Quiet luxury is having a moment, but hijabi women have been paving the path for decades.

Since 2023, the terms "quiet luxury" and "stealth wealth" have been everywhere when it comes to fashion. 

Luxury fashion isn't a new concept by any means. If anything, you could say the word luxury originated from fashion thanks to high-end brands like Chanel, Christian Dior and Hermes. 

But the lens that people used to view luxury shifted last year, and instead of placing the label on expensive clothing and accessories, it was used to describe an overall aesthetic.

Think Gwyneth Paltrow's cream ensemble at her highly publicised court appearances last year. 

Think Shiv Roy's "old money aesthetic" in Succession. 

Watch: Mamamia's guide to Muslim Veils. Post continues below.

Gone were the logo-clad days of the noughties. 

Instead, we were welcoming chic silhouettes with minimal branding. It was a look that screamed rich without being too over-the-top and obvious.

Fashion magazines, mainstream media and content creators credited Sofia Richie for being the trend's poster girl as she started stepping out in modest and simplistic clothing. 

But as a Muslim woman who has been following hijabi bloggers for decades, I questioned why they were being left out of the narrative. Because they were the true pioneers.

Sydney-based influencer Nawal Sari began her content creation journey eight years ago, showcasing modest styles with her own added twist. 

For her, it wasn't just a passion but a way for her to connect with other Muslim women worldwide.

Boasting more than 250,000 followers on Instagram, it's safe to say she's reached that goal, however, she recognises that there's still a long way to go in recognising Muslim women in the fashion space.

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Richie being credited for making modesty a trend felt like a slap in the face for many women who have been dressing that way their entire lives. 

"I think it's a case of someone who is 'socially accepted' making something that's been present for so long trendy. Sofia Richie definitely didn't invent or pioneer anything, she is just wealthy enough to invest in more refined, timeless pieces that happened to be modest," Nawal tells Mamamia.

"How she dresses now is how I've seen women in my community dress forever. I think it's made the modest fashion community mad to think why when she — or women who look like her — wears a high-neck maxi dress it's considered 'quiet luxury' and 'classy' but when a Muslim woman wears it, it's 'backwards' and 'tasteless'."

Of course, modest dressing isn't just exclusive to the Muslim community. 

There are plenty of Jewish and Christian women who also choose to cover up, however, none are as heavily scrutinised as a woman who wears the hijab.

The hijab is seen as a symbol of oppression and a piece of fabric that's so restrictive that women are unable to live their lives — that is until a supermodel wears it as a fashion statement, then it's 'chic' or the 'accessory of the season'.

"Due to Islamophobia, modest fashion for a Muslim woman has always been seen through a lens of male domination, oppression and being 'backwards' and knowing that in contrast to the buzzwords used to describe how Sofia Richie is talked about online is very telling of the bias," Nawal says. 

"Some proof of this is how at Paris Fashion Week we saw head coverings on the runway and modest-adjacent pieces, and yet the country is banning Muslim female athletes from wearing the hijab at the 2024 Olympics and banning abayas in school."

The discourse surrounding quiet luxury and giving credit where credit is due may seem like a fickle thing to be upset over for those who aren't affected, but for a group of women who are often chastised for dressing the way they do, it's insulting because it's not just about fashion. It's about politics.

The narrative around the hijab also couldn't be further from the truth.

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"Dressing modestly and wearing my hijab is how I worship every day, connect closer to my religion and it's how I represent my community. It's brave, and it's liberating to have autonomy over my body. I chose to dress in a way that has become so political and aggravating to people, yet I do not care at all," Nawal says. 

"It's hard and I've dealt with racism, Islamophobia and discrimination because of this but I would never change how I look and dress to make people more comfortable with their bigotry."

Before models like Richie, Kendall Jenner and Jasmine Tookes started wearing modest clothing, it wasn't easy for women to find a piece of clothing that didn't have the front, back or sides cut out. Just ask any woman who has made modesty an integral part of their lifestyle. 

They'll tell you about the times they had to modify and layer just so their skin didn't peep through, or the moments they had to leave something on the rack because there was no way for them to wear it. 

And while brands are creating more modest styles lately (many of them are also releasing Eid and Ramadan collections), it feels like a tick-box moment rather than a thoughtful step in the right direction.

"I don't think modest dressers expect mainstream businesses to cater to every need we have but we are a booming market so some slight changes would be appreciated," Nawal notes. 

"A great way for brands to approach modest dressing would be to collaborate with Muslim women to help create a capsule collection. I would love to see popular Aussie businesses creating a few pieces alongside a Muslim personality. They would be surprised to see how successful it would be.

"I would also love to see Muslim women on the runways wearing the pieces targeted towards the Muslim community. I would love to see brands acknowledge the injustices Muslim women face whilst they promote collections that Muslim women made popular, and I would love for modest fashion to not be an alien category but to be just fashion."

Feature Image: Instagram @sofiarichiegrainge/@nawalsari/@yasssminjay/@niaamroun.