OverDressed for Life

Ensemble by Itang Yunasz displayed as part of the Contemporary Muslin exhibit, de Young Museum, fall 2018.

Last fall when I attended the exhibit Contemporary Muslim Fashions at the de Young Museum, I began to wonder if elements of what we were seeing on display would crossover into mainstream fashion. In particular, the hijab.

Sure enough, headscarves are all over the pages of recent fashion magazines. Perhaps not exact copies of the hijab but there is an echo.

Headscarf by JW Anderson as seen in Vogue, February 2019.

The headscarf is a natural progression since scarves in general have been in fashion for quite some time as a year-round accessory worn around the neck. Also, it’s an easy baby step into modest dressing, if designers have any thoughts of going in that direction.

Beautiful designs by Khanaan Luqman Shamlan at Contemporary Muslim Fashions,

Ensemble by Givenchy in Vogue, February 2019. Note that the model is pretty well covered up, too.

Although headscarves are nothing new, they were a mid-century staple for Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Queen Elizabeth among others. But its been awhile since they were in vogue and this time around the look is a bit different, perhaps influenced by the chic yet still modest hijab.