Why on earth would I bother to write about wearing a scarf?
Because it's actually been quite the experience.
A little history first.
I've always been fascinated by women who wrap their hair/head. Why would anyone cover their hair? How do they do those elaborate wraps?
I've also liked scarves for a very long time, but never really felt the necessity to own a bunch since I would only wear warm ones in the summer. Then, I started getting into wearing them and tying them in different ways around my neck.
When I cut my hair into a pixie cut last August, and the weather started to get cooler, it only seemed natural to start wrapping one around my head. Especially at work since a beanie didn't seem very professional every day I was there. And headbands hurt...
I loved it! I quickly learned that it also helped when my hair was not cooperating and I didn't have time to flatten the back of it before leaving the house. I started experimenting and learned how to do a bun. My life was changed. I realized that I've always wanted really long hair but I don't have the patience for it and being able to manipulate a scarf much like I would my hair is quite satisfying.
Jumping to the "looks", I've certainly noticed a mixed bag of reactions to my style choice. Some people ask me how the heck I make a bun with a scarf and keep it from falling off my head... So far my explanations have sufficed but I am still meaning to make a video instructional. Others have complimented me and said it makes me look quite Romani or Gypsy like. Considering my great-grandpa was "Prussian" and I've always liked gypsy type styles...I'll take it as a compliment, haha.
And then there are those who refrain from saying anything mean but who give me the O.o or the -.- look of distaste. I noticed it early on and it's had me reflecting on cultures who wrap their hair/heads a lot more.
Generally speaking most people think of Muslim women when they think of women who cover their hair. Or Orthodox Jewish women who begin covering their hair after marriage. Lots of African women do as well, and to be honest I'm mostly inspired by their ways.
Don't forget that a lot of Christian women cover their hair, too. Nuns and the Amish (and similar groups) are well known. But, did you know that Catholics are supposed to cover their hair, as well as Protestants, and most other Christian denominations? Yet, it seems like women are often questioned for participating in this practice. The immediate assumption is that they're being oppressed.
In some cases I would agree. No woman should be forced to dress a certain way.
I've also come across a lot of cases where Muslim women argue that they want to wear the hijab, or even the niqab as well. For many it actually makes them less self-conscious because they're not being judged for how they look, but rather what comes out of their mouth. Now, Muslim Women would be an entirely different topic to blog about, so moving on....
Another "group" who wears scarves are women, or men if they're like Sterling Archer...., who have cancer and are undergoing treatment that causes their hair to fall out. But since my bangs are usually sticking out I rarely get looks that equate to, "Is she sick??" It HAS happened though.
SO. I can, after a year of on and off head wrapping attest to the idea that it DOES make me feel more confident. Bad hair days are a thing of the past and my morning routine is drastically shortened.
I don't wear one every day but as I acquire more and more scarfs (Christmas hint!) I'm enjoying it even more. In fact I thought I'd try out a Hijab....Not bad for a first try. ;) I can thank this video for the help. It's quite warm and comfy, and I'm actually really tempted to wear this around just to see how people treat me. People gave me enough interesting looks when it was just thrown around my head like a cowl. Although, I did garner a compliment from an Eastern European woman which was pretty fantastic. :D
I also believe that I've taken to this sort of thing so greatly because I love to change my hair, A LOT. But there's only so much cutting and dying that I can do...and I certainly don't have the patience to grow it out to my butt... Learning various head wraps helps fulfill this need of mine for change.
Conclusion: I have many more reasons for wrapping my head, whether my hair is fully covered or not. The most important one being that it makes me happy. And really, that's all that matters. ... And after doing this blog I'm now more curious as to the history of women covering their hair, aha so I'll be delving into that even more, in my free time...
<--- Hopefully YouTube can help me learn how to crazy wraps like this!
Because it's actually been quite the experience.
A little history first.
I've always been fascinated by women who wrap their hair/head. Why would anyone cover their hair? How do they do those elaborate wraps?
I've also liked scarves for a very long time, but never really felt the necessity to own a bunch since I would only wear warm ones in the summer. Then, I started getting into wearing them and tying them in different ways around my neck.
When I cut my hair into a pixie cut last August, and the weather started to get cooler, it only seemed natural to start wrapping one around my head. Especially at work since a beanie didn't seem very professional every day I was there. And headbands hurt... I loved it! I quickly learned that it also helped when my hair was not cooperating and I didn't have time to flatten the back of it before leaving the house. I started experimenting and learned how to do a bun. My life was changed. I realized that I've always wanted really long hair but I don't have the patience for it and being able to manipulate a scarf much like I would my hair is quite satisfying.
Jumping to the "looks", I've certainly noticed a mixed bag of reactions to my style choice. Some people ask me how the heck I make a bun with a scarf and keep it from falling off my head... So far my explanations have sufficed but I am still meaning to make a video instructional. Others have complimented me and said it makes me look quite Romani or Gypsy like. Considering my great-grandpa was "Prussian" and I've always liked gypsy type styles...I'll take it as a compliment, haha.
And then there are those who refrain from saying anything mean but who give me the O.o or the -.- look of distaste. I noticed it early on and it's had me reflecting on cultures who wrap their hair/heads a lot more.
 | |
| A married Jewish woman wearing a headscarf |
Don't forget that a lot of Christian women cover their hair, too. Nuns and the Amish (and similar groups) are well known. But, did you know that Catholics are supposed to cover their hair, as well as Protestants, and most other Christian denominations? Yet, it seems like women are often questioned for participating in this practice. The immediate assumption is that they're being oppressed.
In some cases I would agree. No woman should be forced to dress a certain way.
I've also come across a lot of cases where Muslim women argue that they want to wear the hijab, or even the niqab as well. For many it actually makes them less self-conscious because they're not being judged for how they look, but rather what comes out of their mouth. Now, Muslim Women would be an entirely different topic to blog about, so moving on....
Another "group" who wears scarves are women, or men if they're like Sterling Archer...., who have cancer and are undergoing treatment that causes their hair to fall out. But since my bangs are usually sticking out I rarely get looks that equate to, "Is she sick??" It HAS happened though.
SO. I can, after a year of on and off head wrapping attest to the idea that it DOES make me feel more confident. Bad hair days are a thing of the past and my morning routine is drastically shortened.
I don't wear one every day but as I acquire more and more scarfs (Christmas hint!) I'm enjoying it even more. In fact I thought I'd try out a Hijab....Not bad for a first try. ;) I can thank this video for the help. It's quite warm and comfy, and I'm actually really tempted to wear this around just to see how people treat me. People gave me enough interesting looks when it was just thrown around my head like a cowl. Although, I did garner a compliment from an Eastern European woman which was pretty fantastic. :D
I also believe that I've taken to this sort of thing so greatly because I love to change my hair, A LOT. But there's only so much cutting and dying that I can do...and I certainly don't have the patience to grow it out to my butt... Learning various head wraps helps fulfill this need of mine for change.
Conclusion: I have many more reasons for wrapping my head, whether my hair is fully covered or not. The most important one being that it makes me happy. And really, that's all that matters. ... And after doing this blog I'm now more curious as to the history of women covering their hair, aha so I'll be delving into that even more, in my free time...
<--- Hopefully YouTube can help me learn how to crazy wraps like this!