When it comes to headscarves, "Art Deco is the big style for 2007," says designer Jeny Tjahyawati of Mumtaaz Boutique in Central Jakarta.

For one odd moment, I picture a woman with the Chrysler Building on her head. But Jeny dispels my confusion by picking out a purple scarf that's snug around the front and a little baggy at the crown. A band of large, funky flowers goes on top to frame the face.

Clara Bow could have worn this jilbab. It's the "it" headscarf. It's adorable.

"There are many types of headscarf, especially in Indonesia," says store owner Keke Z. Sugitahari. "We are wearing Muslim clothes, but they're not like Arabian clothes. We're creating our own Indonesian Muslim style."

Just a year and a half ago, this store on busy Jl. Penjernihan Raya in Pejompongan was a multi-designer showcase for secular styles. But stores change with fashion, and Keke believes the fashion these days is Muslim.

"This business is emerging right now," he says. "With the freedom of expression we have now, people feel more confident about wearing the jilbab."

Keke is aiming for the highest end, or what he calls the "A-plus segment", of the market: "My objective is for Mumtaaz to become the mecca of Muslim fashion."

That entails equal parts salesmanship and education, because the scarves at the high end - what Keke terms "creative jilbab" -- are the most challenging to wear.

"You have to make it on your head before you go to the party," he explains. "It consists of two or three pieces of cloth mixed on the head. Very complicated."

But, lest he scare away customers, he adds that it takes no more than 10 minutes to put on. The store also sells a simple, snug-fitting scarf to be worn under the "creative jilbab", known as a ciput, or snail, because of its resemblance to a snail shell. There's also what Keke calls the jilbab topi, or hat jilbab, a stylish one-piece design.

What Mumtaaz does not sell is simple, wide, flowing headscarves that amply cover the upper body - what Keke refers to as the white jilbab.

"The white one is very simple. Very simple, like a nun," he says.

Some women feel they have to dress that way, he adds. But, "I think once she knows how to make a creative jilbab, every woman will try it," he says craftily.

High-end shops like this one help women style their headscarves to flatter the shape of the face.

"This is if she has full cheeks; then you can't tie it in the back," says Jeny, demonstrating how to fasten a scarf under the chin to partially cover the cheeks and reduce their prominence. "If she has a slim face she can tie it in back" to make her face look fuller. One can also add a rolled-up scarf under the jilbab to give it more height, or add flowers or other decorations to emphasize a particular feature.

How many headscarves does a woman need? Five is the minimum, says Jeny. "The basic colors are black, white, pink, blue and cream. You can mix those."

"But when women wear the headscarf, they can buy a lot," she adds, saying some women like to have three for every outfit.

When I ask who launched the headscarf trend of recent years, Keke replies unhesitatingly: "Actresses". He says Inneke Koesherowati was especially influential when she started wearing one several years ago after ending her career in steamy low-budget flicks.

"Inneke did it, and then some other actresses did it too, and people started to copy it."

Not everybody is a fan of the more stylish type of headscarf worn by many celebrities, dubbing them "kudung gaul" (trendy head covers).

Will Indonesian women ever adopt stricter veils that cover the face?

Keke doubts it. "In Indonesia there's a lot of Muslim groups, very different types of Muslim groups," he says. "We have 800 different languages. We have 13,000 islands. It's very difficult to unite everybody."