Want To Look Good? Check Out Five Ways To Tie The Nigerian Gele

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When at occasions like weddings and traditional marriages, you will not fail to see intricately done geles that almost rise to the ceiling when these Nigerian women stand up to join the dance floor.

But what you may never know about these headgears that have become a trademark is that a lot of fuss goes into tying them just as an accompaniment of their outfits.

Some had to find experts who take head measurements to make sure these headgears are prepared days before any occasion.

The fabrics then are also much stronger to wield. This caused a dip in the trend of these headgears. Thankfully, they are in vogue, and it is much easier to know how to tie the Nigerian gele.

Five best styles on how to tie Nigerian gele

Below are the best trending gele styles and how to tie them.

Coloured turban gele with a top knot

This a simple and yet elegant style that does not require you to be an old hand. And it doesn’t require a huge gele, just something short will suffice. Tie the gele around your head and knot it in front of your forehead and you’re good to go. You can twist the knot or pull out the edges of the gele to give it a petal shape.

Classic

You may have begun to imagine what this one will look like, classy as the name suggests. You will need one of those long and dense fabrics like brocade or crystal. The density is needed to help you keep the shape throughout the day. Let the gele wrap tightly around your head severally, with the rim of each round lapping above the last round. Then with the final round, tie it into an imitation of a crown.

Flower-shaped Gele

This is one of those styles influenced by European fashion culture. Makes one look like they are wearing a hat. To achieve this you will need a long gele, even better if the fabric is colourfully striped. The strips will accentuate this beautiful style by the time you’re done. Wrap the fabric a few times around your head. The final wrap leaves behind some of the fabric on both ends, which will allow you to form a flower either at the top of your head or closer to your forehead.

The fan

You can already imagine how this gele style will look like just from the name. The style is done in such a way that you achieve the shape of an open fan when you’re done. To get the shape you may need a gele fabric that is thin and yet dense. This also helps you maintain the shape. Like the other styles, wrap around your head severally. Then the last layer should be decked like a fan.

Coloured turban Gele with a lower knot

This is another simple style that doesn’t need too much time or fuss. Also, this doesn’t need a long fabric, neither do you have to wrap severally around your head. You just wrap once or twice around your head, then use the remaining ends of the fabric to tie a knot behind your head under your hair. Usually, this style covers your pate and the sides of your head, leaving your hair or the space to make it into something like a ponytail.

Conclusion

Sometimes, some of the styles may require tiny pins to hold them in shape for long, especially if the fabric isn’t dense or thick.

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This article was first published on AfricaParent.com