"I tried to find every reason not to wear it," she said. "But I came to the conclusion it was like listening to your parents. We may not know the wisdom behind it now, but we'll realize it later."
Her parents, she said, actually were troubled by the decision, fearful that she was becoming "too Muslim" and isolating herself from mainstream society.
Today, though, they respect her decision and are glad she wears the hijab, which she said she sees as a sacrifice for God.
These days the hijab has become a flashpoint of controversy over women's rights, religious extremism and terrorism -- a symbol in some eyes of more radical Islam. The French government banned the hijab in schools. But for Khan, Amjad and Prodhan, it's an expression of cultural and religious identity as well as a fashion accessory to be matched with a stylish handbag or jacket.
Modest doesn't have to mean ugly, said Sarah Ansari, co-owner of Artizara.com, a San Diego-based company that sells modest clothing with a modern flare.
Her site features wide-leg pants, tops that go up to the neck and down past the buttocks, and tailored jackets that cinch in a bit -- but not too much -- at the waist. Her best-selling item, she said, is a flowing tie-dye skirt festooned with sequins, a staple offering at any youth-oriented mall clothing store.
"I don't think there's anything in Islam that precludes women from looking attractive or professional," she said. "No one says you have to look like a bag lady. Actually, the Prophet [Muhammad] was known for wearing perfume, being clean and very well dressed."
One Web site, http://www.thehijabshop.com/ , offers a line of stretchable cotton athletic hijabs that are slipped over the head or fastened with Velcro rather than wrapped. Another, http://www.hasema.com/shopen , sells full-body swimsuits for women.
And dozens of sites selling trendy, modest clothes have cropped up in recent years, not only for a Muslim clientele but for orthodox Jews and conservative Christians as well.
Ansari, who is Muslim, said her customers range in age from 13 to 65 and come from a variety of backgrounds.
For Amjad, Khan, Prodhan and their friends, mainstream stores such Banana Republic and H&M offer enough choices. The latter, a Swedish retailer, is especially popular because its up-to-the-minute European styles tend to cover more of the body than standard American offerings, they said.
During their shopping trip, the young women pointed out their favorite styles of the day: peasant skirts, billowy gaucho pants that fall to the ankles and tunic-style tops that end far below the waist. They tend to buy jeans a size bigger than their actual size, fix ankle-baring skirts with a chic pair of boots and pair sleeveless tops with concealing blazers.
They will, however, occasionally buy an outfit that doesn't follow the rules, saving it for "sisters-only" -- or women-only -- events such as like sleepovers or bridal parties.
The hijab adds another accessory to the mix, they said, and has the bonus of covering up a bad hair day, Khan joked.
In all seriousness, she said, the hijab is a garment for the body and the soul.
"It lifts you up as a person," she said. "You're seen more as a person than that girl with her hair flowing around."
