Global Fashion: The Headwrap
Words by Isabella Kanjanapangka
Photos by Heidi M. Gress
Styling: Alli Halladay / Taylor Smedley // Makeup: Kate Giddings
Models: Sovrenne, Meg, Sanjana, Jessica, Salma
Considered to be a symbolism of everything from ownership to religious virtue to class distinction to cultural rebellion, the head covering is a controversial topic that elicits the most fervent of emotions and opinions to this very day.
The head wrap, scarf or covering - a small piece of cloth ranging from modestly plain to flamboyantly bold - used to cover the hair on one’s head is arguably one of the most polarizing yet identifying articles of clothing throughout ancient and modern history. Considered to be a symbolism of everything from ownership to religious virtue to class distinction to cultural rebellion, the head covering is a controversial topic that elicits the most fervent of emotions and opinions to this very day.
In order to understand how we got here, it’s necessary to start by examining the rich history of the head covering. The earliest known record dates back to the 13th century, found in the interpretation of the Assyrian Code, an ancient legal code developed in the Middle Assyrian Empire, stated that head coverings were used back then for men to claim ownership over women, according to The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, which could be attributed to the origin of the bridal veil as we know it today. Notably, the head covering was only reserved for women of higher standing and anyone of lower class was not allowed to be veiled assisting in gaslighting women into thinking it was something to aspire to. A woman who did not wear a head covering was labeled as a prostitute or adulteress.
Moving through history, early Christians started to view women’s hair as a distraction in the holy church and women had to wear a head covering in public worship and private prayer at home. The Bible records the veil as a feminine emblem of modesty and this symbolism stuck around for centuries, until at least the 19th century and was regarded as a religious custom for Christian women in Mediterranean, European, Indian, Middle Eastern and African societies.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana in 1786, an oppressive law was instituted forcing all Black women to wear the tignon, a large piece of material tied or wrapped around the head to form a kind of turban, to differentiate from white women, which then took on a negative connotation. Tignons were typically worn by enslaved women to keep their hair up while they worked. Requiring free Black women to wear the same hair covering was intended as a statement of inferiority. Insert a cultural rebellion of the head covering that stands in history as the piece de resistance. The tignon was widely adopted in accordance with the law, but instead of a sign of inferiority, Black women embraced the tignon as a mark of beauty, wealth and creativity utilizing colorful, expensive fabrics and tied decorated them with feathers and jewels, which became a subtle rebellion against oppression.
When slavery was abolished, the tignon was abandoned due to its association with oppression and slavery. But, made a comeback in the early 20th century when hair extensions became popular and satin-lined headwraps would protect hair from heat and humidity. By the 1990s, the natural hair movement was gaining traction and head wraps became a statement piece declaring and celebrating African roots.
Women’s suffrage, the right of women to vote in elections fast-tracked the women empowerment movement. During the 1800s in different parts of the world, bonnets and hats began to cover less of the hair and these head coverings became more of a fashion statement and were not worn indoors anymore being reserved for practical purposes outdoors to protect the hair and face from the elements. Head coverings were less about religious piety and more about representation of social class, fashion sense and marital state.
Up until WWI, women would wear a cap upon waking and would never leave the house without a hat or bonnet as an act of modesty. Cultural changes became evident when skirts became shorter and women’s head coverings outside of church were no longer necessary. But, by WWII, women started to cover their hair with turbans, scarves and hats again in practicality to protect their hair as they worked to fill the vacancies left by men who went off to fight in the war.
The rise of feminism in the 20th century saw the decline of head coverings in Western culture. In 1968, the National Organization for Women released a Resolution on Head Coverings, which stated, “The wearing of a head covering by women at religious services is a custom in many churches and whereas it is a symbol of subjection within these churches, NOW recommends that all chapters undertake an effort to have all women participate in a "national unveiling"...to protest the second class status of women in all churches.”
Despite the feminist movement, religious head coverings are still in use to this day and are even being revived in the Western World in congregations where the practice had lapsed. In present-day Christian women wear headscarves in Eastern Europe, the shawl in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Russia, the head tie in West Africa, Caribbean and North America, the mantilla in Spain, Latin America, Philippines and North America, the dupatta in India and Pakistan, the marama in Romania, the netela in Ethiopia and Eritrea and the kapp and bonnet (Mennonites, Amish, Schwarzenau & River Brethren and Conservative Quakers) in North America.
As a contention point in conflicting modern times, we continually find head coverings in the midst of controversy. Case in point, while France bans religious garments, including the Muslim hijab, in state schools, Nike launched a Pro Hijab, the first major sporting apparel brand to offer a head covering for Muslim women choosing to wear one. Through the exclusions and bans we converse and learn leading to evolve greater acceptance of our cultural differences contributing to diversity and inclusivity.
Head Scarf
As early as the 1910s French fashion houses were dreaming up designs that included colorful, embellished scarves on the head. Fashion plates for designs by French couturier Paul Poiret show headscarves in bold patterns, sometimes affixed with a centered jewel Hermès debuted its first scarf in 1937, with an elaborate woodblock design on imported Chinese silk. The item became a fixture in high society, worn by Queen Elizabeth II of England, American First Lady Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis and Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, the last of whom once famously used her Hermès scarf to fashionably sling her injured arm..
DUKU
In Ghana, ‘duku’ is the Akan name given to head wrap. It is mostly tied around the head with a knot at the back, front or the side.This headwrap originated from Africa and is traditionally worn by women in many different countries. It is called 'Duku' in Ghana, 'Gele' in Nigeria and 'Doek' in South Africa.
Turban
The turban frequently covers the whole head, concealing the hair from view, and sometimes the cloth is wrapped around a turban cap rather than directly around the head. Some experts believe that the turban originated in Persia, modern-day Iran, while others think that it was invented by the Egyptians. Notably, it rose to popularity in fashion in the 1910s as a symbol of eastern glamour, while in the 1940s it was worn by everyone from Hollywood stars to land girls. While the fashion turban is widely accepted and worn globally, a classic turban is a symbol of spirituality and holiness in Sikhism.
HIJAB
Primarily associated with Islam, the headscarf has been popular in different parts of the world for a spectrum of cultural, religious, and pragmatic reasons. The hijab, as well as other traditional modest garments, including the abaya and the jilba envelop the body from the neck down. For many women, wearing the hijab was—and is—an element of piety.There is a current rise in Hijabistas, young fashionistas that mix street fashion and influences from the catwalks with the Muslim hijab.
STORYTELLING SCARVES
Many Indigenous peoples share a belief that they emerged from the Earth. The Hopi, the westernmost group of Pueblo Indians, is one of these peoples. The Hopi origin story has it that Hopis used to live beneath the earth. Avid storytellers, designer Jessica Wiarda from the Hopi/Tewa tribes have adapted the visual storytelling of their ancestors and printed them on fabrics used as scarves tied around the head so the pattern can easily be seen.