Islam and Fashion in a Transnational Context

Allison Brooke Yates 
Student, Indiana University 

Ms. Yates explains how a group of Muslim women living in the United States interpret Muslim fashion. She interviewed those women, as well as Muslim women who are active bloggers in the fashion world. They call themselves “Hijabistas” rather than “Fashionistas” – this is in reference to the hijab, the scarf or veil that covers the head, and sometimes the chest, that Muslin women wear to conform to an Islamic standard of modesty for post-puberty women. Ms. Yates studied how the women discussed modesty, fashion, and Islam; style, empowerment, and identity; and being an American. 

Recorded: May 1, 2014