UK department store stocks sports hijabs

LONDON: House of Fraser, a British department store group, has started selling 'sports hijabs' for women to wear when they exercise and even while swimming.

The store, which delivers to over 130 countries, offers a variety of head scarves on their website.

PHOTO: REUTERS

A spokesperson for House of Fraser told a newspaper, "I can confirm that are we are now stocking the Shorso sportswear brand online as we offer a wide range of products to suit our diverse customer base."

The move is likely to make head scarves easily available for women in non-Islamic countries who would previously have to depend on specialist shops.

Read: Pregnant Muslim woman in France attacked for wearing headscarf

The hijabs, made by Shorso, are available in vibrant colours with floral, striped and plain black designs, retailing at £14.99 per headscarf.

PHOTO: HOUSE OF FRASER

The item description reads: 'This patterned sports hijab is perfect for swimming and aerobics. The light weight and durable fabric adjusts to your head size, allowing for a perfect fit every time.'

Wearing a hijab in sports has long been a contested issue.

Previously, the Qatar women's basketball team withdrew from the Asian Games 2014 in South Korea after they were prohibited from wearing the hijab during matches.

PHOTO: HOUSE OF FRASER

However, despite a ban on headgears and hair accessories in sports uniforms in world basketball, Fifa announced it was allowing the use of head scarves in matches for religious reasons.

Read: FIFA lifts ban on hijab for women footballers

This article originally appeared on Mail Online