Gadis Ayu Bertudung

Many people say that when they wear the tudung, they are freed from the shackles of fashion. They no longer have to follow the trends of the day. They are now on a different path, where their clothes are an expression of their faith, not their desires.

Today, somehow, this statement is starting to sound more and more shallow.
Case in point, the superfluity (thank Dictionary.com for that) of tudung styles. If you were to visit The Hijab Shop website, you will find so many different styles of tudung (some never before seen in Malaysia) in so many different colours, and patterns, and lengths. And of course our homegrown varieties shouldn't be forgotten, i.e Wardina, Waheeda, Mawi, Ina etc. etc. Hijab is now a fashion industry in itself, and it won't be long before the luxury fashion houses decide to tag along.

This is not to say, of course, that all muslim women should be dour tudung labuh wearing matrons in shapeless jubahs. I of all people, am certainly in no position to tell people what they should, what they should not do. And if someone wants to wear a black chador , feeling that it is what Islam demands of them, I have no quarrel with that. But here ,rather, I wish to ask why people should wear the hijab in the first place.
I'm no scholar so I don't have the answer. But I can question, and my question is: don't the bright, striking, and highly visible tudungs detract from the purpose of the legislation of the hijab, which to my understanding is to enforce modesty?
What about individuality? Does the hijab rob you of your identity or is it possible to strike a balance between the two?
And finally, what about faith? Does a black abaya denote a higher level of faith than that of a baju kurung?

I'm not trying to be smart, only curious. Everyday I see so many women practicing this aspect of their faith, yet at the same time , neglecting it. I think that we are so concerned about wrapping our heads that we forget to fill them up, which in my view is the more important of the two.
What good is it to be free from one fashion trend only to be enslaved by another?