It is winter time. That time of the year when leaving your bed in the morning becomes an ice cold bitter chore. When cities all over the world are transformed into knee deep blankets of bliss as white fluff breaks loose from the clouds. When weeks go by in a dark and gloomy manner, illuminated solely by the artificial street lamps, and christmas tree reflections in house windows. But above all winter is a time when I, along with many other women, are thankful, at every harsh wind, for the insulation and warmth our hijab provides. It sounds strange, but when winter comes, I mentally thank my hijab every minute of the day. Hence the only dilemma I am left with regarding my hijab in winter is how to wear it?

I'm not a big fan of thick materials as I find them quite suffocating. But a thin hijab in winter is my worse enemy! The cold air always seems to find its way through. The wind is also a problem in winter, it always transforms a neat hijab, into a messy mess!

So how to wear a hijab in winter, without having to suffocating in thick fabrics, without the wind destroying the look, and above all keeping within the fashion and spirit of winter.

The answer is similar to what many fashion designers, catwalks and high street shops have screamed about...

LAYERS!

The layered look is everywhere this winter. And you can get it with your hijab as well...

There is no particular way to put your hijab on. My advice would be to grab a few or your favourite hijabs, and just experiment!

(Please forgive the scariness of the blacked out face)

The above style was done with two dupattas, and a bonnetbone hat underneathe as well.

Before I go on to try and explain how I did the above, I think that I should introduce what a dupatta and bone hat it.

Dupatta is the indian/pakistani name for the long rectangular material, often used as a hijab. The word dupatta is usually used to describe the big extra material worn with shalwar kameez suits.

A Dupatta!!

Although generally the above type of material is known as a dupatta, almost all rectangle materials used as hijabs can be described as a dupatta (I have always known them as dupattas. If you have another name for the long retangle hijabs, just let me know).

Dupattas come in an entire range of sizes, from those dupattas that barely wrap around your head...to the ones that go on forever!

The bonnet/bone hat is the hat used underneath the hijab to keep it secure and hair out of the way. I don't really know why the hats are called bones. I have always presumed that it has just been abbreviated from bonnet.

It comes in many different colours and made by numerous companies.

  

The above are just a few example of different bonnets/bones. The first one is plain, and in my opinion quite secure. The second green one has a glittery affect to it, although you can't really see that in the picture. And the last one has a satin front and is the one I have used in the 'scary blacked out face' layered style. It covers the entire head and keeps hair inside the bonnet, so the style won't fall apart.

Anyway...back to the style above. I am going to try my best to explain how I have put it on. After putting on the bone, I used a shiny cream pashmina (the ones with the tassles at the ends) style dupatta.

 

The above two pictures are from the internet, but the only difference between them and the one i have used in the style, is that my one has a goldish shine to it. The material is not too thick or too thin. It is thick enough to sit on the head and thin enough to wear without feeling heavy or suffocating. I have folded it about 1/5th of the way and placed it back, securing it with a safety pin at the back. In the following picture the model has done this with the black hijab.

After putting on the cream hijab I have put a black dupatta over it in the same way. The black dupatta I used had a border along each edge, which complimented the layered look. To acheive the layers I took the long side of the black hijab and pulled it round my head again. Okay this sounds confusing. In simpler terms, it is taking the side over the head from back. (do not take it round the front).

The long cream side was then pulled out and taken around the front, over the head and pinned on to the other side.

That above description is actually my best effort, and has either confused you or given you an idea on how to put on a layered hijab. I am hoping to post a step by step picture guide soon to make it easier to understand.

I am, inshallah, going to include more pictures of layered hijabs in posts to come..:) :)

 

In my other post I mentioned the word hijab-dresser, which no doubt left a question mark over some of your heads.

What is a hijab-dresser?

Originating from middle-eastern countries, mainly Turkey, hijab-dressing has been around for many many many years. It was, and still is, a way for women to dress up without having to show their hair. 

It's actually quite difficult to describe and picture. Try to imagine a hairdresser who works with dressmaking pins and pieces of cloth, instead of bobby pins and hair. Someone I know described it as a work or art, or a bouqet, made up on a persons head.

I have been dressing my own hijab up for about three years now, and have been doing it as business from March 2010, which was around the time when it was introduced in Preston (where I live!).

Hijab-dressing has become a revolution in Preston, and other cities in the North-West. It has changed the way women dress to weddings, parties, or even just going out.

The introduction to hijab-dressing in Britian has not only created a new way for women to wear their hijab at occasions, but has also given myself an opportunity, at the age of sixteen, to open my own business. And it has been absolutely AMAZING! It has given me an opportunity to meet all different types of people, whilst doing something I love. I've put hijabs on for brides, for people who have been wearin it their whole life, for young girls, older women, and for a few people who's first ever hijab was put on by me. The experience has been completely wonderful, and will hopefully be the same, if not better, for years to come.

It's probably still difficult to picture what a dressed up hijab might look like, so here are a few pictures of hijabs, done by myself and others as well:

(Please forgive my poor efforts of trying to cut out the faces)

The above two were done by two of the same net hijabs. The hijabs were quite long, which allowed me to create the layers at the front with the edging.

The above two are bridal hijabs. The second one was actually inspired by the Turkish bridal hijabs, which are always quite intricate and full of detail.

The above pictures are of quite detailed hijabs, but some people prefer the simpler look like the following:

Well, I have lots of pictures, and lots of styles...but theres no fun in putting them all on one post. So stick around for more hijab stuffs! :)

Well...Well... Well! What's this?

A hijab blog? Created by a hijab-dresser? How strange! :p

Not stranger than a hair styling blog created by a hairdresser...I hope!

*laugh*??

Okay no laughs! *cringe*

I guess I should stop with the failed sarcasm attempts and get back to what I'm good at (well I hope I'm good enough at)...

HIJABS!

But what about hijabs?...you ask!

Well...to be quite 'precise', everything!

From fashion to feuds. Hijab is a topic discussed in all corners of the world, by different people, with different cultures and ideas. It is a statement of fashion, identity, and culture. But above all it is a representation of a muslim woman's faith.

So here goes...

Let the world or hijab unravel...:)

The hijab is her doorway to...

Hijab.

A cloth. Two cloths. Three cloths. Maybe four!

Wrapped around her head.

Covering her beautiful hair.

But why?

Why does she wish to hide herself under a veiled bubble?

Why does she enclose herself in an envelope of cloths?

....?

She's a muslim woman...that's why!

She feels secure under the cloths.

She wants to show her submission to her faith.

She wants the world to know she's a muslim.

The hijab is her doorway to freedom..! <3