Aisha M. M. Rashad
07 July 2008
8 lbs. 13.6 oz. (!) and healthy as can be.

1. The range of cotton square scarf colors available at al-Hannah for about ten dollars apiece.



2. Pure cotton printed scarves from The Hijab Shop. Converts to about twelve dollars U.S.



3. Another of the above.



4. Colorful loose-weave scarf from eShakti. The main scarf page says 100% cotton; the product page says "cotton rayon." Either way it is likely cool enough for hotter weather. Ten dollars.



5. Primo Moda's "cotton soft lines shawl," available in a few pastel shades, for fifteen.



6. Forever 21's pure linen scarf, available in a range of light and bright colors (as well as black) for about eleven bucks. They also carry a lot of lightweight viscose and various blend shawls, which I like for summer anyway. Just make sure to look at the fabric content and not only the product name if you're looking for something specific -- they're another company that has a tendency to name things like "Striped Cotton Shawl" with a fabric content of exactly zero percent actual cotton.



7. Another pure linen scarf, this time from the Luxury Divas for about fourteen dollars.



8. A light cotton wrap from Kohl's for ten.



9. A Scarf World roughly forty inch cotton square, converting to about eleven and a half dollars.



10. Another light, not to mention more subdued, Scarf World cotton square. Search for cotton fabric along with "hijab friendly" in the "product type" drop-down box and you'll turn up a few more options. They also have a summer hijabs page all its own. (You can change the currency display in the right hand column.)



11. An Anokhi block-printed cotton scarf -- fourteen dollars each, shipping included. Anokhi makes really very nice printed scarves for those of us who are comfortable with smaller scarves: fifteen inches wide for shaylas, and thirty inch squares. I'm not overly comfortable in that range, so while I own this exact scarf myself I double-wrap it with a solid -- a style which, just for the sheer number of layers involved, makes it a little less summer friendly than these might be were they even just a couple of inches wider.



12. Another Luxury Divas shawl, this time a quite sheer cotton gauze which is nevertheless wide enough to fold under for opacity. Although the six dollar price tag makes me suspicious as to quality, personally.

Al-Mujalbaba is selling cotton gauze hijabs in a few colors, although unpictured -- and while I might be fine with buying "french vanilla" or "tan" without seeing it, "yellow" and "pea green" are another story. She is also carrying linen blend shaylas, though personally I am not a big fan of self-fringe. If I want to have to mess with a fringe to make it a clean edge (or at least knotted) I'll look at Fabrics-Store.com for their 3.5 ounce (think handkerchief weight) pre-softened pure linen in really lovely colors (of which they'll send swatches for free). Anyone with even the slightest inclination to sew can roll and stitch scarf edges, and/or fringe them. Two yards of material equals two 72 by about 28 inch scarves (less however one deals with edges) or three 72 by 19 inch scarves (less the same) for -- including shipping, to me at least -- about twenty dollars. Granted that you might not want three identical pacific blue scarves, or even muted beige ones, but for gifts or getting together on something with friends it's something to think about (when you find yourself looking at piles of polyester scarves on meltingly hot days, that is).

Labels: scarfistry