Gele is traditional headgear women wear to significant occasions. You see women of different status elegantly wear gele to churches, parties and even market places. It is almost like a taboo to attend an event without adding this signature gele to your outfit. Asides from it being a mode of dressing, it is an accessory that helps identify with different tribes. The name ‘Gele’ is said to have originated from the Yoruba culture referring to a woman’s head wrap.
For the Igbo culture, it is simply referred to as ‘Ichafu’. For the Yoruba culture, the ‘Gele’ can be gotten from numerous traditional fabrics popular with the Yorubas. Fabrics like Damask and Aso-Oke are usually the most patronised by different Yoruba homes.
In recent times, ‘Gele’ is becoming an accessory rich in fashion and many fashion designers have opened up a to exploit its beauty. It has since evolved from being the normal outdated gele tying routine to various beauty enhancing styles. Gele has evolved to a beauty collection with styles like flowery umbrella, infinity pleats, pleats overload, Sego, side rose, side-twisted fan, silk satin, perfect rose and avant grade gele. With this, Gele has become a thing of glamour that brings the wow factor to a woman’s traditional outfit. As professional fashion designers have turned an artistic eye towards gele, it has evolved to a more fashionable accessory that celebrity women now rock to parties. Below are 5 new types of Gele women now use.
TURBAN
Turban is a type of headwrap based on cloth winding. It is a headgear customary to people of various cultures. It is very popular with countries like the Balkans, Arab, Middle East, Turkic People, Ashkenazi Jews, North and West Africa and others. In Nigeria, Turban is not only gotten from silk materials as customary to other country, any fabric can be made into a Turban with a glittering twist. Different Gele materials with colourful and shimmering materials are now used by celebrity women to replace the traditional Gele. It accompanies the aso-ebi and women rock it in different styles. Fashion designers go as far as adding a pleated fan to the design of a typical Turban.
AUTO GELE
When Africa started experiencing a rebirth in styling Gele, Auto Gele came as a huge success. With a shift to Auto Gele, we have seen a great change in the order of Gele tying. It eased the pressure of hunting for an expert for every occasion when an Auto Gele can easily be fixed in minutes. In Nigeria, it is a traditional wear for women with the resemblance of a hat but with style. It has even grown to be on the top in the international market.
Auto Gele designers who have the skills make straight Gele fabrics into well-crafted Gele. Auto Gele can be used by any one. With many accessories to choose from, Auto Gele is one of the African accessories that Africans have fallen in love with. Being a pre-styled Gele does not stop it from coming in your favourite Gele style. Aside from this, it feels less heavy, unlike the traditional Gele that needs to be tied tight to ensure its longevity. You can always get Auto Gele in different colours or style to change your look. Therefore, it is a must-have in your wardrobe.
SCRUNCHIES
Scrunchies is a very recent headgear with inspiration from the “puffy hairbands”. Even though Auto Geles were loved and very accepted by women, a more easy-to-tie-Gele was still needed. Auto Geles are very elaborate, no matter how they are styled. Gele that can be both simple and elegant was the next line of breakthrough in the market. As soon as Scrunchies hit the market, everyone went crazy! It first started with making them with only silk materials with a lot of gems. Fashion designers soon added the use of ‘Aso-Oke’ and other Gele fabrics to achieve a full Scunchies.
Scrunchies is a fabric-covered elastic hair tie used to fasten short, medium and long hair types. Even though it has existed since 1987, it has saved a lot of women from the stress that comes with the typical Gele tying. It became very popular in the Nigerian market in 2021. Even with its recent re-evolution, Scrunchies have over five hundred different designs.
FACINATORS
This is another fashion accessory making a come back in the fashion history. Facinators had rocked the market in the Renaissance era of the 16th century. With the sight of a well-designed Facinator, you will be taken back to the picture of Marie Antoinette. It was an accessory that could only be afforded by the aristocrats and upper class.
It has since evolved and has served in different history landmarks. For the traditional Nigerian ‘Aso-Ebi’, Facinators have come to stay as they bring a Western ambience to your traditional outfit. It became a wildly used accessory early 2021 and celebrity women rock them with interesting fabrics.
They are made with less elaborate materials but still enhances the beauty of the user. Facinators are frequently worn by women and also used by Christians for headcovering, during church services and especially weddings.
BARRETTE HATS
This is a soft, round, flat crowned cap that is usually woven, hand knitted wool or acrylic fibre. It has also been in existence since the 19th century and is still very much in the market. Nigerian celebrities, both male and female, are always rocking the Barrette Hat on various red carpet events. Traditionally, the Barrette Hat was typically for men and women of the force but has since been inaugurated into the church as a more formal headgear for choirs. Recently, the Barrette Hat has become more fashionable with various gems used to beautify it. It is another headgear that is sure to give your wardrobe a touch of mystique.
