5 Eco-Friendly Fashion Tips For Every Hijabi

As 'green' Muslim women we don’t just have the responsibility to guard our modesty but also to protect our environment. 'Covering' is a phrase Gos uses in the Quran to mean both preserve the earth, and protect one's chastity. How do we accomplish both?

I feel no other religion puts as much stress on personal and social protection of the environment as Islam does; there are a number of Quran verses on the environment which is the reason why the world needs more and more eco-hijabis too.

Here are 5 simple fashion tips that we can easily adopt as a part of our everyday lifestyle and help play our part in keeping the Earth green and beautiful!

#5- Thrifty is the New Black
Islam teaches us to be moderate in consumption and this applies to shopping as well, so there’s no need to splash out on things that we don’t really need.

Make it a rule to never ever throw away old hijabs. In order not to spend too much on buying new hijabs and outfits, we can even set a monthly or yearly shopping limit for ourselves. And when we do need to buy new ones, we can try some second hand items first. This of course means visiting thrift stores regularly, so we’d better take a look at some effective ways to convince family to buy from thrift stores for more guidance on the topic.

#4- Be Creative
If you are into creating new things then there’s a huge range of DIY Hijab activities (see Aquila) in which you can use old hijabs to create new and useful things:

Furnishings, cushion covers, serviettes, children's clothes.

Bring some good usage out of all those old hijabs that you’ve stored in your wardrobe. What’s the point of just storing all the items which you love but don’t use anymore? So get crafty today and start upcycling today.

#3- Always Recycle Your Old Hijabs
For those sisters who are not that much after DIY, there are still a number of other ways to go green with any hijab outfits. We can always use our hijabs for as long as possible, instead of rushing to the shop to get new ones. If there are any hijabs in good condition that we no longer use, then we can try Hijab Swap events or gift them to someone in need.

#2- Wash Responsibly
Unless you live in extremely hot and humid weather, we can wear one hijab for almost a week without the need of washing it (keep your hair clean!) Washing hijabs the right way is not just an eco-friendly habit, but it also ensures that they look good and new for a longer period.

Hand-washing hijabs with cold water takes only a few minutes, so there is no need to use the machine for that. I only wash my hijabs once a week and it never takes more than five minutes. Use detergent, leftover shampoo or homemade soap.

If you still want to use the washing machine, then remember to wash as many at a time as you can and add just a pinch of detergent (preferably eco-friendly one) as it will be more than enough to clean your hijabs. After you are done washing them, don’t waste energy on tumble drying or ironing to dry them, instead just let them hang outdoors for drying and there’ll hardly ever be the need to iron them.
Image + wiki

#1- Choose Wisely
As eco-friendly hijabis, we need to be extremely careful when making a choice about what we wear. When buying new headscarves, invest in hijabs that are made of natural or recycled materials. Recycled bottles may sound like an extreme example, but – believe it or not – there are already green hijabs made from bottles!

Also, I believe we should always try to buy different hijabs in multiple colours or prints that would go with most of our outfits, rather than a scarf in every colour. I usually avoid buying white hijabs as I feel they fade out too soon, but they too add up a fresh touch to our look and are generally universal in style.

Once we make these tips a regular habit, we can celebrate every day as Earth day. If you feel there are any other green fashion tips left out, simply share them below. We will all benefit from hearing from other eco-friendly hijabis! Above all though, stay safe and keep enjoying the beauty of this awesome planet!

About the author
Sarah is a happy muslimah who is passionate about modern, yet modest Islamic clothing for women. She is always on the lookout for the latest trends and styles, and she always advocates green ideas and choices. She shares her expertise at Modanisa.

Main image + Jakarta Post