Modal Hijab Guide: What Modal Fabric Is and Why It Doesn't Slip

The short answer: modal is a soft, smooth fabric made from wood pulp, most often beech, that is dissolved and spun into fibre. It belongs to the same family as viscose (rayon) but is stronger when wet and keeps its shape better in the wash. A modal hijab is a scarf knitted from this fibre: silky, breathable and matte, so over a matching undercap it holds with one pin or magnet, and often with none. For your first one, choose a modal hijab set with an undercap in the same colour, start with a neutral shade, and wash it cool. This guide explains what modal is, why it works, how it compares with jersey and chiffon, three easy ways to wear it, and how to choose from more than sixty shades.

What is modal fabric?

Modal is a regenerated cellulose fibre: wood pulp, most often from beech, is dissolved and spun into a fine, smooth filament. It belongs to the same family as viscose but is stronger when wet and holds its shape better through washing. Knitted into jersey, it becomes a thin, fluid fabric with a matte finish and a gentle stretch.

So modal is neither fully natural nor fully synthetic: the raw material is natural, but it is turned into fibre by a chemical process. It is often called a semi-synthetic or regenerated fibre.

Bamboo modal usually describes a modal-type fibre made with bamboo pulp, sometimes blended with wood-based fibres. In the hand it feels much the same: soft, smooth and cool. Our Bamboo Modal Hijab with Cap has a slightly weightier drape, while our Modal Hijab with Undercap is thinner and airier.

Why modal doesn't slip, breathes and drapes

Slipping comes down to surface and weight. Smooth, shiny fabrics such as satin and silk have little friction, so they slide off hair and off each other. Modal jersey behaves differently:

• A matte, knitted surface. The fine loops of the knit create just enough friction to hold a fold where you place it.
• A gentle stretch. The fabric gives as you wrap it and then settles, so one pin or magnet holds the shape instead of fighting it.
• A fluid, slightly weighted drape. The ends fall and stay down rather than lifting in the breeze, which helps on a windy cycle to work.

The biggest factor is what you wear underneath. A stretch-jersey undercap gives the hijab a matte surface to hold on to instead of smooth hair, which is why we sell our modal hijabs as sets with an undercap in the same colour. Modal is not the grippiest fabric there is (classic jersey holds harder), but many women find it the most comfortable from morning to evening.

Comfort is the other reason modal is so popular. Like cotton, it is a cellulose fibre, so it takes up moisture from the skin and lets it evaporate, and it does not build up static the way many synthetics do. The fine fibre falls in soft folds, for a calm, neat line without shine.

Modal vs jersey vs chiffon

If pin-free hold matters most, start with jersey hijabs; for occasions, look at chiffon hijabs. For everything in between, modal is the calm, comfortable default. The hijab fabric guide compares seven fabrics side by side.

Choosing a modal hijab set with a matching undercap

A hijab with undercap in the same colour solves three small problems at once: no flash of a different shade at the hairline, a second layer that makes pale colours more opaque, and a base that gives the hijab its grip. You also only have to choose once.

Both of our modal lines are sold this way. The modal hijab set pairs thin, breathable modal jersey with a matching stretch-jersey undercap, in 66 shades; the bamboo modal set has a softer, weightier drape and its own matching cap, in 61 shades. For hijabs you already own, or for a deliberate contrast, the separate Hijab Undercap, Modal comes in 25 colours with a gentle non-slip grip. Keep two or three: black, white and a shade close to your skin tone. See all underscarves and undercaps.

How to wear a modal hijab: three easy styles

Every style starts the same way: put on the undercap just behind the hairline and smooth the hijab over it.

1. The everyday wrap

1. Drape the hijab with one side about a hand's length longer than the other.
2. Fasten under your chin with a pin or a hijab magnet.
3. Take the long side over the top of your head to the opposite side and tuck or pin it there.
4. Let both ends fall softly over your chest.

2. The full-coverage drape

1. Drape the hijab evenly and fasten under the chin.
2. Bring each side forward over the chest and cross them loosely.
3. Pin each end at the opposite shoulder, so the chest stays covered when you bend.

This suits the mosque; for salah itself, many women prefer a khimar or prayer dress, as explained in prayer set vs prayer dress.

3. The neat tuck

1. Start as for the everyday wrap.
2. Wrap the long side around the front of your neck and round to the back.
3. Tuck or pin the end at the nape, so nothing flaps in the wind or catches on a bag strap.

This is the style for cycling, commuting and travel. Magnets hold two layers without making holes in fine modal, while pins hold more firmly; see hijab magnets vs pins vs tape. If you would rather not wrap at all, try an instant hijab.

Choosing a colour from 60+ shades

Each of our modal lines comes in more than sixty shades, which is lovely and a little overwhelming. A simple way to build a rotation:

• Start with two neutrals: black or espresso, plus a light one such as cream, stone or greige.
• Add a shade close to your skin tone, such as nude, latte, mocha or taupe, for a soft look that sits well with prints.
• Take one or two colours from your abayas: sage with olive, dusty rose with grey, navy with camel.
• Keep deeper brights for occasions. Emerald, royal blue or red look beautiful with a plain black abaya for Eid.

Screens vary, so compare photos in daylight if you can.

How to wash a modal hijab

• Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, or hand wash, with similar colours in a mesh laundry bag. Check the label first.
• Do not wring. Press out the water in a towel and dry flat, because hanging a wet knit can stretch it.
• Skip the tumble dryer. If needed, iron on a low setting.
• Store it folded or rolled rather than on a hook, so it keeps its shape.

Shop the edit

• Modal Hijab with Undercap in Mocha — thin, breathable modal jersey with its matching undercap.
• Modal Hijab with Undercap in Black — the everyday neutral.
• Bamboo Modal Hijab with Cap in Latte — a softer, weightier drape with a matching cap.
• Bamboo Modal Hijab with Cap in Petrol — a deep, muted colour for autumn and winter.
• Hijab Undercap, Modal in Nude — a soft base for any hijab.

Or browse all modal hijabs and underscarves and undercaps.

Frequently asked questions

What is modal fabric?

Modal is a soft fabric made from wood pulp, usually beech, that is dissolved and spun into fibre. It is related to viscose but stronger when wet and more stable in the wash.

Is modal natural or synthetic?

Neither, strictly. Modal starts from natural wood pulp but is made into fibre by a chemical process, so it is called a regenerated or semi-synthetic fibre, like viscose.

Is modal better than viscose?

For hijabs, modal is usually the easier choice: it keeps its shape better when wet and tends to shrink less. Both feel soft and breathe well; viscose is often a little drapier.

Does a modal hijab slip?

Much less than satin, silk or chiffon. Over a matching undercap it holds with one pin or magnet, and many wearers need none. Classic jersey grips harder if you want fully pin-free hold.

Is a modal hijab see-through?

Our modal jersey is opaque in most shades; the very lightest can show a little, which the matching undercap takes care of. In very pale shades such as white or ivory, the matching undercap adds a second layer at the hairline.

What is the difference between modal and bamboo modal?

Both are soft cellulose fibres made from plant pulp; bamboo modal uses bamboo. Ours differ mainly in drape: bamboo modal is slightly weightier, modal thinner and airier.

Is a modal hijab good for summer?

Yes. Modal breathes and handles moisture well, so it stays comfortable in the heat.

Do I need an undercap with a modal hijab?

Not necessarily, but it helps: it keeps hair in place, adds coverage and gives the hijab something to grip. Our modal sets include one in the same colour.

Can I wear a modal hijab for swimming?

Modal absorbs water and becomes heavy, so choose a swim hijab for the pool or sea; see swim dress vs burkini.

Related: hijab fabric guide · modest wear glossary.

More guides: how to wash a hijab · the best hijab for summer