Fold the right sides of the opaque cotton together so that the piece measures 26 inches by 15 inches. Sew a seam down the open side that measures 15 inches and then turn the material right-side out. This cylindrical piece will serve as your under-scarf. It is worn by slipping it on over your head so that it covers your forehead and hair. It can be worn as low on the forehead as you like, though you may find that a certain position flatters your face better than others. If the under-scarf feels loose on your head, you may wish to secure it at the back with bobby pins.
Place the large piece of material on your head, positioning the top portion about an inch or two back from the under-scarf's edge. This allows you to display the color of the under-scarf, adding a bit of your personality to the headdress. For a basic, traditional hijab, make sure that both sides of the black material are even and pin the scarf just under your chin with a hijab pin. This allows the hijab to drape over your chest for a modest effect, or you may try a trendier hijab style described in Step 3.
Position the edge of the headscarf in the same way as in Step 2, but this time, keep one side much longer than the other. The length of the short side should be about 20 inches from the crown of your head. Pin the short side of the scarf to the long side. The pin should be just below your ear. Draw the long side of the scarf across your neck and over your head, draping the fabric around your shoulders. Pin the fabric near your ear on the same side as the first pin, pushing the point of the pin in an upwards direction for maximum stability.
