Hijabs of Summer: Cotton and Chiffon are Your Friends

Salam wa aleikum, akhawati! 

Summer is here and so is the time to find out how to pick a hijab that will keep you cool and dry on the hottest of days.

Let’s talk about the three most important decisions for picking your summer scarves: color, underscarf, and material.

Colors

If you’re going to be in the sun, skip the dark shades. Push your blacks and browns aside and find all your neutrals — I’m talking your greys, whites, beiges, blushes, creams, and even your pistachios. Don’t be afraid of lighter blues or softer purples if you prefer staying under your beach umbrella!

Underscarves

If you are wearing an underscarf, you have to pay attention to color and material twice over. If you switch up your underscarves and have different styles in reserve, your lace underscarves may provide the most breathability, although you need to make sure the material won’t get scratchy if you sweat through it. A nice cotton bandana will also keep you smiling through heat! Tied back, tube, and headband bonnets will be the most comfortable if they are made out of cotton jersey or cotton lawn because they will absorb sweat. For those wearing full underscarf or ninja inner underscarf, please stay away from thick materials (see below) and stick to nude colors! 

Material

This summer, cotton and chiffon will be fighting for your attention. Chiffon is a fabric usually made from polyester or silk and is both lightweight and sheer, giving us the airy feel we need. They give you a great drape and clean, sophisticated look. However, if you are not wearing an underscarf, you may find yourself adjusting throughout the day, as the material can be slippery. The same can be said for georgette hijabs, although they are typically thicker than chiffon. 

As I said with the underscarves, most forms of cotton will be both breathable and absorbent. Cotton jersey is a standard material for scarves. If you are a sun baby like me, aka plan on being active this summer or love sports or swimming, then the jersey hijab is the perfect fit! Normally a mixture of polyester/cotton and spandex, this fabric is relatively non-slip and great for movement. And, if you’re as obsessed with the pin-less turban look as I am, a cotton hijab will help make sure those scarf ends stay in place without making the extra fabric on your head seem like the weight of the world. Linen, while it does tend to wrinkle, is another very strong and absorbent material that dries faster than cotton...it also doesn’t hurt that it’s trending this year.

So, to recap, chiffon, georgette, cotton, and linen fabrics are your friend. Fully satin, silk, and scarves with high percentages of nylon should be shoved to the back of the closet until Fall. Now that you’re getting your summer wear out, maybe you want to change  up your look? If you need some ideas, take a look at our other blog post: ‘5 Cute Hijab Styles to Freshen Up Your Look’ and catch us with our new line of nail polish designed with you and your scarf wardrobe in mind.