90s Beaded Hijab Trend Captivates Gen Z Fashion Enthusiasts
By Atira Khalisha Nor Adnan
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Shawls or scarves adorned with intricate bead embroidery along the edges evoke nostalgic memories of the hijab trend that was widely popular among mothers in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Surprisingly, beaded hijabs, including those featuring beads on the 'awning' section, once deemed outdated, have made a striking comeback in the fashion world. Social media influencers like Dahlia Rizal, Sofea Shra, and Nurul Ellyna have breathed new life into this classic style on their platforms, establishing themselves as trendsetters in the process.
By posting numerous pictures and tutorial videos, these influencers have successfully proven that this hijab style can create an elegant and timeless look for wearers.
TikTok influencer Aida Razman, initially hesitant to embrace the heavily beaded hijab trend out of concern it might not suit her, soon had a change of heart and fell in love with its classic design.
“At first, I saw two people on social media wearing beaded hijabs, one of them being Dahlia Rizal. I thought it looked stunning, especially because Dahlia, who’s naturally beautiful, was wearing it. Then I saw someone else style it, and it looked equally lovely, so I decided to give it a try,” Aida shared.
“This type of hijab was popular during our mothers’ era, so we didn’t really experience the trend and its hype back then. But now that we’re older and it’s gone viral, we finally get to join the trend,” Aida, who is in her 20s, told Bernama recently.
As she scrolled through the comments section on her posts, many followers expressed regret for discarding their beaded hijabs, believing they were outdated and no longer fashionable.
The Selangor-based TikTok influencer, who has over 460,000 followers, explained that besides styling it with more modern tying techniques, the improved designs of the bead embellishments, which appear more appealing than before, have contributed to the trend’s resurgence.
“Some of the older designs, like those our grandmothers wore, were already beautiful, but now they’re even more attractive for the younger generation. Another thing is, this type of hijab tends to be a bit sheer, so people might have been hesitant to try it. However, in my tutorials, I pair it with an inner neck cover, so you don’t have to wrap it multiple times to ensure proper coverage. This has shown people that it can actually meet modesty requirements, and now they’re eager to try it too,” she said.
Aida, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Management from Universiti Utara Malaysia, emphasised how modern styling techniques can breathe new life into this classic item.
Sharing a similar view, Nur Liyana Mohd Tajudin, better known as Nana Tajudin on TikTok, prefers pairing the versatile beaded hijab with abayas, as she finds it to be the perfect combination.
“Other outfits besides abayas can also pair well with beaded hijabs, as long as you style them properly and match them with the right ensemble. But your makeup has to be on point too,” said the 22-year-old, who has 377,000 followers on TikTok under the username @nanatjdnn.
Nur Liyana, who is the youngest of three siblings, expressed her happiness at receiving positive feedback from followers who admired the beauty of the beaded hijabs, inspiring more women to start wearing them as part of modest dressing.
Meanwhile, Asma Husna Ahmad Asmadi, the founder of Sahara Scarves and one of the first to introduce bead-themed hijabs, did not expect the hijabs she began selling in January last year to go viral and quickly become a favourite among young people.
Asma Husna, also popularly known as Sahara Husna by her customers, began wearing her mother’s beaded hijabs around 2017 to events like weddings and special occasions such as Eid, as she loved the unique style.
“I started planning to sell them in 2023 but only launched them early last year. Coincidentally, I set up a booth at the Absolute Bazaar festival during the Eid season, and they sold out quickly because at the time, no one else was selling them,” she said.
Priced at RM199 each, her beaded hijabs quickly gained popularity.
The 29-year-old designer said most of her hijab designs are inspired by Pinterest, noting that the positive feedback she has received from customers over the past year has fuelled her motivation to create more exclusive beaded hijab designs.
-- BERNAMA