Hijab-Wearing Student Wins "Best Dressed" Award At New Jersey High School

Abrar Shahin, named best dressed among Clifton High School seniors, talking with friends before Friday's graduation.

Alan: I am routinely struck by the grace and beauty of Islamic women in traditional garb.

The senior class pick for best-dressed female senior at Clifton High School sports a black skirt and skinny jeans, ankle-high boots and a cropped white blazer in her yearbook photo. Her makeup is just about perfect, capped with plum-toned lipstick.

But there is one other fashion accessory that makes Abrar Shahin stand out: a black, white and blue-green patterned scarf — a hijab — that wraps around her head and drapes around her neck.

“There are always cheerleaders who win and popular girls, so I was very surprised it was me, being a hijabi,” Shahin said, using the word for a person who wears the Islamic head covering. “It was a dream come true.”

Clifton High School senior Abrar Shahin (far right) was awarded "best dressed" in the class of 2015. Shahin poses for a pre-graduation picture with Taylor Szabo (far left) and Katherine Fraczek (center) on Friday afternoon.

With her trendy style, Shahin, who has a clothing-store job in Paramus and plans to attend Rutgers this fall, is shattering stereotypes about Islamic fashion while also keeping true to her religious tradition. The “best dressed” vote also shows how acceptance has grown at one of the largest and most diverse high schools in the state. The class of 2015, which graduated Friday, includes many immigrants and first-generation students whose families hail from across the globe.

Even in an area as diverse as North Jersey, Clifton stands out for its global flair. The high school, with about 3,300 students, is 52 percent Hispanic, 35 percent white, 8 percent Asian and 5 percent black, according to state records.

But the more telling record is the ancestry breakdown in the U.S. census, which shows more than 65 groups represented in the city. Italian, Polish, Puerto Rican, Arab and Peruvian are among the largest groups. Many people with Turkish, Russian, West Indian, Albanian, Ukrainian and Hungarian backgrounds also live in Clifton.

Always on point
Lindsey Cinque, a French teacher who is yearbook and senior class adviser, said that Shahin’s award showed that students can look beyond labels to honor someone’s accomplishment. Cinque broke the news to Shahin in class about her win, which seniors decided by writing down the name of any one of their peers.

“In a class of 800 people, it’s definitely a huge honor that they picked her,” Cinque said.

It’s not clear how many votes Shahin got or whom the votes came from. The best dressed male, Abraham Zeidan, also happens to be Muslim.

Shahin said her friends are from many backgrounds, while Cinque noted that all different people in her class would complement Shahin on her clothes and style.

Although Shahin was surprised by the win, her French teacher of three years said her great fashion sense was clear to her and to other students.

“School is early, so a lot of times kids will come in sweat pants or dressed casually,” Cinque said, about the early hour students must report for class. “She was always dressed up, and she definitely took a sense of pride in her fashion.”

The hijab, which covers the head and neck and frames the face, is worn by Muslim women for different reasons; some believe it shows their devotion to God or fills God’s commandment for modesty. Others wear it as an expression of their Muslim identity.

Shahin blends tradition and modern trends to create her style. She wears a hijab and modest clothing with long sleeves and pants, according to Muslim custom. At the same time, she wears trendy teenage clothes from stores like Forever 21.

Her favorite look is “boho-chic,” which she describes as “laid-back and flowy, effortless and classy.” She likes to pair flowing shirts over skinny jeans with chunky necklaces or bangle bracelets.
“Every day is different. It depends on my mood,” said Shahin, who also helps put together outfits for customers at her job at Francesca’s at the Paramus Park mall.

The whole picture
It is common for women to pair hijabs with modern clothing, and there are Muslim fashion bloggers who are creating a fashion niche in this area. The hijab is associated with piety and conservatism in Islam, and in some cases has been a magnet for scorn or prejudice. But Muslim women are like other women who want to have fun with fashion and express themselves, said Sonya Nasser, owner of Arabella Couture, a women’s clothing store in Paterson.

Nasser said people used to look down on young women for wearing a hijab. A “best dressed” honor for a hijabi at an American public high school means times are changing, she said.

“It sends the message that we are able now to set trends and be respected for what we stand for at the same time,” she said.

Shahin plans to study physical therapy at Rutgers but dreams of having a fashion company on the side. Shahin, who is of Palestinian descent, said she believes she is the first hijabi to ever win the best-dressed award.

“It’s such an honor to see that they are looking at us as equal and that they’re not just looking at hijab,” she said.