‘Hijarbie’ gives doll modest Muslim makeover

Hot on the high heels of the major makeover Mattel gave Barbie last month comes yet another one for the iconic doll.

If Barbie’s four different body types, seven skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles is of interest, then check out the new observant Muslim version.

But Hijab Barbie — or “Hijarbie” for short — isn’t part of Mattel’s updated line reflecting the reality and diversity of the female form.

Hijarbie still has the old school impossibly perfect figure — only she is covered from head to toe.

But Hijarbie is still a highly stylish Barbie. She’s just all about letting the little girls (and some grown women) who play with her know that dressing modestly out of religious practice is not a fashion faux pas.

Hijarbie is the brainchild of 24-year-old Nigerian medical student Haneefa Adam, who recently completed a Masters degree in pharmacology in the UK. Inspired by the Barbie Style Instagram page (“Barbie’s official style feed”), Adam decided to dress the doll in a way that religious Muslim girls could relate to.

“It has roots in my religion and cultural identity. The way Barbie dresses is very skimpy and different and there’s nothing wrong with it. I just wanted to give another option for Muslim girls like me,” Adam told CNN.

Adam said she was motivated to counter the misconception that Muslim women are forced to cover up.

“People think that when Muslim women cover up they are forced to. [The] majority of us are not. We want to cover up and express our religion. But a lot of Muslims don’t cover their hair and it doesn’t make them any less of a Muslim,” she explained.

The Hijarbie Instagram page gained 37,600 followers in just a few weeks, indicating that there is an audience for the outfits Adam has personally fashioned for the doll. Inspired by her own creativity, as well as clothes she has seen on real-life full-size models, Adam has so far dressed Hijarbie in 19 different ensembles.

The outfits may be modest, but they would definitely turn heads if worn by women in the street — especially women with proportions like the doll. (The medical student said that she has been unable to procure the newer, more diverse Barbies, but that a few are on order.)

Adam mixes and matches sumptuous fabrics and uses attention-grabbing color combinations. No matter whether they feature a narrow skirt, a full skirt, or a tunic over skinny pants, all the outfits are fashion forward.

She has received a great deal of positive feedback and media attention, although some Instagram commenters see Hijarbie as a backward promotion of the oppression of women.

It seems that at this point Hijarbie will remain only on Instagram. Adam has no plans to shift from creating miniature bespoke outfits to mass production.

But for those who getting on the celebrity bandwagon promoting modest clothing — a la Mayim Bialik or Adele — Adam does have a modest lifestyle collection for real women called Hanie.