The viral rise of the Hijabers Community (circa 2015-2019) created a glamorous, urban aesthetic. By 2019, this evolved into "Jilbab 19"—a hyper-commercialized version of piety.
This violates tabarruj (ostentatious display of beauty), which is forbidden regardless of the jilbab’s length. Moderate view: It’s between the woman and God, but public spaces deserve modesty. Liberal view: It’s a personal choice and a form of agency.
The dream of every jilbab woman is to send her parents to Mecca. Jilbab 19 exposes the travel haji bodong (fraudulent pilgrimage travel agents). It is a uniquely Indonesian tragedy: poor families saving for decades, only to be scammed by people who use religious jargon to steal life savings.