Indonesian Muslim Fashion: Styles & Designs (original) (raw)

Religiously Fashionable: Constructing Identity of Urban Muslimah in Indonesia

The rise of hijabers community in various major cities in Indonesia has led to a new identity of Muslimah (Muslim women) in urban areas. By focusing on Hijabers Community Bandung (HCB), this paper outlines the facts about how this community responds to modernity and globalization in a positive way by creating its own global tastes. The inventions of styles those adjusted with the Islamic values generally showed the phenomenon of hijab transformation as a symbol of modernity which was implicated in the emergence of new identities of urban Muslimah. Using participant observation and in-depth interview, this study reveals several things, among others; First, HCB members have attempted to construct their identity by means of legitimizing identity, resistance identity and projecting identity. Second, HCB proves that their existence is not only manifested through the appearance, but also the implementation of a number of socio-religious activities. Third, HCB demonstrates that wearing hijab is part of a symbolic communication over ideological identity, community affiliation, and social status. In general, the identity of urban Muslimah that constructed by HCB are those are accommodated modern culture without leaving their identity as Muslimah. INTRODUCTION The word " hijab " is culturally as well as historically, comes from the Arabic terms and lexically meaning curtains, barriers, and something which limit between two things. Functionally, the hijab is also translated as " cap, wrap, curtain, veil, screens, partitions, screens, walls or coverings " (El-Guindi, 2006: 250). When a Muslimah wears a hijab, she aims to cover her beauty from the sight of others besides her husband and relatives. So, wearing hijab is basically aimed at covering their aurat (part of the body that forbidden to be seen) as one of the fundamental teachings of Islam. Scientifically, hijab itself refers to the procedures of how to wear an appropriate dress in accordance with the guidance of religion (Islam). There are a number of terms that have the same meaning as the word hijab. In Arabic repertory during the Prophet time, women's clothing was known in several terms, among others: khimar, a special clothing that covers head; dir', a special clothing that covers body; niqab and burqa, special clothing that covers the face area except the eyes; idzar, seamless clothing that covers all body to the toe; rida', outer clothing that covers the upper body to the toes; and the jilbab that covers the outside of the head (Umar, 1996: 36-37). There is also a term satr that means clothing which often worn by jurists (Muthahhari, 2003: 2). Hijab is also sociological. The meaning of hijab depends on where a woman lives, their context, and how they tried to define themselves. The general term hijab in the Middle East means separating or dividing walls which later evolved into covering the entire women's body, while in Indonesia, hijab has different meaning and interpretations. In 1980s and 1990s, the term hijab previously known as jilbab or veil. Jilbab is clothing to cover the entire female body except for their face and palms (Shihab, 2004: ix). Jilbab is also a formation and affirmation of religious identity (Al-Guindi, 2006: 167) and was considered a symbol of fashion of fringe and worn only on events

Hijabers: Fashion Trend for Moslem Women in Indonesia

International Conference on Trends in Social Sciences and Humanities (TSSH-2015) , 2015

Trend of wearing hijab is booming in Indonesia nowadays. Many Muslimah women attract to change their conventional way of dressing into the up-to-date one. They can't deny that this trend also motivate them to change their style. Even, some of them still keep the old fashion style but the other eager to follow the trend. This writing is focussed to reveal the trend of Hijabers in Indonesia by showing one community named Hijabers Community (HC) based in Jakarta. The way this community do the positive action really give influences for the women. The writer will show this trend as a part of cultural studies which is fit with the era, globalization and modernity. The young Muslimah prefer wear hijab with modern and new style, follow the trend but still keep wearing hijab as the syariah ask to do. The style that they follow still lead them to be good Muslimah without leaving the Koran and Hadist. Theory of identity and fashion will be used to analize this article. The method of close reading and library research is applied in this research. Finally, the writer found that Hijabers Community has constructed values according to their own veil. There is a shift in the value of the veil itself. Hijab first and now has a different meaning. If the first to wear the Hijab is a symbol of female obedience to the teachings of their religion, while wearing Hijab has now become a way of life of its own. Muslim fashion is growing rapidly and emerging models are nice, stylish, and fashionable.

Islamic Fashion

When I relocated to Kuwait in 2008 I was struck by the number of Western women I encountered who wore hijab. I was curious about the circumstances that led them to not only transform their spiritual beliefs but to hand on a new culture and dress. A great deal has been written about the factors influencing religious conversion, but I was more interested in the reasons women from the West, where fashion is often central to a woman's identity, would willingly accept limitations to their sartorial options. I identified and interviewed eight Western women living in Kuwait whose lives had been dramatically changed by their encounters with Islam. Not all of the women interviewed had converted to Islam, though seven of the eight did. One woman, Lynda, gave up her life in the US, moved to Kuwait and married into a Muslim, Pakastani family, but remains strongly Christian. Nor did all of the women marry. Rashida did convert to Islam but has not yet married and is looking for a Muslim husband. Finally, one woman, Mickey, reluctantly converted to Islam when she became the second wife of a Kuwaiti Muslim physician. The remaining five women all converted to Islam and are married to Muslim men. All eight women were baptized Christians and raised in Western, Christian households, though one woman, Mickey, is from South Africa. I began the interviewing process with 38 interview questions which I asked each woman, but as their stories evolved I adapted my inquiries to their interests and experiences.

The Passion of Jilbab : Socio-Cultural Transformation of Indonesian Muslim Women

In modern Indonesian society, the number of wearer of jilbab as Islamic veil is growing significantly. The veil has now been worn by all segments of Indonesian women, whereas in the 1970s it is only used by teenagers in school hours. Furthermore, the veil has become a daily outfit of women politicians, bank workers and even the artists. With this florescene, various modes of veiling evolve and veil boutiques are popping up in major cities in Indonesia. Various names then appear from slang to shar'i veil, i.e. in line with Islamic law, given the diverse groups wear veil with different style. In its development the veil is even featured in the fashion show. As wearing veil is assumed to relate to religious injunction, the increasing number of its users is associated with an increase in public religious observance. Islamization of life is taking place in society, although not in the fundamentalistic or radicalistic pattern. Post secularism may be appropriate concept to describe this phenomenon. However, it is argued that this growing use of veil has no relation with religiosity, since it is just a part of modern life of Indonesian women. Nevertheless, wearing jilbab constitutes important cultural change occurring among Indonesian Muslim women. This paper is to describe the development of wearing veil among modern Muslim woman in Indonesia, questioning whether or not it is related to the religious consciousness of the wearer.

The Formalisation of Islamic Attire THE FORMALISATION OF ISLAMIC ATTIRE

2016

Abstract: This study examines the formalisation of Islamic attire among Minangkabau people – particularly among school students in Padang, West Sumatra – in the spirit of the regional autonomy of post-Soeharto Indonesia. It focuses on the conceptualisation and enforcement of the Mayor’s policy concerning Islamic attire for students in the Mayoral Decree (No. 451.422/2005) in line with the rampant Shari> ̀ ah-influenced by-laws throughout West Sumatra. I argue that the formalisation of Islamic attire has been unproductive in terms of promoting Islamic precepts because veiling is an ever-contested concept within the complex Muslim social structure. The imposition of this ‘contested concept ’ has led to veiling becoming an ‘imposed choice ’ that has assumed a formal meaning as proper religious attire for the wearer. Instead of enhancing religious awareness, the imposition of Islamic attire on students in public schools has failed to encourage a personal awareness of religious and cu...

Formats, Fabrics, and Fashions: Muslim Headscarves Revisited

Material Religion:popularizing islam: muslims and materiality, 2012

Changes in the sartorial practices of Dutch-Turkish women who wear Muslim headscarves may be summarized as a shift from sober, religiously inspired forms of dress towards colorful, more fashionable styles. A focus on the materiality of headscarves indicates, however, that the relation between Islam, dress, and fashion is more complex. The main motivation for the women to adopt headscarves, including the fashionable ones, is religious. They do so because they consider it a practice prescribed in the foundational Islamic texts and because presenting a pleasant, up-to-date look can be considered as a form of visual da'wa. At the same time, however, wearing particular styles of fashionable headscarves also performs other, non-religious, identities and forms of belonging, such as those pertaining to status, ethnicity, and professionalism. This is evident in how fabrics (such as silk) and shapes of headscarves (square or rectangular) matter. An investigation of headscarves as particular items of dress is, in turn, helpful to understand the limits of a focus on aesthetic styles and fashion. The headscarf format makes these items of dress easy to acquire and hard to discard, because they are often received as gifts. A woman's attachment to particular headscarves-materializing social relations and functioning as souvenirs-goes beyond aesthetic styles and mitigates the force of fashion.

Reviewing The Literature on Multiple Themes of Islamic Attire Practice Among Muslim Women

Journal of Fatwa Management and Research

Islam calls upon its men and women believer to preserve their chastity, in which one of the ways to achieve it is through proper clothing that covers their aurah. Various Quranic verses and prophetic traditions provide guidelines about how one should cover their aurah. Nevertheless, Islam does not specify the type of clothing to be worn, affirming that that any clothes are permissible, as long as it follows the guidelines of aurah covering. Even though it is undisputable that it is a religious commandment in Islam for its believer to dress in a manner that their aurah is not revealed, the fact is that nowadays, many other themes other than religion are layering Islamic attire practice among Muslim women whether it is hijab, jibab, abaya, or any other Islamic apparel. This article aims to review literatures related to the practice of Islamic attire among Muslim women within the last 10 years, focusing on the themes accompanying it among Muslim women around the world. Official-based a...

The Formalisation of Islamic Attire in Padang, West Sumatra

JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN ISLAM, 2009

This study examines the formalisation of Islamic attire among Minangkabau people-particularly among school students in Padang, West Sumatra-in the spirit of the regional autonomy of post-Soeharto Indonesia. It focuses on the conceptualisation and enforcement of the Mayor's policy concerning Islamic attire for students in the Mayoral Decree (No. 451.422/2005) in line with the rampant Shari>ah-influenced by-laws throughout West Sumatra. I argue that the formalisation of Islamic attire has been unproductive in terms of promoting Islamic precepts because veiling is an ever-contested concept within the complex Muslim social structure. The imposition of this 'contested concept' has led to veiling becoming an 'imposed choice' that has assumed a formal meaning as proper religious attire for the wearer. Instead of enhancing religious awareness, the imposition of Islamic attire on students in public schools has failed to encourage a personal awareness of religious and cultural identity in them.