What Is The Best Way To Wear A Patterned Hijab?

The hijab is a very versatile garment that can be worn in a variety of different ways and can be made from several different materials of various colours and designs.

Because the focus of a hijab is what it does as opposed to what it looks like, there are a lot of beautiful designs out there, incorporating bright solid colours, textures and patterns to suit the personal preference of anyone wearing one.

The golden rule to wearing a patterned hijab is the same as any other striking garment; the bolder it is, the more difficult it is to style an outfit around it. 

Whilst you can wear any hijab you like as long as you feel comfortable and it prioritises modesty, here are some top tips when wearing patterns.

One Pattern Per Outfit

A pattern is a striking, sharp accent that tends to dominate an outfit, so if you wear a pattern, it should be the only one in your overall look.

It can be quite difficult, therefore, to match a patterned hijab with a blouse or pair of trousers with a similarly busy look. The result is a pattern mismatch that works far less often than it does not.

Because of this, it is best to stick to plain clothes with a patterned hijab, ideally with softer shades.

Choose Two Colours And Stick To Them

An outfit will inevitably revolve around its most striking piece, and every other article of clothing will be shaped around the colours in its patterns.

If you choose to wear a floral dress, for example, your shoes, accessories and hijab should match the colours of the design, and this is also true when the hijab is the main pattern in your outfit.

Most outfits should follow a two colour rule plus an extra colour for accessories; if your hijab has more than two main colours, pick the two most striking, with maybe a third for bracelets and other accessories.

Match Your Accessories

On the subject of accessories, you have a lot of leeway when it comes to choosing handbags, shoes, bangles or other acceptable pieces of jewellery, but if you are going to choose an extra colour to accessorise, it should ideally be the same one.

Because accessories tend to be relatively small and unobtrusive, this is not as vital a style guideline as avoiding colour and pattern mismatches; if you have a ring with a particularly vibrant stone that you would ordinarily wear, you do not have to take it off if it does not match your hijab.

Other than this, neutral shades always work with accessories, as do gold, silver and rose gold.

Subtlety Is Easier To Match

Some patterns, colours and textures are far easier to pair an outfit with than others, so the guidelines above tend to be more or less important based on how subtle the pattern is.

There are some patterns that only use one colour and rely on texture, softness and loosely reflective materials in order to create a distinctive look. These will go with anything, a solid colour hijab would go with.

On the other hand, a bright hijab that relies on neon colours is as difficult to create an outfit out of as a similarly garish shirt or dress, so bear that in mind when choosing your look.