How to Style Maxi Dress with Hijab

Maxi dresses are a staple item in every hijabi’s wardrobe. They are modest, airy, and extremely versatile, which means you can wear them all year long. Dress down for summer, layer up for winter or go classic flowery in spring, and you’ll still feel like a class act.

Unfortunately, wearing a maxi dress with hijab can be a hit or miss for many ladies. This ensemble needs to be modest above all else, but it should also be stylish. Thankfully for you, we have a few tips and tricks to pull off the maxi dress/hijab combo like a boss lady.

But first…

Rules to Follow When Styling Maxi Dress with Hijab

Fabric is Everything

The best maxi dress should have a free-flowing fabric like silk, chiffon, georgette, crepe, and linen. Avoid stiff, body-hugging fabrics like jersey or anything that’s tight and stretchy. The whole idea of wearing a maxi dress as a hijabi is modesty, so you don’t want body-hugging fabrics that reveal every inch of your figure.

Choose the Right Hijab for the Dress

Here is the first rule; the maxi dress you are wearing should dictate which hijab you choose. Consider the fabric, color combination, and style. A good rule is to match the hijab’s color with the print of the maxi dress if it has one.

For example, if you wear a printed maxi dress with big pink flowers, get a hijab in that same color or close. If the dress has prints, the hijab shouldn’t, and vice versa.

As for fabric, go with something breathable, flowy, luxurious, and elegant. Silk, georgette, and chiffon hijabs work best, but you can do satin for night events because it’s luxurious and glossy. Voile, polyester, and viscose are not bad either. The fabrics you don’t want on your hijab include jersey, knitted fabrics, or anything stiff and rough.

Finally, you want a hijab that’s wide and long enough to cover your entire front area. A hijab isn’t a mere scarf, and it should hide the bareness of the maxi dress’s upper part, which sometimes includes your arms and cleavage area.

Do Not Matchy Match

Yes, that is a word, and you should avoid it. When styling a maxi dress with hijab, there should be a clear line between your head and your body. Add interesting colors and try to color-block your outfit.

For instance, a turquoise dress goes well with a tangerine hijab, pink with emerald green, Marsala with mustard, and so on. Have the color wheel in your house if that will help to see which colors go well together. You can also add a third color with your belt, clutch, or jewelry.

With that out of the way, let’s style this combo now.

Tips to Styling a Maxidress with Hijab

1. Wear a Structured Top

While you can wear a maxi dress and hijab as is without anything else on top, doing a structured cover-up on top balances the baggy silhouette of the maxi dress. A small cardigan that’s structured more like a top is a great option, but you can also go with a leather jacket or a jean jacket.

Don’t feel the pressure of wearing denim as any cute jean jacket that matches the outfit will offset the free-flowing dress stylishly. If you wear a maxi dress to work or an official event, a structured blazer is also a great option because it will tone down the casual aspect of a maxi dress besides giving it structure.

2. Do a Dress Coat

Speaking of cover-ups, you can also wear a long dress coat or sweater that goes all the way down to the feet instead of tiny jackets. This style goes really well with straight-cut maxi dresses because it adds some feminine layer to the outfit. Again, the color of the long sweater should match the rest of the outfit or something else in the outfit.

For instance, if you wear a light blue maxi dress and printed hijab with pink, white and blue flowers, a pink cover-up would be perfect. It matches one color in the hijab and goes well with the light blue on the dress. It’s all about choosing colors that complement one another.

3. Layer Layers Layers

Sometimes, the weather dictates more than just a simple cover-up or less. For instance, wearing a dress coat or jacket on top in the middle of summer doesn’t make sense. But since maintaining modesty is crucial, you can wear a long sleeve tee or turtle neck underneath the dress. Go with a light, breathable material like cotton, which won’t make you sweat and feel uncomfortable later on in the day.

This ensemble looks perfect when you wear a maxi dress with pockets and don some sneakers or sandals and a cross-body handbag. It’s casual, it’s freeing, and you can run around all day without feeling overdressed.

4. Belt Up

One of my favorite ways to structure a maxi dress beside a denim jacket is to wear a belt. The perfect maxi dress comes with its own belt, if not pockets for structure, but you can always accessorize. Tie the belt directly over the maxi dress or wear a chemise, then belt up, creating a skirt-like impression.

Once again, the belt’s color should complement something else in your outfit. I find it best to match the belt with the shoes, but the hijab’s color or handbag will do as well.

5. Show Off the Shoes

Last but not least, let your feet and shoes shine through. A maxi dress/ hijab outfit is pretty overwhelming because it covers almost all of you up in fabric. Wearing a dress that hits the ankles and leaves the feet open is a great way to lessen that overwhelm.

Ideally, your shoes should be the highlight of your outfit. For a casual look, wear white or pink sneakers, wedges or sandals. Maxi dress with hijab also looks great with high heel pumps or stilettos if you can. Wearing an anklet, if you are allowed to, is also a great way to accessorize this ensemble because hijabis generally steer clear of too much jewelry.

One thing I’ve learned about styling a maxi dress with hijab outfit is that you must keep everything else minimal. A simple watch and anklet will do instead of a bunch of jewelry, and a clutch is always better than a handbag. As a rule, always take a quick look in a full-length mirror before leaving the door to see if the entire ensemble is overwhelming or not.