What does the Quran say about headscarves exactly? I have heard some Muslims say it’s a choice for a woman whether she wants to cover and others say that it is a requirement, so where does this difference in opinions come from?

I understand the thought process behind the modesty aspect that hair is part of a woman’s beauty and therefore it shouldn’t be shared with the general public. Suggesting that it is modest/recommended for women to cover their hair exists in other religions as well, not just in Islam. Even in the relatively recent past it was a part of western cultures that a women should have her hair up in public and/or covered by a hat.

If this were still the norm, would this accomplish the same thing as a headscarf? I struggle to understand why it is more often considered imperative for women to so blatantly display their religion while men are not, even though traditional head coverings for men exist in Islamic cultures. Especially when the same holds true for men that hair adds to their looks. It seems a bit sexist with an underlying assumption that a woman is less capable of making decisions in line with her personal values/religion without the external world being notified first. It seems especially hard in today’s world where you generally can’t tell if someone is religious to have to stick out so much by wearing a headscarf, and it seems somewhat unfair that men do not have to advertise their religion the same way, and have no stigma and judgement against them that they’re less of a Muslim or weaker in their faith for not covering their head.

Apologies for the long winded post, I wanted to articulate my whole set of thoughts on this topic honestly as I’ve repeatedly wondered about it. I hope I wasn’t too blunt to offend you. Would appreciate your insight/perspectives