SPORTS apparel brand Nike recently made its mark in the modest sportswear market with the unveiling of Pro Hijab, a single-layer stretchy hijab for veiled athletes.
Nike said the idea came about after seeing hijab-wearing Sarah Attar of Saudi Arabia at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Attar was among the first two women to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics.
Prior to June 2012, women from the country were banned from competing at the event.
Launched two days before International Women’s Day, the product will only be available in Spring 2018.
Nike’s move is not the first. There are already a handful of local and international brands catering for modest sportswear.
Here are several made-in-Malaysia labels that have been offering special sportswear for hijab-wearing women.
ASH BE NIMBLE
(Instagram: @ashbenimble Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashbenimble)
This brand’s mission is to provide accessible and affordable locally-made sportswear for all. It offers a full range of sports apparel for men, women and children that is not only functional and appealing but also priced below RM100 each.
It also has a modest, comfortable and stylish activewear range for hijab-wearing women which debuted in 2015.
The range is made from soft, stretchy and sweat-wicking material. Among its best-sellers are long-sleeved mesh tops with finger grips and Ash Be Nimble x Numma Nuur hijab (a collaboration with another local fashion brand) that comes in three lengths.
NASHATA
(Instagram: @nashatadotcom Facebook: www.
facebook/com/nashatadotcom)
Established in 2013, this homegrown brand is known for its unique and innovative designs.
It offers skirt pants and yoga suits which are loose in areas that require optimum flexibility.
Its Hooda Racerback is specially designed for runners, cyclists and athletes. The product is nonflipping, secured and comes with a hidden zipper pocket. Tops comprise two types - Riada and Ultra.
The Riada range is meant for leisure and light workouts while Ultra is designed for performance.
RAQTIVE
(Instagram: @raqtive Facebook: www.facebook.com/Raqtive)
Raqtive specialises in easy-to-wear and ready-to-go sporty hijab. Its trademarked SnappyWear and Comfygrip microfibre tudung features a no-fuss sporty design which requires no pins.
It has a comfortable grip around the face to prevent hair from showing during workouts.
POPLOOK
(Instagram: @poplook Facebook: www.facebook.com/POPLOOK)
Launched in 2009, Poplook specialises in trendy but modest fashion. The brand has its own sportswear collection but this is limited to tops and pants.
The tops are mainly simple blouses made from stretchy polyblend and some are breastfeeding-friendly. The pants are basically cotton knit and come with either an elastic waistband or gartered waistband with drawstrings. Some of the pants are in fancy prints and flared cuts.
Its Curve range caters to plus-sized women (from 2XL to 4XL). Strictly for leisure and light exercises and for those who want to look trendy while exercising.
ARIANI
(Instagram: @galeriariani Facebook: www.facebook.com/GaleriAriani)
Ariani is among the pioneer brands in premium tudung and clothing for Muslim women.
Its Ariani Active range is meant for sports and ranges from its signature “tudung awning” to blouses made of polyblend lycra and pants.
The range is straight-forward and nonspecific (function-wise) and more suitable for leisure and light exercises. The designs and colours are very limited.
Being a premium brand, each item comes with a heavy price tag. A simple cotton, long-sleeved t-shirt, for instance, is priced at RM129.