There’s a common sentiment among my hijab-wearing friends: a plain black headscarf is the equivalent of putting your hair in a slickback bun. A slickback bun is classic, timeless and polished – it can go with almost anything. But, it can also look a little tired. I love bold prints, and it isn’t just me. A friend of mine gravitates toward leopard prints and pashmina-style scarves, a nod to her Kashmiri heritage. And it’s not only an aesthetic choice – for many hijab-wearing women, patterned scarves feel like a push against the idea that Muslim women should blend in. Loud and proud printed hijabs are having a full-throttle revival. At London fashion week last weekend, hijab-wearing models appeared in jewellery-adorned scarves, inspired by traditional Yemeni fabrics, at the show of British-Yemeni designer Kazna Asker. Florals, tartans, polka dots, and graphic motifs fill my TikTok feeds. Keffiyeh-inspired designs sell out within hours. For gen Z Muslim women in particular, the printed scarf has shifted from something coded as “too much” to a deliberate part of an …