How to Wear a Hijab Without Pins

Wearing a hijab is an important part of a Muslim woman’s daily routine. The term “hijab” comes from the Arabic term for barrier. While a hijab serves as a physical barrier that covers a woman’s hair, it also symbolizes a woman’s commitment to modesty and tradition. Women are expected to wear a hijab whenever they’re near a man they could potentially wed, but they do not have to wear one around male family members.^{[1]XResearch source} There are several ways to style a hijab, but many methods require pins to hold the material in place. With the right fabric and proper wrapping method, you can easily wear a hijab without pins.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Wrapping a Simple Hijab

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1
Put on an underscarf to keep the hijab steady. Take your underscarf and pull it snugly over the top of your head. The fabric should reach the top of your forehead and extend to the bottom of your head. Since you won’t be using pins, having an underscarf will help to keep the hijab secure throughout the day.^{[2]XResearch source}
- You can shop for under-scarves in an online marketplace.
2
Hold the hijab fabric with your fingers to unfold it. Take the hijab material in both hands and extend your arms so that the material is stretched into a single layer. This will make it easier for you to assemble the fabric once it’s on your head. ^{[3]XResearch source}
- The fabric should be long enough and wide enough to wrap around the sides of your head more than once. Go to the website of a hijab manufacturer, like Bokitta, if you need to double check your hijab size.
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3
Drape the fabric over your head so there are equal amounts on either side. Use both hands to pull the hijab fabric over the top of your head. There should be equal portions of fabric dangling down either side of your face. Take a few seconds to tug at both sides as needed so that you have an equal amount of fabric on each side.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Put on your hijab in front of a mirror to make sure that the fabric is even.
4
Line up the edge of the fabric with the underscarf. Pull the edge of the hijab fabric forward so that it’s in line with the bottom edge of your underscarf. This process shouldn’t take you more than a few seconds to complete. Adjust the fabric as needed to ensure that you have balanced portions of material on either side of your face.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Don’t worry if a little bit of your underscarf is visible on your forehead from beneath the edge of the hijab fabric.
5
Tie both portions of fabric beneath your chin. Take two small portions of the material hanging along both sides and tie them into a loose knot. This knot doesn’t have to be fancy—its main purpose is to secure the base of your hijab in place, since you won’t be using any pins. The sections of fabric that you tie should be no more than an inch wide. Securing the hijab shouldn’t take more than 10 seconds.^{[6]XResearch source}
- It may be easier to tie tasseled hijab material together.
6
Lift the fabric dangling down your back. Reach over your shoulders with both hands to pick up the layer of hijab fabric that’s resting on your back. This portion of material will serve as a second layer of fabric on your hijab, and will help to give your hijab a fuller, more balanced appearance.^{[7]XResearch source}
7
Pull this fabric over the first layer of material. Use both hands to pull the material over the bottom layer of your hijab. This motion mimics pulling a hood over your head or tucking yourself under a blanket. Tug the fabric forward until the material feels taut in your hands. It’s okay if the second layer of fabric doesn’t completely line up with the first.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Pull at the two layers of fabric now dangling on each side of your face to ensure that they are still even in length.
8
Tug the extra fabric in a counter-clockwise direction. Take the portion of layered fabric dangling down the right side of your face and hold it tightly in one hand. Use this hand to pull the fabric in a counter-clockwise direction around your hijab. This process will create a third layer of fabric. You may have to alternate your hands as you pull the hijab over the back of your head. This may take over 10 seconds depending on how much material you have.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Continue this process until you can no longer make a full rotation around your face with the hijab fabric.
9
Tuck the extra material into the back of the hijab. Take the leftover portion of fabric and push it into a fold along the backside of your head. You’ll have created several folds along the back of your hijab throughout the tucking and folding process. This portion of fabric shouldn’t be longer than 6 inches (15 cm), but it may be longer depending on the length and width of the material you used. ^{[10]XResearch source}
- You should straighten and center the fabric resting along your left shoulder after tucking away the excess hijab material.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Dangling the Fabric over the Shoulder

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1
Hold the hijab fabric with both hands. Make sure that the material isn’t folded, and that you’ve smoothed out any obvious wrinkles. The fabric should be wide enough to drape comfortably around your head. If you don’t have a light scarf on hand, you can purchase one from an online marketplace.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Don’t use fabric made from heavy, thick material if you’re going out in warm weather.^{[12]XResearch source}
2
Place the hijab fabric on the center of your head. Use both hands to put the material over the top of your head. Aim to have about an inch of your hairline be visible beneath the edge of the material. Tug the portions of hijab fabric dangling along the right and left sides of your face to make them even. Depending on the adjustments you make to the scarf, this shouldn’t take more than 10-15 seconds.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Both parts of the fabric will be partially or fully dangling down your back, so it’s okay if both sides of the scarf aren’t completely even.
3
Flip one portion of fabric over your shoulder. Take the hijab fabric in your hands and bring the left portion of fabric across your neck before dangling it over your right shoulder. You can use one or both hands to do this. The right side of the scarf should still be dangling down your chest. Overall, this will only take about 5-10 seconds to do.^{[14]XResearch source}
4
Dangle the other piece of fabric behind your shoulder. Use one or both hands to take the right portion of hijab fabric and dangle it over your left shoulder. Depending on how much hijab fabric you have, spread the material so that it covers the front and back parts of your left shoulder.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Adjust the fabric around the shoulders as needed until you’re satisfied with how it looks.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Tying the Hijab Behind the Neck

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1
Hold the fabric in your hands and extend your arms. Pinch the outer corners of the hijab fabric with your fingertips and move your arms apart to flatten the material. Make sure that the fabric isn’t folded or wrinkled before you continue. This should only take around 5 seconds to complete.^{[16]XResearch source}
2
Put the hijab fabric on the top of your head. Use both hands to balance the hijab material over your head. Ideally, you will want both portions of fabric to be dangling behind your back, instead of in front of your shoulders. Use a mirror to make sure that both the left and right portions of fabric are around the same length.^{[17]XResearch source}
- If you’re having trouble working with fabric that you can’t see directly, ask a friend or family member for help.
3
Tie both ends so that the fabric stays together. Use a loose knot to tie both dangling portions of the hijab together. This creates a snug seal along the nape of your neck, while also obscuring your bottom hairline.^{[18]XResearch source}
- Move the material to the front of your shoulder before tying the two portions together. This makes the tying process much simpler.
4
Flip the tied fabric over the front of one shoulder. Take the tied portions of fabric and drape them over your shoulder of preference. This shouldn’t take you any longer than 5 seconds.^{[19]XResearch source}
- Once the fabric is in place, consider putting on a pair of earrings. Since your hijab is tied from behind your head, your earlobes (and any earrings) will be visible.

Community Q&A

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Question
I wear hijab; can I be a model?
Nisha Sheriff
Community Answer
Sure, you can be a model and still wear hijab. Take a look at Halima Aden––she is a supermodel and she doing well with her hijab and people love her.
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Tips

Choose a hijab fabric that’s best suited for the weather. Chiffon, jersey, and voile are all light fabrics that provide plenty of airflow to your head and neck during warm weather. Knit fabrics, like acrylic or cotton, provide great insulation for cooler weather.^{[20]XResearch source}
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Some clothing companies make pinless hijabs designed specifically for fitness activities, like long distance running.^{[21]XResearch source}
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Don’t rush yourself. Learning how to put on a hijab with or without pins takes practice. Give yourself enough time in the morning to put on your hijab so that you don’t feel pressed for time.^{[22]XResearch source}
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