Since launching in August of 2018, our Ultimate Underscarves have become some of the most popular products from our entire store.

When we first set out to create underscarves, we had heard so many stories of frustration from hijabis who experienced all kinds of pain points – feeling suffocated, acne along the hairline, ear pain, profuse sweating, headaches and on and on. Some women were even suffering from hair loss and traction alopecia due to wearing tight, non-breathable underscarves all day long. We absolutely didn’t want to just make another version of the same harmful styles we had already seen everywhere.

We designed our collection to offer something the market hadn’t seen yet and partnered up to bring you an innovative bamboo tech fabric that would not only solve those previously mentioned pain points, but also actively benefit the wearer with softness, breathability, and even built-in skincare. We also created the Barely There Underscarf out of feather-light stretch net as an even lighter option. Then we added thoughtful design details like ruching to shape and contain the hair, adjustable ties for a custom fit, and more.

Over the years we’ve received a TON of questions about our Ultimate Underscarves from you, and we’ve gathered your most frequently asked questions to answer here! (The following questions were all asked by Haute Hijab customers and community members.)

The Classic & Criss-Cross styles are crafted from a bamboo tech fabric, which has 50 UPF of built-in sun protection along with other skincare benefits:

1. Anti-microbial properties that help prevent inflammation and acne. 2. Breathability to keep you feeling airy and fresh. 3. A cooling effect you can literally feel.

These benefits are inherent to the fabric and will never wash out – you will have them for the life of the garment!

The Barely There is created from a stretchy net fabric that does not have the same properties as the Classic and the Criss-Cross – however the mesh provides maximum airflow for those who want an even lighter option.

Sustainable, innovative tech fabric does not come cheap. As the world starts to recognize the importance of sustainable fabrics, these textiles will be less expensive, but for now they’re costly, unfortunately. In addition, we produce all our products in-house, ensuring that everyone up and down the supply chain is paid a fair wage.

These underscarves are not your $5 poly tube option, and we truly believe that you get what you pay for. Just like with a really great, supportive bra, you invest in 1-2 well-designed ones (that may be expensive) that do the job your cheap ones can’t.

Our underscarves are designed to be as non-slip as possible – however there are some additional factors, such as hair texture, head shape and how tightly the strings are tied (more on this in the next answer) that can also affect this.

If you have very smooth hair, the soft net of the Barely There may be less slip-resistant for you. We recommend the Classic or Criss-Cross since the slight texture of the jersey fabric will hold better to your hair.

HH underscarves are designed to be snug, but not tight. Many of us are accustomed to underscarves that fit very tightly to the head, but this is not good for our hair or scalp over the long-term.

It may seem counterintuitive, but if you tie the adjustable strings too tightly, rather than making the underscarf more secure, it can encourage it to slip back and essentially pull it off your head. Try adjusting the tightness until you find that “snug but not tight” sweet spot and see if that helps!

If you continue to experience issues with slippage, please reach out to our support team at hello@hautehijab.com anytime. We want you to be 100 percent delighted and will be happy to work with you to find the best solution.

They are designed with stretch seams and soft, stretchy fabric to ensure they will not be tight over the ears. You can also wear them behind the ears if you prefer. Just be careful not to tie the adjustable ties too tight, or the added pressure could still hurt your ears!

Yes they do! The ruching at the back can accommodate lots of different hair volumes, but even if you have very short hair it will still create subtle volume. If your hair is long enough to tie even in a short ponytail, we also highly recommend our Shaping Scrunchies to provide a beautiful shape underneath your underscarf!

Yes! The closed back distributes the volume and weight of your hair so that it stays contained even if you don’t tie it in a ponytail or bun. The adjustable ties let you make sure your hair is extra secure.

The front panels on the Criss-Cross Underscarf are not attached to one another, which allows you to customize the shape however you would like, whether that’s with a defined criss-cross “point” or in a more rounded shape!

(Bonus – they also allow you easy access to your ears! Headphones or stethoscope, anyone?)

You can machine wash them on delicate cycle; however, to extend the life of your underscarves as much as possible, we recommend hand-washing them with mild detergent and lay flat to dry.

Yes! Click here to watch a tutorial featuring Melanie and Gizelle as they try on the underscarves!

When we first released our Ultimate Underscarves, we made a promise to you that as revolutionary tech fabrics became more readily available, and therefore less costly, we would be able to offer these same products for a lower price. We're proud to announce that we've been able to do just that. You can now shop our Classic and Criss-Cross Underscarves at $40 instead of the original $50, and trust that you will receive the exact same high-quality, carefully crafted, technically innovative product you've come to expect from us!

Still have questions? Click here to browse the whole collection, and feel free to reach out to us at hello@hautehijab.com anytime!