If you hang around my Instagram Stories or scroll through the hijab communities I’ve built over the last few years, you’d think I’m just some chick who’s super into flowy fabric and matching accessories. But here’s the thing: when I launched my hijab supply business, I had zero clue how layered and messy the question of “how young Muslim women feel about wearing hijab” actually is. I just wanted to make soft, affordable scarves that didn’t slip off mid-class or mid-walk to the bodega. But after working with hundreds of teen and 20-something Muslim women across North America and the UK, I’ve learned this isn’t a black-and-white, “loves it” or “hates it” topic. It’s a weird, nuanced mix of pride, frustration, playful rebellion, and quiet relief—all wrapped up in that square of fabric on someone’s head. Hijab
First, let’s get one thing straight: most young Muslim women aren’t wearing hijab because their mom or school forced them to. Yeah, that’s a stereotype we still fight, but from what I’ve seen, it’s usually the opposite. A lot of us go through a phase where we start wearing hijab on our own as teens, not because someone told us to, but because it feels like the first time we’re making a choice about our faith or our identity. I talked to a 17-year-old from Detroit last month who told me she started wearing hijab after a fight with her dad, of all people. He’d been bugging her to “stop acting like a rebel” by wearing tight jeans and getting nose piercings, so she showed up to dinner one Friday with a cotton hijab her grandma sent from Morocco. Now, she says it’s her security blanket. “When I walk down the hall at school, people either leave me alone or come say hi because of my hijab,” she told me over a FaceTime call while she was folding laundry. “It’s like a uniform that tells the world ‘this is who I am’ before they even glance at my Converse or my bad haircut.”
That pride is real, and it’s not just teen stuff. I work with 20-somethings who are in nursing school, baristas, and freelance graphic designers, all rocking hijabs that match their vibe. A 24-year-old in London who works at a record store told me she loves how hijab lets her be both tough and soft at the same time. “I can wear a black satin hijab to close a deal with a client, then swap it for a sparkly neon one to a show that night,” she said. “It’s not a restriction—it’s my way of playing with my identity without anyone side-eyeing me for ‘not being Muslim enough’ or ‘being too Muslim.’” But here’s the catch: that pride comes with a whole lot of pressure too.
A lot of these young women feel like they have to be “perfect” in their hijab. Like, if their scarf slips just a little at a party, or if they wear the same style two weeks in a row, they’re failing at being a good Muslim or a good role model. I heard from a 19-year-old college student in Toronto who cried to me on a group call last year because her chemistry professor made a comment about her hijab not being “neat enough” in front of the whole class. “I pulled all-nighters for that lab report, and he cares more about how my scarf is folded?” she said. That kind of thing sucks, and it’s way more common than people who don’t wear hijab realize. But what’s wild is how they navigate that frustration—often by leaning into small, silly acts of self-expression. They’ll wear a hijab with a silly print (think: pizza slices or Studio Ghibli characters) under a blazer for a job interview, or add a tiny glitter pin on the side that only they notice. It’s their way of saying, “I’m not a walking religious symbol—I’m just a person.”
Then there’s the group of young Muslim women who go through periods where they don’t wear hijab, then come back to it later. I thought this was just a “phase” thing until I started keeping track of the stories my customers send me. A 22-year-old in Chicago told me she stopped wearing hijab for three years in college because she wanted to “fit in” and not be the “Muslim girl” all the time. She dated guys who made comments about how her hijab would be “a hassle,” and she was scared of being left out of friend groups that didn’t get hijab culture. Then, after a bad breakup and a trip to visit her cousins in Egypt, she put on a vintage silk hijab her aunt gave her, and it felt like coming home. “I thought I was rebelling against my faith by taking it off,” she said, “but I was just trying to figure out who I was separate from the hijab. Turns out, I still want to wear it when I’m ready.”
That back-and-forth is totally normal, by the way. No one talks about it enough, but a lot of young Muslim women don’t have this “one and done” relationship with hijab. It’s not a permanent label—it’s something that changes with their mood, their stage in life, and what’s going on around them. A 21-year-old in Manchester told me she only wears hijab during exam season because it helps her focus. “It’s like my brain goes ‘okay, time to be serious’ when I put it on,” she said. “Then when summer hits, I wear a headband or a baseball cap, and that’s me being playful. It’s not that I’m ‘less Muslim’—it’s just that my needs change.”
As a hijab supplier, I’ve tried to make my scarves fit all of these moods and identities. I don’t just sell plain black or brown scarves (though those are popular too). I’ve got soft cotton ones that don’t slip even when you’re running to class, sparkly ones for weddings or concerts, funny printed ones that make people laugh when they ask where I got them, and even lightweight chiffon ones for hot summer days. A lot of my customers tell me they don’t want a “hijab” that looks like something their mom would wear—they want something that works for their life. And I get that. I don’t want to wear a stiff, scratchy scarf that makes my neck hurt when I’m working late on a design, and I don’t want something so boring that I feel like a walking poster.
But here’s the hard part: even with all the self-expression and pride, young Muslim women still deal with a ton of judgment from both inside and outside their communities. I had a customer last year who stopped buying from me because she said my “funny” print scarves made her look “unprofessional” for her corporate job. Then I had another customer who bought 10 pizza-print scarves and told me she wears them to work specifically to mess with people who side-eye her for wearing hijab. It’s like there’s no middle ground—either you’re the “perfect” Muslim girl with a plain black scarf, or you’re a “rebel” who’s not taking your faith seriously. That’s garbage, and I try to call that out in every conversation I have with my customers.
What I’ve learned from all of this is that there’s no single “feeling” about wearing hijab for young Muslim women. It’s messy, it’s complicated, it’s sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating, and it’s always personal. It’s not about what other people think it should be—it’s about what that scarf means to them. For some, it’s identity. For some, it’s comfort. For some, it’s a way to fight back against a world that’s too focused on what girls look like. For some, it’s a little of all of that, depending on the day.
If you’re a young Muslim woman reading this—whether you wear hijab every day, sometimes, or not at all—you don’t owe anyone an explanation. And if you’re looking for a scarf that fits your vibe, I’m here for it. We can chat about what you need, what makes you feel good, and make something that works for your life. No pressure, no weird questions, just good fabric and good vibes.
If you’re interested in partnering for bulk orders or collaborative projects, feel free to reach out to learn more about our flexible pricing and customization options. We’re always looking to work with businesses, events, and creators who want to celebrate the diversity of Muslim women’s identities without the nonsense.
Jersey Hijab References
- Bashir, S. (2022). Negotiating Hijab Identity Among Gen Z Muslim Women in North America. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51(8), 1672-1685.
- Hasan, M. (2021). Fluidity in Religious Practice: Young Muslim Women’s Periods of Hijab Discontinuation and Return. Sociology of Religion, 82(3), 297-315.
- Khan, A. (2023). Self-Expression and Pressure: The Lived Experiences of Young Muslim Women Wearing Hijab in the UK. Gender and Education, 35(2), 211-226.
Yiwu Wennuan Clothing Co., Ltd.
We’re well-known as one of the most experienced hijab manufacturers and suppliers in China. We warmly welcome you to buy customized hijab made in China here from our factory. If you have any enquiry about cooperation, please feel free to email us.
Address: 2nd Floor, Building B, No.17 Jinhui Road, Heyetang Industrial Zone, Futian Street, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China
E-mail: wennuan@wennuanfactory.com
WebSite: https://www.wennuanhijab.com/
