English Girls Wearing 'Hijab' 100 Years Ago

[icedtea]

Old footage showing how women dressed in England 100 years ago

I don’t know how, but there was a big difference between the look Grace Kelly achieved with a headscarf and sunglasses in an open top car, and Auntie Gladys at the bus stop with one over her rollers. You probably want to aim for the former.

Have mortifying memories of the plastic headscarves that my mum would keep folded up really small in her pocket and try to foist on my cringing teenage self whenever we were caught in the rain. Birdie hats we called them.

Jaw-droppingly stupid.

The Queen has always favoured a headscarf on occasions when a hat isn't appropriate or necessary.

I saw that 'hijab' comment elsewhere. Absolute nonsense. The shawl was simply a useful all purpose garment that took the place of a hat and coat. You see pictures of Lancashire women textile workers wearing them, and Scottish fisher girls, and East End women, and many other working class women in many places.

They couldn't afford coats. The shawl was a simple garment, worn to keep the girls warm and clean. Most weren't able to wash their hair regularly - they only had a tub and bathed once a week, often with shared family bathwater.