As history would have it, our ancestors have been wearing head coverings for the longest time and for a variety of reasons. The headwrap worn by most women of African descent represents more than just a piece of fabric folded around the head. It is seen as a symbol of empowerment by the enslaved and their descendants who have regarded the headwrap as a helmet of courage symbolic of the homeland – be that ancient Africa or home in the Diaspora. Although mainly African in style and now worn by millions of women all over the world, the headwrap is a uniform evoking a unified identity and sense of community amongst women.
The “African” style headwrap is worn differently in contemporary black culture compared to other backgrounds. For example, an European or American white woman will usually tie her head using a scarf by folding two opposite points of the fabric until it forms a triangular shape. She would then cover her hair, placing the longest side of the scarf against her forehead and tying two ends tightly at the nape of her neck. This Euro American style flattens the hair and holds it down to flow back and downward towards the neck in a sleek manner.
In contrast, the African headscarf is usually rectangular in shape and often tied from the nape of the neck to the front knotting atop the forehead pulling the hair upwards and exposing the woman’s full facial features.Fast forward to today’s contemporary culture and you will find many women – both of African and non-African descent wearing headwraps. It is stylish and on-trend. What was once just a head covering is now a bold fashion statement with its roots in making women feel confident about themselves.
Although there are many neck scarves in most retail stores that could double as a headwrap, they are not always as versatile. Sometimes, this is because they are not the right length or texture to achieve the proper fold. You can buy headwraps online from The Wrap Life.
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What do you love the most about headwraps?
I’m a seasoned communications and marketing consultant with a penchant for all things stylish and chic. Follow me on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates on industry trends and much more!
That headwrap looks very fantastic! Why not wearing a head scarf instead of a hat, it looks so fab.
xx Simone
Little Glittery Box
Author
Yup! And there are different ways to tie a head wrap or a headscarf which makes it so unique compared to wearing a hat. 🙂
Love the headwrap! The culture history and influence of headwrap was great in this post. This time of the year, i wear a lot of headwrap.
http://www.comfycozyup.com
Author
For sure… the colder months means headwrap season, which can protect your hair from harsh elements.
The head wrap truly does look fabulous and I love the range of prints I’ve seen them in! Happy 2019!
Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x
Author
Happy New Year Gabrielle! Wishing you lots of love, laughter and light in 2019. 🙂
Love the head wrap. Many black women in the UK wear them during the summer because of the bold colours of the African printed fabric, but they are a great alternative to hats in the winter too.
Madeline
http://www.madelinewilsonojo.com
Author
Hi Madeline!
Yes, the summer is one of those popular seasons for wearing the headwrap and less so in the winter due to the cold. Nice to hear from you!
Happy New Year hon! Headwraps have come a long way! I love to wear them using different textures, prints, shapes…but it’s winter now and so I must wear warmer head accessories but I can’t wait to return to my vibrant headwraps. I feel very empowered when I wear them! ( :
Author
Hey Biki,
You are so right. Headwraps feel very empowering to wear for sure. Hope you are having a Happy New Year so far!
Headwraps are life savers and they can turn a bad a hair day into a BOLD CHIC STYLE.
https://www.stephylately.com/
Author
Hello StephyLately,
You completely said it right! I couldn’t agree with you more. 🙂
I like headwraps, but don’t know how to tie them from scratch, so I’m thankful for the Ankara and Velvet turbans that make it easy!
Berry Dakara Blog
Author
Hello Berry!
Nice. Turbans do add a nice to most outfits and it’s so convenient. Glad you found something that works for you!