I wore hijab since I’m in Junior High School, at that time I’m wearing hijab because I entered into an Islamic Boarding School in Garut, so... it’s because of any kind of my school rules. The first time, it was very hard for me to wear a hijab because I didn’t know to style it by myself, fortunately, my cousins helped me so well. She taught me how to wear hijab almost every day in my early year in Darul Arqam.

Sometimes I really want to quit wearing hijab. No... it isn’t because I don't like my school, or I hate my religion rule. It’s because I couldn’t find a good-looking outfit and the benefits of wearing loose clothes.  I always force and cry while buying clothes. Why? Because the clothes style is out of date and so mature (for my age). In my mind, hijab and lose clothes are identical to old people who want to know their faith well before death, not as the young generation style (pardon me).

This is what my uniform looks like, a white baju kurung with a black skirt. I had Darul Arqam and IRM (Ikatan Remaja Muhammadiyah) emblems and name tag (if there is any) attached, but sometimes I ripped out the emblems for attached into the new uniform, in the urgent condition a.k.a examination week I just attached the emblems by double tape.

My uniform rules are:

The principals ever told us the newest rules (her rules maybe) that the shoes must be in dark color. Ohh yeahhh ...

You know what I did? I bought white shoes. And blue shoes. And green shoes. And maroon shoes. My uniforms isn’t stylish, so I need other stuff (shoes) for balancing my style.  

In my early life in Darul Arqam, I wore gamis frequently. At that time I dont know what I should wearing (remember, I’m green). But after times, I’m only wearing gamis on formal event such as IRM event and community event. Gamis identically with rookie.

There is a day when I wearing pajamas all days, from woke up in early days until go to bed, and it’s not only me, almost all the girl did those same things. I’ll grab jacket or sweater for go to the dining room or bathroom.

For daily wear i’m wearing long skirt or tunic as tops and cotton pants. Sometimes I’m wearing those for hang out in Holy Friday (before the principal adding the newest rule, again!). I’d like to wearing tight pants than loose pants because tight pants gave a balance look than loose pants which is make me looks like a young teachers.

Over all dress ever booming in Darul Arqam, mostly denim over all, I usually match it with (loose) shirt because  if I match it with tight shirt my side boobs would be exposed hehehe BTW, dont forget to wearing short pants or legging inside, sometimes (no, everytime) the underwear lines appear.

Since my principal announced the newest rule about clothes, my style is evolutioned. If the last time I only gave a concern to my tops, now I had to concern about bottoms too.

FYI, the newest rule is pants not allowed. I’m not kidding. They (School Commite) thought that pants is a bad clothes which is not allowed by our religion, in some ways they are right but in other ways they are not open mind. Why I’m saying that? Because pants is more comfortable than skirts.

OK, let me tell you ... most of student is came from the other city or province and they used public transportation for coming back home. In that condition which is more comfortable? Pants or skirt? And how if there is any (urgent) situation such as chasing the bus, which is more comfortable? Pants or skirts? For me, as long as my clothes neat and polite the rule isn’t broke.

Then, I’m hunted skirt like a crazy, I’m so picky. So there are so many detail that is being my concerns, is it good looking enough? Is it comfortable enough? Is it detail oriented? Is it match with my other clothes? Is it ... is it ... is it ... is it ... that’s why my mother gave up for shopping with me, fortunatelly my father pay attention to me (maybe because we’re separated), he is the one whom really would do the hardest job ever, shopping with me.

I’m usually wearing A-line skirts with a body fit shirts and wearing a pencil skirts with long shirts or t-shirts with cardigan. If tunic matching with tight pants, skirts is matching with shirts. So about the patterns, patterns skirts is matching with plaid shirts and plaid shirts is matching with patterns shirts, the hijab color and patterns is depends on the skirts.

I’d prefer shopping with my father than my mother, no, my father is a real man, he just pay more attention to me. He know what I really want and always waiting patiently while I’m picking, if I didn’t like the stuff he cheers me up by took me to another store, he knew me so well. My mother isn’t like him, she didnt like my fashion requirement because too difficult or hardly to find, she prefers bought clothes same as her friends dughter  and thought I would like her friend taste, I wouldn’t wearing it if  none of my style.

My favorite items is shoes, I’m so crazy about shoes during my High School life in Darul Arqam. I had a lot of shoes for many kind of occasions, for school, for bathroom, for dormitory, for hangout, for hangout in summer, for hangout in fall, for hangout with friends and for dating with boyfriends. See ... my shoes is my social calendar (and I took 2 locker in dormitory just for kept it).

In Holy Friday we (me and my friends) is busy to trading clothes for hangout or dating, we’d like to matching our outfits from head to toe, if there is any matching items we would borrow to other friends whom had the matched items, this habits called ‘ngojek’.

I don’t know from when ‘ngojek’ term is used in Darul Arqam, when I was in 1st grade Junior High School ‘ngojek’ was used by my senior and so I (we) did.  ‘ngojek’ is familiar things in our daily life, there is one Holy Friday when I have nothing in my cupboards, they ‘ngojek’ almost of mine and left  uniforms and clothes i wore only. Such a weird day!

Nowadays, i dont need to cried or embarassed while wearing hijab, there are so many clothes and outfit waiting me grab them hehe never worrying again which clothes I should buy because they would came to me by itself (thank you IG). A girls in this era should be grateful for fashion invasion, they don’t need to occupied about styling theirself  as those in it. So, suit up!!