Ramadan is the most holy month of the year for practicing Muslims. The month began April 13th and concludes May 12th, the month is full of prayer, blessings, fasting, and holds a great spiritual experience for most.
During Ramadan there are many opportunities to dress up, while remaining modest. There is a special nighttime prayer during Ramadan called “taraweeh” in which Muslims will usually go to the mosque to pray.
It’s also very common for families to host dinner or “iftar” at mosques, or family gatherings by inviting their loved ones to break their fasts together.
When attending a mosque it is necessary to dress modestly, wearing the hijab is expected in the place of worship.
The hijab is a scarf covering a woman’s hair. Its purpose is to achieve modesty and divert the male gaze. In Islam, wearing the hijab is a decision that is to be made by the woman who wishes to wear it.
For me personally, hijab outfits hit different. Pulling out my modest skirts and dresses and pairing them with a beautiful hijab is an unmatched feeling. There is power in modesty.
With modest clothing in the Western world, there are not as many trends that will change and appear as often as seasonal clothing.
In recent years there has been a resurgence of modest wear in many brands and stores, this itself is a trend, but in most attempts it’s to allow modest and hijab-wearing consumers to feel more represented.
Companies like ASOS, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, H&M, and Dolce & Gabbana have all begun releasing longer, looser clothing during the month of Ramadan. The first to do this was DKNY in 2014, after the brand launched a collection capsule for Ramadan.
With these brands and media becoming more representative of Hijabi fashion, trends within the community have begun to speed up the same way mainstream fashion does.
Retired Supermodel Halima Aden had a massive impact on the representation of hijab-wearing Muslim women. However, Aden stepped down from modeling recently because she felt the photoshoots and shows she was featured in were not properly representing the hijab and her religion.
This sudden surge to represent the Muslim women has often been misunderstood and Westernized the image of the hijab.
The main goal of my own outfits when attending taraweeh or iftars is to remain trendy and fashionable while also respecting my duty to modesty.
My personal passion for style has definitely been a part of the way I view Ramadan fashion, as Ramadan is a very special time of year for many practicing Muslims.