SerpApi.Org
There is now a viral TikTok trend of a new way to wear the hijab. More specifically, “hijbobs.” If you ever find yourself thinking, everything’s been done before, give yourself a chance to let a girl surprise you.
A 26-year-old beauty and style creator from Michigan who goes by Zay took inspiration from a creator named Jocelyn Meiere, who posted a video of her slinking her bob back and forth. Zay took a pair of scissors to one of her headscarves, and the algorithm went to work. Her first iteration of the trend was cute, but the fabric wasn’t moving how she wanted. She did the same on a more flowy one and nailed it. The hijab style went viral—the video posted to an account with 200 followers blew up overnight. “Low key high key, I look at the video and I’m like, ‘Dang. If I had known it would go this viral, I would’ve made sure my makeup looked cuter,'” Zay tells Teen Vogue, laughing.
Zay was doing her own version of a video by the original creator who was participating in the age-old tradition of hairography, which was brought to modern mainstream consciousness, thanks to that annoying little show we know and love, Glee, with her bob. It’s almost inevitable that a hijabi would find a way to participate. It’s not uncommon that girls who wear hijab innovate style and cultural trends to meet their own needs, and the result ends up being something that didn’t really exist before. Zay sees a lot of posts replicating her hijbob, but she’s not particularly pressed to get credit or say she invented it. “I still give credit to the OG girl who posted it with the bob. Mine was a twist on hers. I honestly give her the most credit.”
But the word “hijab” is contested among different people in terms of what qualifies as modest enough to be a true hijab, and a lot of Muslims who post style and beauty content get questions and comments about their level of modesty. So Zay is quick to make a disclaimer. Even though the hijbob is a portmanteau of hijab and bob, she’s not calling it a hijab. “People keep asking me, is this a proper hijab? I say, no, it is not. It is a creative way to wear a scarf. This is just a girly pop trying to have some fun and didn’t think much of it.”
