Jilbab (part 2): Types of Jilbabs

The Busy Brain found out that there are several styles of jilbabs or hijabs.  I specially made the time to photo-hunt the jilbabers in Jakarta, taken in one big hypermarket (in which the security came and told me not to take pictures, haha) and Cilandak Square, having coffee with my assistant in Coffee Bean.  One of the picture is also from a friend, who is aware of me writing this article (thanks, Man).

The "All My Body is Covered" jilbab

 I will start with what I will call The Correct Jilbab. This is when you cover the head, neck, chest, no shape of legs, so basically you are shapeless (i.e. no curves seen).  I had to wait for quite a while for this type to appear; apparently this type is not that popular.  Like this women that I captured wearing black jilbab, greying long sleeved T-Shirt, black long dress.  Completely covered except her face, but not showing curves at all.  So this is to me the correct one, for base of this article. This is also consistant with not challenging a man’s libido.  I think, but men is men.  Some of them can even get aroused by toes…! 

"You can't see my shoulder" Jilbab

The next one is where you cover your head and shoulders, but but still can see part of the chest.  Usually this comes with loose shirts or dress.   So it is a “You can’t see my shoulders Jilbab”.  This kind is also rare during the photo-hunting but usually moslem school girls wear this type with their uniforms.  The Busy Brain only managed to get one shot of a pregnant woman wearing this type of jilbab.  The other type is “You can still see my shoulders” type.  This one also comes with lose shirt, the “baju kurung” or “daster” type, or with trousers.  This is pretty common among older women.

It is not revealing and doesn’t show the curves of the body (which is an advantage for those who likes to eat J-co doughnuts!).

"You can see my shoulders" Jilbab

Another type I found was the “You can see my neck” Jilbab.  This is literally you can still see the whiteness of the neck of the user.  I am a bit confused whether this could be included as jilbab, it is more like a head cover, like “kerudung”. 

 

"You can see the neck" Jilbab

 

The next type is more common, the “You can see my breast” and “You can see my curves” jilbabs.  This is the most common ones you see in the malls.  This is interesting because it seems to distort the aim of wearing the jilbab itself.  I captured a lot of them.  These also comes with the “pinhead” model, where the head cover is really tight and goes down to the neck.  Sometimes the material is tucked inside the shirt, makes one look like a turtle.

 

"You can see my breast" Jilbab

 

"You can see my breasts/curves" Jilbab. Yup, a bit...daring.

 

"You can see my curves" Jilbab. (Pretty curvy, I should say)

Other places where you see these outfit is in the gym.  Of course, I cannot take pictures in the gym, but I keep wondering whether it is comfortable nor healthy wearing all covered outfit like that, when your body temperature rises and you sweat like a pig (at least I do sweat like a pig when I excercise, therefore I wear skimpy outfit, not to attract men but for comfort.  Yes, I’m a narcist, I like seeing my own body in the mirror, so I wear it to attract myself).

 

You decide whether this is religion-related or not

 

 

Now, there is the type where they cover their head only.  Looks pretty, but I don’t know what it is suppose to do, whether it is religion-related or only a style and you sort of wear “normal” outfit but…I’ll leave it to the designers to judge. 

Astagafirullah...whatta...

 

By the way, if you want to look for the extreme, there are some women that go as far as “You can see my butt crack”  or “You can see my G-String”.   I mean, why would a womn in jilbab would wear G’s?

 

 

 

 

The point is, every women on earth wants to be seen attractive and pretty.  All these women in these pictures, and the ones that I didn’t post in this article, none of them wants to be seen ugly.  Nobody should feel ugly.  Nor made ugly or feel ugly by anybody. 

 

All these women have pretty clothes, as far as I can see.  Colourful materials and various cuts..  Even the ones with “The Correct Jilbab” would like to look pretty.  See this one picture below, where she is all covered with black but still have glittery details on her dress. 

 

"The Correct" jilbab. Look at the details at the bottom of her dress.

 

With all this photos and writing, I do not want to offend anybody.  But I cannot deny that I want to show how ridiculous things could be if one just literally follow what it is told, or was told by others.  How ridiculous it can be if you just follow it without understanding the basic philosophy of the hijab or jilbab.  What does covering your head and your chest means?  Why only women should cover their head and chest?  What does women have in their head and chest that men don’t have? 

 

The Qur’an is for everybody and universal.  So does covering the head and chest.  If it is all just based on physical appearance, not all geographical locations or activities can be done by women.  For example, diving would be impossible because the wetsuit reveals all the body curves.

 

If men have problem with controlling themselves, that is their problem.  Women should have all the rights to wear whatever they like.  So, you go, Girl, wear what you like, feel pretty and be responsible for what you wear!

 

 

 

(All photos were taken by the author except the G-String photo)