It’s become a lot easier now, more that ever, because there are a lot of modest clothing businesses opening up. However, I would say that it’s only been recent that I’ve seen this sort of business activity going on. I think its amazing that Zara wants to serve a consumer base looking for clothing that covers the body in a modest manner. They profit from the exchange, and in return, the modest dressers get to wear beautiful clothes.
I hope you enjoyed this Q&A! Make sure to leave a comment down below if you have anything to say. Also, if you enjoy this type of content, feel free to subscribe to my channel and newsletter.