For many young Muslim women, navigating the modern world involves balancing multiple identities. They want to honor their faith and cultural background by wearing the headscarf, but they also want to feel attractive, trendy, and youthful. For some, choosing how to wear the hijab—even if it deviates from orthodox standards—is an exercise in personal autonomy and self-expression in societies that heavily police women's clothing. The Public Backlash and Social Policing
"Bertudung litup, tapi masih pakai baju kebaya ketat yang menampakkan susuk badan, tak seksi ke? Pakai tudung, tapi kainnya masih setakat bawah sikit je pada lutut. Ataupun, bertudung, tapi leher yang putih itu masih juga tertayang kemulusannya." — Abah Muizz, 2007 tudung seksi
The tudung is at the center of three major social fires in contemporary Southeast Asia. For many young Muslim women, navigating the modern
Sociologists studying modest fashion suggest that the "tudung seksi" debate highlights a spectrum of practice rather than a simple binary of right and wrong. The Public Backlash and Social Policing "Bertudung litup,