Spirituality & Style
From good-luck charms to hijabs to crystals, the clothing and accessories we wear can reflect our religious and spiritual identities and experiences. Here’s how Northwestern students across a range of spiritual identities are using fashion to represent themselves.
Aliyah Moad — Hijab
During her freshman year of college, sophomore Aliyah Moad decided to start wearing a hijab.
Hijabs are a type of head covering that Muslim women may choose to wear. Its religious significance in Islam is outlined in the Quran.
“It derives from a verse that tells women to draw their veils over their chests and their hair, implicitly,” she said. “It’s related to modesty.”
For Moad, it’s a way of reminding her of her relationship with God and Islamic values.
“Islam is about submission to God. That’s what the word means in Arabic.” Moad said. “Any form of practice — wearing a hijab — is a type of submission to God. It helps me be a better person. I’m more conscious of how I act, and I’m able to be more of the person I want to be.”
Moad’s mother decided to wear a hijab when she came to the United States to get her Master’s as an adult, and faced some judgment from peers.
“After she started wearing a hijab, a lot of the other students would look down on her as though she was less intelligent. The perception is of a docile, doormat woman — someone who has internalized misogyny on a deep level,” she said. “Women making a choice will always look a certain way.”
Moad has received relatively more acceptance around wearing a hijab but still experiences some ignorance.
“Someone was expressing concern about me being trapped in some way. I know they’re coming from a good place. For the record, I’m not trapped.”
Ultimately, however, Moad’s choice to wear a hijab is uniquely hers.
“I can only speak for myself because it’s different for a lot of people,” she said. “Being a minority religion in the U.S., I want people to know that I’m Muslim.”
Katie Mumford — Kandi Bracelets
The EDM — electronic dance music — scene may not seem like the epitome of spirituality, but it is for senior Katie Mumford.
“I go to concerts that are geared towards the spiritual side — a place where I’m listening to music and dancing really freely.”
The spirituality of the rave scene can be summarized in one phrase: PLUR, which stands for peace, love, unity and respect.
“People go to these things with the intention of making safe spaces, expressing gratitude and being present,” Mumford said. “It leans into a lot of general spiritual practices.”
The values of PLUR cross into the EDM scene through the tradition of trading Kandi bracelets at concerts, which are typically handmade with lettered beads that spell out a phrase related to the concert. Mumford has been able to partake in the trading of bracelets, which is always optional.
“It’s about being connected with one another. Practicing gratitude,” Mumford said. “It became a really beautiful little experience with a stranger that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else in my life.”
In rave culture, the first Kandi bracelet a person receives tends to be the most special. Often, if someone attends an event without any bracelets, someone will give them one to wear without trading. Mumford vividly remembers receiving her first bracelet at the first EDM concert she went to.
“These random strangers saw that I was really vibing to the music. We all started just dancing together,” Mumford said. “They were giving me a bracelet and I was like, ‘no, I don’t have any.’ They were just saying PLUR.”
While Kandi bracelets have been around since the 90s, a similar trend emerged during Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in which concertgoers traded beaded bracelets with song titles or references on them. Mumford believes that the way bracelet trading spread to Swifties reflects its spirituality.
“I’m glad that they’re able to get a taste of how beautiful it can be to gather with strangers and exchange accessories just for the sake of doing it,” Mumford said. “There’s something to the themes of kindness to strangers and how it goes beyond what beliefs someone has.”
Mary Armoska — Crystal Jewelry
If you see junior Mary Armoska walking around campus, you’ll likely also see her wearing a necklace with a tiny vial containing over 20 herbs, spices, flowers and crystals.
She bought it from a TikTok creator @codythesoundhealer who intuitively curates the contents for each customer. The one she has now, designed specifically for protection, is the third one she’s purchased.
“I had two before this and they each broke,” she said. “Some people believe that when a crystal breaks after you’ve been carrying it around for a long time, it’s absorbed all the energy, or it means you’re growing rapidly.”
Each item in the vial typically correlates to specific purposes. Fire agate is said to have a “grounding energy” and amazonite represents courage. Chamomile and lavender are both associated with relaxation, while mugwort helps “protect against harmful influences.”
Lately, however, Armoska tends to use her intuition more in choosing other crystals and jewelry, as opposed to their assigned associations. To her, they each have “their own vibe.”
“I used to keep track of what they are and what they’re supposed to do,” she said. “Now, I don’t care as much to research. If I choose you, that probably means you’ll do something for me.”
Wearing crystal jewelry keeps Armoska aware of herself and in line with her spiritual views.
“It’s about reminding myself about the energy that I’m trying to cultivate,” she said. “If I put it on, I’m in my spiritual baddie era. It makes me more conscious of myself, my thoughts, how I act in treating other people.”
Armoska’s understanding of the necklace’s spiritual properties relates to the butterfly effect: the idea that small changes have the potential to shape larger life events. The necklace’s energy guides small moments in her life that keep her protected.
“I consider it a reminder that I’m already protected,” she said. “I know things are working out the way they’re supposed to, even if I can’t see it.”