sundays are for black tees + headwraps | the history of headwaps

Sundays are for black tees + headwraps...can I make this a thing?

So lately I have gained interest in headwraps, for the second time.  True story, I bought a headwrap close to a year ago and it basically collected dust in my closet.  Never even wore it, I know don't judge me.

I decided this time I would actually attempt to wear one.  One weekend, I attended an event and decided to pair it with one of our black tees and boom, the birth of Sundays are for Black Tees + Headwraps.

Let's talk about headwraps for a second...

Headwraps are traditional attire in many cultures within Sub-Saharan Africa.  They are referenced as geles by The Yoruba in Nigeria, dukus in Ghana, and doek in South Africa and Namibia.  Despite the culture, location, or style, headwraps can represent many things from wealth, ethnicity, marital status, mourning, and even reverence.

For black women, headwraps have been linked back to slavery in which it was a requirement by slave masters to be worn by women to serve as a protective article from sweat, grime, and lice.  They also served as a symbol for the slave woman's hierarchy.  

The beauty of headwraps is that black women found creative ways to resist such practices.  One way this was done was by creating unique folds within the wraps that communicated coded messages to one another that their masters couldn't understand.  In 1785, Afro-Creole women were forced to wear a form of headwraps known as tignons, to make women of color feel different and minimize their beauty.  These women protested by adorning their wraps with jewelry, ribbons, and feathers.  It turned into a fashion statement that paved the way for women to wear headwraps creatively.

Although there have been some curveballs along the way -- at one point headwraps were looked upon as more of a low-like, homeliness look.  Insert Aunt Jemima...

Nonetheless, we always overcome adversity, and over time it has become a focal accessory for women of color.  What once symbolized shame, now is embraced for fashion and a great option for protective styling.

Let me know in the comments, what are some of your favorite brands that you purchase headwraps from.  I am here for protective styling and it is a major plus when I can do so in style.

headwrap | Wrapped By Nellz

shirt | xo Brown Girl

jeans | Fashion Nova