Our Latest Lady Wrap Star – Tiona!

On 2013/10/302013/10/30 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars23 Comments

When Tiona sent in her gorgeous photo with a sweet note for the “Wrapunzel Ladies do the Zig-Zag Criss Cross” post, I was immediately captivated by her smile and wrapping skills. Turns out that her beautiful wraps only give a hint to the person she is on the inside! Here she is as a Lady Wrap Star! Read on…

Hi Tiona! Can you tell us a little about yourself? What are you all about, some likes/dislikes, how do you choose to spend your time?
Yes. Hi my name is Tiona Reed, I am a mother of four blessings and married to my wonderful husband Roderick Reed. I run my own bakery and absolutely love baking and decorating cakes. There is a fulfillment there when I see the smile on someones face because Ive added to their life memories. I spend all of my time raising my children in the most positive way I know how. I have also started the process of volunteering at the local hospitals cancer center to teach women how to cover their heads in a way to still remain confident. Personal experience has taught me that if a woman still remains confident and positive about the way she looks, her recovery is quickened or her last days are brighter. My husband is currently serving in Afghanistan so all of this is a great responsibility at the present time but I have strong and loving mishpucha helping me through.

How long have you been covering your hair? Can you tell us a bit about why you cover your hair and the process leading to this life decision?
I have not been covering my hair for very long, but I find the journey very rewarding. Becoming more modest had been my conviction for quite some time so when I decided to hold myself accountable and learn what it meant to be modest and cover my hair, I felt like I had accomplished something that would bring more clarity to my life focus. There were a lot of distractions regarding how I looked, in particular my hair. I use to be a hair model when I lived in Atlanta and that seemed to be the focus of my life. Funny story, when I met my husband, I actually missed a hair show I was suppose to be in because I was with him!! Anyways, I later felt there was too much focus on my hair and not enough on what was important, which is self and others. I slowly but surely began to wrap my hair and I have seen how it has transformed my life and the life of the people around me!

wrapunzel wrap star tiona andrea grinberg

What is your favourite way to cover? Favourite colour and why?
My favorite way to cover are snoods!! I am a busy mom, so a snood is fast and easy!! Sometimes I dress it up and put layers underneath, but throw on and go fits my lifestyle. I like to save all the other fun wraps and scarves for Shabbos. Then I get to experiment and play with colors and textures. Just another way I set the day apart. My favorite color would have to be blue. All shades of blue just make me happy. It has a calming affect to me. It’s also a great canvas to add different textures and patterns to.

Do people ever ask you about your hair coverings? What do you say to them? A memorable hair wrapping experience you would like to share?
I don’t really get asked much about my hair coverings as much as I get complimented. There is always a look of curiosity, but not much in the way of conversation, other then a thank you response. My most memorable hair wrapping experience would have to be when I was in Israel and some of the ladies asked me to cover their heads when we were expected to be in areas where it was required. It was such an honor that they were standing, waiting their turns to be wrapped and they absolutely loved it! Some to this day have continued to wrap their hair even upon returning home.

Any scarf wrapping tips you would like to share with the Wrapunzel ladies? What are you grateful today?
Oh my, tips from me!! I would love to learn more tips from everyone else. The only thing I can think to contribute is to always walk away from the mirror feeling inspired and confident. This light is important for others who need the encouragement to cover their hair and still feel empowered. I am grateful for my family and the opportunities that have been placed before me. My life has truly been blessed and I only pray that I have been that same blessing to others.

Thank you for this opportunity!!

And thank YOU Tiona! Thanks for reading everyone – let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

Lady Wrap Star Hannah!

On 2013/07/23 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars8 Comments

This lady has only been doing hair wrapping for a few months! Upon becoming friends on facebook, I knew that we had to feature her on Wrapunzel. I’ll stop blabbering and let her speak for herself; Meet… Hannah!

I am quite honoured to be asked to be a Wrap Star. I am quite new at covering my hair…only a few months!

I am a nice Jewish girl, and I grew up in Montreal in what I guess would be considered a culturally Jewish environment. I am married to the most amazing man, who isn’t Jewish. I have been on a journey which includes becoming more observant. My amazing husband is completely supportive of this, and is actively raising our son to also be Jewishly observant.

I have been keeping Shabbat for several years, and our kitchen is mostly Kosher (I only use Kosher food, but we still have to buy separate meat and dairy dishes…in time…). My husband, son and I went to Israel this past May, and I was incredibly inspired by all the hair coverings.

I have always liked the idea of married women covering their hair. To me it seemed to be such a special Mitzvah. I started covering part of my hair while in Israel, and then by the time we got home, I decided to take on this Mitzvah full time.

My collection of tichels started with the five I bought in Israel: 3 sinar (apron) tichels and 2 square tichels.

Like most families, we are on a tight budget, and I realized quickly that buying tichels can get pricey! I had a thought…how many people buy scarves they don’t wear then give them away to Value Village? I love buying the second hand scarves because they are so different than the ones in the stores here. They are also much much cheaper, less than five dollars a scarf.

I bought a few scarves and realized…I have no idea how to tie them! I guess that is why I liked the sinar tichels so much. I discovered Andrea and Wrapunzel and I LOVE her website. Andrea shows so many beautiful wraps and shows how easy they are to do!

I buy scarves that I like, but some fabrics are not always predictable once they are on your head. Andrea has helped me troubleshoot my tichel issues. I’m still learning to tie my tichels and some days even a simple wrap takes me ten minutes because I can’t get things to sit on my head properly.

My friends have asked me how many scarves I have…and I really don’t have that many (I think)…and I keep thinking my answer should be “not enough”.

I have a few favourite wrap accessories…my grip band and my colorful bobby pins. I found a package of bobby pins in the dollar store in a rainbow of colours. I like using those either because they are camouflaged in the scarf or they add a little flair. I have a couple of fabric flower clips and I would love to find more pins and hair bands to help accessorize my tichels. I also found a donut bun thing (what is it called??) that I find helps fill my wraps better. Of course after I bought it, I discovered Andrea’s sock trick to do the same thing!

Some other things about me…I used race mountain bike… while I was doing my Masters degree, my friend and I had a vegetarian/animal rights radio show…I used to be painfully afraid to speak in public and now that’s all I want to do! (too many years of keeping quiet??) In 2009 I went on the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) trip to Israel and it was AMAZING! I would love to make Aliyah with my family one day (my parents live in Israel now).

Thanks Andrea for all you share and having me as a Wrap Star!

And thank YOU Hannah for being our Lady Wrap Star! Wasn’t that refreshing? I think it’s so incredible to have so many women from different backgrounds sharing their stories and love for hair wrapping. Questions/comments/encouragement for Hannah? Post below!

Introducing… Batsheva!

On 2013/06/122013/06/13 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars14 Comments

Batsheva is our newest lady wrap star! You may remember another Batsheva being featured on Wrapunzel (the one that makes gorgeous jewellery), and this Batsheva also lives in Israel! So don’t get them confused…

I met this lovely lady through the wonders of the internet, since she also happens to be friends with Tamar, another previous wrap star. I was immediately taken in by her honesty, humour, and insight, and after looking through some of her photos, I had many questions that I wanted to ask her! Here she is!

Hi Batsheva! Can you tell us a little about yourself? (Ie: where are you from? Where do you live now? How to you choose to spend your time? Family, friends, special interests, etc.?)

Hi Andrea, and Wrapunzels!

I’m so excited to be featured as a Lady Wrap Star.

A little about me: I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and currently live in the City Center of Jerusalem, Israel.

When I’m not working, I love spending time with my friends, exploring new areas, catching up on my sleep (I’m going to be honest here), and cooking, and enjoying the company of my husband and kitty!!!

How long have you been covering your hair?

I have been covering my hair is November 23rd, 2012. This was the first day after I was married, and on this day, I started my ticheling adventures.

Tell us a little about your hair covering adventures; What do you usually cover with? What are your general feelings about covering? How do you feel about the way other women cover and societal pressures, etc. and how has this affected you?

I have over 150 individual scarves, 12 flowers of different colors, hijab caps, and little pins to accessorize my tichels.

On a daily basis, I wear a solid scarf and a patterned scarf together, with little something extra, currently I’m into the flowers.

I LOVE covering my hair.

While I have always had very pretty hair, this is so much more fun.

I am able to match what I’m wearing with scarf colors, add little accessories that show my mood, like flowers verses spikes, and sparkles are always fun.

(I also love the reaction I get to my pretty and adventurous tichels!)

I love living in such a creative area, where women cover their hair a million different ways.

You can see women who wrap like me, wear sheitels (wigs), snoods, scarves that just cover part of their hair, and the list goes on.

I wouldn’t say that I feel pressure to cover my hair, or cover it in a certain way because of other women. I do look at the beautiful sheitels that I see around me, but I won’t be getting one unless my Fairy Sheitel G-dmother gets me one. I think I’m sticking to tichels.

How do others in your community cover their hair?

My husband and I daven/pray at Chabad of Rehavia, and so there is a great majority of women who wear sheitels, but other women like me wear tichels. Many of the younger women show some of their hair, whether it be the first inch or two, or the ponytail.

I cover all of my hair, and try not to let even the stays show, but I still love how other women wrap.

What are your favourite ways to tie your scarves?

I haven’t figured out my favorite way to wrap my scarves, but my husband loves and requests the twist! If I don’t have the twist, and I ask his opinion, he says “It’s beautiful, but where’s the twist?” He says it’s royal, classic, and just makes the whole tichel look better.

What do you look for when shopping for scarves?

That’s a great question!

I try and remember the colors that I don’t have, and believe me, they exist. But in the end I have just been buying patterned light scarves, because it’s getting very hot here.

I have been collecting scarves since 2004, and so I have everything from thick to thin, every solid color I can think of, and now accessories, and from all over the world.

I try and examine the scarf when I’m in the store, make sure there are no snags, and no holes.

I also try and think to myself “Do I have any clothes to wear this with?!’, but if I really want it, I assume that a black outfit will work…

Let’s hear some of your hair covering advice + tips and tricks!

Sheitel bands! Buy them, buy more than one, and make sure you also have it on correctly!

Don’t worry about what other people are doing, or what others think. It’s easy for me to say that because I can work in an office and wear a tichel, and in America it might be harder to do so, but overall, make sure you’re happy.

I have a friend who gets a lot of problems from people for how she covers her hair, but in the end, she has to be okay with the mitzvah she’s doing. And everyone else should bud out.

Going from displaying your hair one day to covering can be hard and traumatic for some women.

Don’t cover for anyone but yourself, and don’t cover any way that you don’t feel comfortable!

Can you tell us a bit about your relationship with other religions/ways of life? How has this influenced you to grow and how does it affect you as a Jew?

I love this question.

I grew up in an amazing area of Chicago which is very mixed.

I learned about different cultures, religions, sexual orientations, and way of life for as long as I can remember.

When I went to university for my undergraduate degree, I saw the real Chicago. Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the United States, and while the city might not enforce this separation anymore, people tend to live by others that look, feel, and relate like they do.

Long story short, I made a very serious effort to befriend and get to know the Muslim girls on campus. I love Islam, and saw the connection between it and Judaism.

I also was becoming religious, and was trying to find my place in the Jewish world.

My Muslim friends, especially the girls, taught me that I could be modest/tznius, but still be fashionable.

They also taught me about a connection to G-d, how important it is, and that it’s not the outward appearance of being tznius that is what’s important. It’s what you do inside.

I also got great wrap ideas and skill from them!

And it was re-enforced a lot to match match match! Hijabis have an amazing way of making the extra color of their shoes, purse, strip in their shirt to their hijab. I only try.

Has hair covering enhanced these relationships?

I believe that if I lived in America, closer to my Muslim friends from university, that we’d be able to share tricks, scarves, etc. Now I just look on Facebook, Twitter, and follow Hijab tutorials on Youtube.

While I’m here, ladies look at one another, and give that look of “nice tichel”. It’s in the eyes, but it’s the look of approval and understanding.

A cute story was when I was in Phoenix, Arizona for my sister-in-law’s wedding. I was in a mall when I saw this woman with this HUGE wrap on her head.

I have a twitter-feed, all about all kind of women who wrap, so I asked her if I could take a picture.

I also complimented her on her wrap, and she looked me up and down and said “You’re pretty fly yourself!” I was very proud at that moment.

What are your hopes and dreams for Jewish women and the future of the world?

I don’t hope for only one group of people. I’m not sure I know how to.

I would say in general, I hope that we can all just get along.

In so many situations, differing groups live side by side, ride the same trains and eat in the same restaurants, and shop at the same stores. Yet they never speak to one another. How different could they be, if they are so similar as well.

I just think energy could be used better, than mindless hate.

In many occasions in the past, the women have been the game-changers. I can only hope, as women, and hopefully as Jewish women, we can rise to the occasion.

What are you grateful for right now?

I’m grateful for my health, my happiness, the ability to live in a world so far away from my home town, without calling home every day…

I’m grateful for my amazing husband who puts up with a lot from me, my unbelievable relationship with my parents, and their health and happiness.

I’m so grateful for my friends here, and all around the world, and all the joys and adventure this year will bring, and all the years to come.

I’m also very grateful for the confidence I have covering my hair, and how it makes me so happy!

Here is her twitter feed! – @togetherwrapped

Judith de Paris!! {+ giveaway!}

On 2013/05/292013/05/30 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars, Recommendations117 Comments

It is my greatest pleasure to feature a visionary woman and seller of stunning hair coverings. Many of you have already heard of Judith Levy, the founder of Judith de Paris. I have been hoping to interview her and share her ideas and stories ever since this site was founded. And, even better, she wants to do a giveaway exclusively for Wrapunzel members! Giveaway details at the bottom of this article, but now, here is Judith’s story, as well as some special interview questions:

Judith de Paris – The Story

My name is really Judith and I am actually from Paris 😉 I moved to the USA three years ago when I got remarried. I live in Silver Spring MD where my husband leads the Sephardic minyan hosted by YISE.

I have always been in love with words, and therefore I am an editor. I work with the French edition of Artscroll for more than ten years, proof reading the guemara and the chumash. I also translate from English and Hebrew to French.

Before I got remarried two and a half years ago, my husband to be asked me if I would consider switching my beautiful, long trendy sheitel for a kisuy (as they say in Hebrew) according to the Sephardic halachic rulings.

“No way, Jay!” In France, women switch from tichel to sheitel because they don’t want to be mistaken as Arab women!

Plus, this scarves look like nothing. No style, no character, nothing. My smart fiancé accepted my decision and I went to the chupa with my long sheitel.

After a few months in Silver spring, my husband hesitantly asked me what I thought would be a good answer to give to those people in his minyan who didn’t really understand why the rabbi’s wife wears a sheitel when he himself keeps telling them that Sephardic women should cover their hair with a kisuy. My answer was immediate but in some way I didn’t really measure the consequences of these few words: I told him to tell them that I am going to try.

For my husband it was carved in the stone and he took it for granted: from now on his wife will wear a tichel. I actually did it every day but not when we were going out to weddings or any kind of events. Then, we had an important wedding in the community and I was really eager to please my husband and give him due respect by showing to everybody out there that I was sensible and receptive to my husband opinions and advices. (For me nothing was more precious than to succeed where I had once failed : my marriage. I was therefore ready to go out of my way for that. My Moroccan background also taught me that the honor you give to your husband is the cornerstone of the home you try to build.) I looked for a nice kisuy and found a casquette, very Parisian style. Perfect for me.

Then came the great news, my son got engaged and was to be married in England in July. My first concern was not my dress but my hair covering. Along with my stepdaughters, we toured the whole Baltimore to find THE hair piece. We found either old fashioned (mother in law kind of hats 😉 ) or plain scarves. Since we couldn’t find the perfect one, I bought around ten different scarves matching my dress even a piece of expensive lace (that was used later for my stepdaughter’s wedding outfit). But deep inside of me, I knew that I was not totally ready to wear this “thing” for my son’s wedding. These “things” are an insult to an elegant evening dress !

Come July, I packed all my scarves, all the matching accessories and my beautiful sheitel that I intended to give to one of my sisters. The wedding was full of emotion and some tension too because of the situation of the chatan’s parents. My first child was getting married and it was the first “family” reunion with my ex in-laws since my second marriage a year ago. The stress was at its peak and my trembling hands were not able to tie this mitpachat, the way I wanted it to look. I got dressed, tried to tie the tichel and kept failing. I asked the make up lady who was taking care of my daughters at that time if she had ever took care of a sheitel which had been sitting for months in a drawer and travelled to England in a random bag in the bottom of my suitcase. She tried her best, the result was acceptable. That was my last experience wearing a sheitel.

From England we flew to Israel where my daughter got engaged and where I met my first volumizer (and my first son in law). I wore it for the first time for her engagement party without a wig grip under it (I didn’t know such a thing existed!) I promise you, you don’t want to see the pictures that were taken at the end of the evening…

Since my husband was sick during most of our vacation, I didn’t really have a chance to visit the plethora of mitpachot stores that are available in Jerusalem.

For my daughter’s wedding, I had two months and lots of energy to find a kisuy. I didn’t even try to find something in the USA. I just surfed the web to find the most elegant stores in Israel as I had decided to do my shopping when I will get there. I met Rinati Lakel on the web but visited her store two days before the wedding. I was wonderfully welcomed by an awesome hostess who took the time to exchange my volumizer ( I had bought the higher one which was not necessary since I am 6ft) and to pick with me the exact color and the exact head jewel I needed. We spent quite a long time in the store tying and retying till I felt comfortable enough. During the pre wedding shopping, we got to know a fair amount of mitpachot stores where we got a few mitpachot for my daughter and myself. When I came back home, I felt so fortunate to be able to go to shul with a neatly tied kisuy.

I felt like I was accomplishing a real kiddush Hashem.

Somehow, I started to feel like I should share my “discovery” with the ladies of our community. I told my husband that somebody should really think about bringing those hair pieces from Israel and help American married women to cover their hair with elegance.

“Why couldn’t you do it?”

“Me ? business ? Are you kidding me ? Everybody knows that I a much more comfortable with letters than with numbers. Nope, that’s not for me.”

That should have been the end of my idea but I couldn’t let go. Each time I went to shul, I noticed that the ladies around could really use some help with their hair covering. Most of them were very young and for a Parisian like me it was heartbreaking to see them with these scarves (either too flat or too bulky, nobody knew of a volumizer then and used a lot of smart artifacts in lieu of volume under the scarves). So I jumped and here I was again at my computer scrutinizing the web for the best designers. Eventually, I started with Sarah from Sarah creations who suggested me to order a few padded caps. I reluctantly ordered five of them (after all I had my own one and I knew for a fact that it slipped all the way down the head ten minutes after I have tied your mitpachat). She was right. The demand was immediately immense. As for today, we sold almost 300 of them around the country. When I understood that, I asked Rinati Lakel, who registered the boubou aka volumizer as a patent pending creation, to give me exclusivity on the volumizer for the USA. I got the American mentality pretty fast : I have created this business for a mitsva and to help women but I kept in mind that all that work had to become an income for our extended family and allow my husband to learn while being free of financial concerns.

It’s been a year now and we are still not there… God willing, it will become a full time job soon!

Wow, what an incredible story! Here are photos of the lastest summer styles from Judith:

How has Judith de Paris grown over the years? Any future plans/hopes that you would like to share with us?
I always hope to be able to keep the quality and the style while lowering the prices. I think that might happen when we grow bigger and sell more. In the meantime, we sell our items at the same price as the actual designers do in their own store despite the shipping fees and all the work involved. we want american ladies to benefit from these beautiful products!

How have your feelings about hair covering changed over the years?

I always disliked hair coverings altogether. I found the hats to be to big or to totally hide the face. the more casual bandanas and wraps had a tendency to look like a piece of fabric on the head (especially before we discovered the wig grip). I didnt like that. I believed and still believe that a hair covering has to be a crown, a way to tell a message to the “world” : I abide to the torah requirements and I am feminine, elegant and beautiful. not contradiction between these concepts.

How do you cover your hair on a regular day to day basis? What are your favourite “casual” looks?

I am a big kaly fan. Since I wear glasses and tend to suffer from headaches, a day in front of the computer with a lot of weight on the head can become painful. I just slip a kaly on the volumizer and then accessorize it with one or two headbands, a pin or a jewel headband depending on my day schedule.

What is your favourite formal head covering?

I love the satin turbans. they are now made out of a different fabric which has a richer look and doesn’t slip away (it is blended with silk and cotton). I like the versatility and the possibility to accessorize them to my taste. i usually chose to break away from my outfit color and wear a turban that is closer to a detail of the dress (buttons, flowers…)

What are some tricks and tips that you can share with us? Any hair covering secrets that you would like to reveal?

For our benefit, you share most of the tricks I know in your tutorials and videos – the only thing I could add may sound a little weird but works very well; I recommend not to wash your hair right prior to an event when you will really not want your hair piece to move. when the hair is too clean, it is silky and has a tendency to repel anything you put on your head. So wash your hair two days before the big day and the day after !

What are your most popular products on Judith de Paris?

The volumizer is our best seller. It has become a staple and most of the designers take in it consideration when they design their mitpachot. The trend is now to a lower look, a lot of volume still but a more natural effect.
The kaly came out last year. both products are patent pending by Rinati Lakel and have required lots of work and efforts. the kaly is now made in different fabrics and colors to satisfy all the needs. prepare yourself to a surprise, a new version of the kaly will be available in a month or so. I am quite sure it will become a favourite !
Then come the veil turbans and the yom yom/yomi. Ladies got used to the volumizer but are not always able to wear another heavy piece of fabric. Those hit the spot. They are light, colorful and easy to tie. (i am mostly referring to those ladies who wear glasses and I am one of them )

Who and what inspires you?

My husband and my children. My husband is the one that encouraged me to share my discoveries with the american ladies and he is always by my side with his precious advices and encouragements. He trusts me and gives me the will to carry on when I share my doubts and concern with him. My children have been extremely supportive when I decided to switch from a sheitel to a mitpachat. I wore it publicly for the first time by my daughters wedding. This was a public statement and I now do it with a lot of pride.

What are you grateful for right now?

I am both grateful and apologetic to the One above. Grateful for all he has given me, gives me and will give me in the future. Apologetic for being skeptical and fearful of the outcome of some complicated situations I went through. I now have no more fear, I know to trust him even though i see only a small piece of the big puzzle of life.

Aaannnddd… {drumroll!} here are the giveaway details!

To enter the giveaway, make sure to like Judith de Paris on her facebook page (and Wrapunzel too!). Keep in mind that if you want to order something, you should definitely contact her personally, because she is incredible at offering personalized advice and suggestions!

You could WIN this stunning hair wrap by Judith de Paris! All you have to do is:

– Leave a comment in the comments section below, answering this important question:

… “What are you grateful for right now?”

The contest will close before Shabbat next week and announced Sunday June 9th on the Wrapunzel facebook page (so make sure you “like” it so you can get updates!) This contest is in honour of the amazing members here on Wrapunzel, and celebrating the fact that I will be meeting Judith in person on that Sunday at a hair wrapping event in Philadelphia! Looking forward to receiving your entries and announcing the winner!

Introducing… Nava!

On 2013/04/302013/04/30 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars11 Comments

Hello, world of Wrapunzel! I’m Nava – I am a graphic artist by day, and a musician by night. This is actually how I met Andrea a few years ago, and we have been great friends ever since. A few years after meeting Andrea, I was fortunate enough to meet my wonderful husband, Jonathan, and we have now been married for just over one year.

My husband and I identify with a community where not all of the married women cover their hair every day, and this is what I have chosen to do because this is what usually makes me feel most comfortable . I always cover my hair on shabbat, chagim (Jewish holidays), and at Jewish events (such as weddings, bar mitzvas, bris’s, etc). I cover my hair at these events because I feel it is important for me to send a open signal to the community that I am a married woman, and it makes me feel more comfortable when I know I am making this clear (eg. not every guy does the finger check). I also feel that by covering my hair, I am acknowledging the religious importance of the event and am making an extra outward effort to show respect for that fact (rather than an inward effort) – just like I make an effort to wear nice clothing on shabbat and chagim to make these days special, I also want to cover my hair in beautiful ways for the exact same reason. As well as being a sign that I am married and devoted to my wonderful husband, covering my hair also gives me a way of portraying a membership to my community that I also love very much and am most grateful to have in our lives.

I have always loved scarves and have been building up a collection for years. Before I was married, I always wore these scarves around my neck, but now that I am married, this is what I use to cover my hair!

I love all of the different ties and combinations you can do – I really love mixing colours and textures, and using different accessories. Every dollar store or used clothing store trip is a treasure hunt for new accessories or scarves to add to my collection! I also love incorporating braids into my ties, I find them so wonderfully regal-looking. And since I was never really able to make beautiful braids in my own hair (since it is so curly and knotty), I enjoy having the chance to make braids in my tichels (headscarves)!

Ticheled Tamar!

On 2013/04/232013/04/23 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars17 Comments

I “met” Tamar over the summer when a friend of mine commented on a photo of hers and it showed up on my facebook feed. Besides the fact that it’s a bit creepy how facebook seems to know me, I am very glad that this meeting happened! The name of her album was so wonderful that I just had to add her as a friend. The album was entitled “Tichels Are Cool” and was filled with various photos of her showing her experimentations and gorgeous wraps… definitely meant to be. Here she is as this week’s Lady Wrap Star!

Hi Tamar, can you tell us a bit about yourself? (ie where do you live, what do you like to do, family, interests, etc.)
My name’s Tamar Goldschmidt and I live in the heart of Jerusalem, the grooviest place in the world! I moved here almost 3 years ago, met my husband and now have an amazing little baby boy, Shlomo Nachman B”H…I’m currently studying to be a doula and besides my typical hobbies, including writing, art, reading, analyzing poetry, being a mommy and an orthodox jew with the funk etc – I continuously try to discover new tichel ideas! As a married Jewish woman, it is our job to officially rock!

Where did you learn how to wrap scarves?

I taught myself at around 12 or 13 when I began collecting them. I always knew I was going to cover my hair. I felt so connected to the idea of making something so normal so spiritual and special in a marriage. And since growing up, my dream occupation was to be a wife and mother (with a few novels up my sleeve as well) the idea of covering my hair was something i could identify with.

How long have you been covering?

Well I’ve been covering my hair “full time” since I got married in 2011…

What tichel wrapping advice/secrets do you have to share with us?

Two words that are so essential they have to be typed in caps: TICHEL BAND…You can get your beauty sleep while wearing the craziest and heaviest tichel ever and it wont move an inch off your head! You can find it in any tichel shop!

Are there any specific ideas that you would like to share about what you have learned about covering based on your face shape, colouring, style, etc.?

If you have short hair: FEAR NOT! There are so many ways to get the looks you want. Everything from voluminazers to socks. This too, requires experimentation. Whatever feels more comfortable! I find that one tichel is never enough though…because it’s not. Go crazy 🙂

Do you have a favourite style of wrapping?

I take pride in my princess-do…and my beehive-do…In short, it’s difficult to choose. I guess it depends what I’m feeling that day.

Most vivid tichel wearing memory?

I remember when I discovered that I could do my princess-do with literally ANY tichel…not just the triangular ones. This was life changing for me! [Anyone else itching to get her to do a tutorial?]

What do you love most about covering your hair?

I LOVE walking down the street, passing other married women and seeing different styles of tichel wrapping. There was a few times where someone’s tichel caught my eye and they were thinking the same thing about mine…I can’t tell you how many times tichels have been number one conversation starters.

What are you grateful for right now?

I’m grateful for having been given the opportunity to be featured on Wrapunzel!

Lady Wrap Star Melissa!

On 2013/04/102013/04/28 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars11 Comments

Meet Melissa, a woman with an infectious smile and well-thought-out Modern Orthodox Jewish perspective! After discovering her blog through a friend’s post, I knew that we had to have her on here as this week’s Lady Wrap Star. [drumroll]… here she is!

Hi Melissa, can you tell us a little about yourself? Such as how to do you choose to spend your time, interests, family, where you live, how you describe yourself, etc.?
Hi! I feel like there are so many possible answers, but I don’t want this to become the whole post. So the short answer is that I currently live in Jerusalem with my husband and am learning full time at Nishmat (and next year I will be joining my husband to learn at Pardes). I am a social worker by education, a Jewish communal professional by vocation, and a writer and educator by passion. My primary interests are women’s issues, halacha, and social media and my long term goal is to combine them – so stay tuned to see how that pans out over the years!

How long have you been covering your hair?
I have been covering my hair in some fashion for over five years now! I started working up to it before I got married, and then transitioned to full coverage thereafter. I actually wrote about that recently here:

You have a blog where you have written some of your thoughts on hair covering already. Could you share with us links to those articles?
This is such a fun question because it got me to read back into the archives of the blog to see all the various posts I have made on the topic, and it made me realize that I don’t write about it nearly as often I used to when it was new and unusual – both to me and my community. (I identified as a “Traditional Conservative” Jew when I got married, and even after moving to the “Modern Orthodox” world full time coverage with anything other than a wig was very uncommon. But now I’m in Israel and its just so normative!)

Here are some of my favorites:

General:
It’s all about the Hattitude!
Head covering in the hospital
When the personal is public
How much is enough
Reflections on a year of hair covering

Scarves:
Sneakily Styling Scarves
Happy hair-aversary

Sheitels:
Life without a sheitel
I’m only going to say this once

What is your favourite aspect of covering your hair?
Honestly, I love that I get an extra accessory! Even better is that I get a spiritual and religiousness connection from putting it on.

What do you dislike about hair covering? (This can be personal or communal.)
Ironically, the only thing I can say I truly dislike is both. I dislike feeling personally judged by communal norms and expectations about covering. There are often ideas of “if you cover like X than you must be Y” or “if you are A you must cover like B” – and I generally don’t fit any of those ideas, expectations, or boxes.

How do you usually answer people when asked about why you cover?
Now that I am living in Israel, it obviously doesn’t happen nearly as often so I’m having a hard time remembering how I used to address it!
I do find that more often than not a simple “I cover my hair for religious reasons” tends to be enough to strangers, and to those looking for a more real answer, it can be catered to the moment and the person. When it is old friends who ask I answer very differently and more emotionally, while to people I am interacting with in a professional environment I am apt to keep it more simple and legalistic. As with anything, I like to be cognizant of where the other person is coming from and how I can make something which can seem so bizarre make sense in their world view.

Have you feelings about covering changed over time? If yes, how so?
Yes and no.
On a personal level my feelings about the big picture have remained very stable, but there are small things which shift frequently like how much I am comfortable showing and what types of coverage work best for me. I’ve recently accepted that I don’t have to have just one model and its ok to interact with it differently on different days or in different settings – so now I anticipate even less changes.
On a communal level, this is another area where being in the middle of Jerusalem after being in a community that was not so diverse has also been a really interesting experience. My understanding of the variety of ways in which women interact with hair covering has greatly expanded.

What is your favourite way to cover your hair? Do you have preferred scarf/accessory type?
I love to wear scarves during the week and hats on Shabbat, though in the winter I wear more knit beret style hats. How many scarves I wear and how I tie them depends on the weather, my planned activities for the day, and whether or not I have a headache. (I also always keep an extra plain cotton tichel and/or knit beret in my bag in case I need to change if I overheat or get a migraine.)

What do you look for when selecting/shopping for scarves?
I look for fun and interesting patterns, designs, and colors. Some of my favorite scarves were purchased from Target or other similar stores where they were clearly not intended to be headscarves!
I also look for random things which can serve as accessories, like fabric belts, pretty ribbon, or fun hair-ties. I am of the mentality that head-covering inspiration is everywhere – you just have to look for it!

What have you learned about hair covering in regards to your personal style, face shape, colouring, hair type, etc.?
I look best with a bit of hair showing on my hairline, either my bangs out or tucked back but with a finger or two’s worth of my hairline exposed and have to put my scarves behind my hears because of my piercings. (I have six holes in my middle and upper ear.) I also have a lot of hair, but it is very fine, so I like to wear a wig grip and something to add volume, but what that is also depends on what sort of scarf style I am tying. I also don’t like having a lot of height on top of my head (I’m tall enough) or bulk to the sides (I’m pretty narrow), and I don’t like having tails hanging down (distracts me) – that means I often wind up with a lot of bulk on the back of my head.
As for hats, I look best in the cloche style hat which sits close to the face. As much as I love big floppy hats, they just swallow me up!

Can you share with us one of your happiest and/or most vidid hair covering memories?
I have to share two, ok?
I remember having a huge dilemma for my wedding. I had already been wearing wide headbands for months and couldn’t imagine not having some sort of head covering on my wedding day – despite people reminding me that it was my last chance to not cover my head. So, I knew I needed a veil for the ceremony, but I didn’t really want to wear a veil all night because it just wasn’t going to work with my style. Eventually, I decided to wear a birdcage veil and just folded it back on top of my head for the reception and got my wide headband look and veil in one, and it worked with my style! It was a total win-win.
The other distinctive thing is a total Israeli thing. Here I have discovered that if I am wearing a knit beret or a hat, people tend to speak to me in English or give me an English menu, but if I am wearing a scarf I am approached more in Hebrew and always given Hebrew menus. One day, I told someone I didn’t understand what they were saying and they repeated it in Hebrew, and I again told them I did not understand, and the person yelled back at me “but I am speaking Hebrew!” to which I had to clarify that I don’t speak Hebrew well. So sometimes now when I want to just want to do my errands quickly, I intentionally wear a hat and don’t respond in Hebrew and get to play tourist a bit.

You have a very interesting and informative blog that you and another woman have created. How did this blog come to be? How has it evolved and what are your hopes for it?
We actually wrote a post recently for our third anniversary about how the blog came to be:
As for my personal hopes, I have to say that they have all been vastly exceeded at this point. We wanted a fun outlet to share our thoughts and hoped we’d get a few readers, well we have many more than a few now and are constantly amazed and humbled by the community which has developed from it. I can only hope that I continue to have things to say which other people are interested in reading, and give a unique perspective which adds to the conversation.
I do also hope to have a spin-off project (for lack of better vague description) in the future which has largely been inspired by the wonderful conversations and connections which Redefining Rebbetzin has provided.

What are you grateful for right now?
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to live and learn in Israel for two years with my amazing husband.
I also want to thank you, Andrea, for adding your blog to the communal conversation. We need more women who are willing to stand up for the beauty in covering and the meaningful ways to enhance this mitzvah. It is an honor to be included in your Wrapstar project amongst these other fabulous women!

Ladies Do the Twist!

On 2013/04/032013/04/03 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars, Wrapping Photos4 Comments

It’s wonderful that so many of you tried the twist over the past week and had such beautiful results! Here is the tutorial on how to do it. Thank you for sending in your photos!

Please continue to send us photos of your twist and I will include them in this post! Happy twisting, everyone!

Meet Myriam!

On 2013/03/242013/03/24 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars5 Comments

I am happy to introduce you to a woman that knows a lot about looking beautiful with very little time required. Here is Myriam and her marvelous hair coverings!

Hi Myriam, what is the most memorable thing that has happened to you today?
I am running a lot of errands today instead of working (my office is closed for maintenance, what can I do ) but I am also cooking and bringing a meal to a friend of mine who just had a baby (last week). Our community organises a meal rota for new moms. The best thing: this friend asked if she can also be on the rota for the next two of moms who are due in a couple of weeks! Some women are incredible!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am French but have lived in Israel, Ireland and now England for the last 7 years. I am doing a PhD in international law which I am hoping to finish in the next 6 months. I am hoping to lecture at university and be a consultant on my main expertise, which is counterterrorism.
My husband and I hope to move to Israel in the next couple of years, where my four sibblings already live.
I also absolutely love baking and, when I have time, I make costume jewlery.

How long have you been covering your hair?
Since I got married, almost three years ago.

Have your feelings about hair covering changed over time? If yes, how so?
Before I got married, I wasn’t sure how often and how I would cover my hair. My husband always said I had to do whatever I felt was right and once I got married, I actually didn’t even think and covered all the time (although not when alone at home with him). What has changed is the way I cover: I used to have short hair and so would cover most hair but have some sticking out.
I have now grown my hair, so I now ‘put it all in’ and cover everything.

What is your favourite aspect of covering your hair?
I never particularly loved my hair so it wasn’t too hard to cover. I love the variety of it, and also, I never have a bad hair day! I have always loved hats so it’s mainly fun.

How do you normally cover?
I tend to wear hats/berets during winter and scarves during summer, although I have light cotton berets and warmer scarves. I quite like the seasonal aspect of my covering.

How do you cover your hair on formal/unique occasions?
I have a couple of fancier scarves which I tend to wear at all formal occasions. I do buy expensive scarves and hats in general because I am not original at all and am useless at ‘wrapping’ with various colourful scarves. So I tend to be lazy and buy scarves and hats that are already a bit special. I am always so impressed by what Andrea comes up with, and the jewlery etc, but I guess I am either too lazy or not brave enough to try. I’ll tend to go for a scarf which has a wow factor already. My bank manager would probably prefer I didn’t….

Has covering your hair affected your work/study? How so?
Interestingly, no one has ever commented or asked about why I started covering my hair (although the Brits are way too polite to ask anything anyways 🙂 My thesis supervisor never mentioned anything.
I must stress though that I am a student and even if I attend conferences and teach, I do not work as a lawyer, or have clients. I do think that if I did, I might feel more comfortable with a wig, even though I do not want to wear one (and don’t have one). I also know that I always feel more ‘normal’ covering when I am in Israel.
I have had a couple of muslim colleagues ask for recommendations of where to buy scarves.

What is your most vivid hair covering memory?
Presenting a paper at a conference and having a couple of people commenting on how nice and elegant my hat was. One even said ‘women used to cover their hair when they went out in public, things have changed’. It just felt funny to be discussing such things in the middle of a very serious conference on state sovereignty and the european union. I guess everybody needed a break!

What kind of community do you live in, in terms of hair covering practice? How does this affect you?
In my community, most women only cover their hair for shule, if at all. There are only a couple of us who cover entirely and all the time. I have always been a very independant person so I don’t really care what people do and think, although most people comment on how nice my hats are, which doesn’t hurt 🙂
Our community is very intellectual and cultured so I feel that this is what matters most, not particularly the physical appearance or the religious practice.

What is your favourite hat?
Hard to choose, usually changes on the season. I have a favourite designer though (see below).

Can you recommend some of your favourite places to find hats?
I buy A LOT from Chirelle D, a former student at my Jewish school in France, who makes scarves and hats. They are all unique and handmade creations, which means they are very expensive.
But because I cover everyday and feel like I have to look professional, I have invested in many of her creations, which always make me feel glamorous, original and professional at the same time. She has such an amazing creativity and, as I said, for those of use who can’t make it beautiful wraps, her scarves and hats are the answer. She has people who sell her creation in France, the UK and Israel and will soon sell online. I usually try to wait for sales but it is my guilty pleasure (on the contrary; I have like 3 pairs of shoes…)
I have bought hats from arts fair in Toronto, shops in Jerusalem and brands like H&M, etc. Israel is always a great place for diversity and price.

What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for having a really supportive family and an amazing husband; for my good health and for the internet that allows me to share my passions (cooking, hats, etc) with so many people and which allows me to connect with everyone dear to me.

Meet Rivki :)

On 2013/03/172013/03/17 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars6 Comments

This week’s Lady Wrap Star is Rivki Silver! I discovered Rivki through her blog, Life in the Married Lane, and after reading her “about me” and seeing that she was a fellow musician (clarinet and piano) and also liked Star Trek, I had to send her a message! My husband and I recently met her in person during a recent trip to where she lives, and I must say that she is even more lovely and inspirational in person! I was very excited to ask her some interview questions:

Hi Rivki! Can you tell us a bit about yourself, ie how do you choose to spend your time, where do you live, hobbies, family etc.?
Let’s see, where to start? We currently live in Baltimore, though we’ve also lived in Cleveland and Memphis. My “official” occupation is a stay-at-home-mom, and much of my day is spent with my three kids, the oldest of whom is four years old. So, that keeps me pretty busy! In between the meal-preparation, diaper-changing and playtime, I’m also in charge of the laundry, cooking, and general tidiness. It really is a full-time job to keep a house running, but our home is our own little sanctuary, and it gives me pleasure to work to create a happy space for my family.
So, in the free time which somehow still exists, I also write and play music, do a blog and vlog for Partners in Torah, try to post weekly on my personal blog, Life in the Married Lane, participate in Rabbi Aryeh Nivin’s chabura, learn with my Partner in Torah, and play in a community band. Wow, that seems really crazy, but somehow it works.

How long have you been covering your hair?
I started covering my hair when I got married a little over five years ago.

When people ask you why you cover your hair, how do you usually respond?
It’s been a while since anyone asked me why I cover my hair. If someone does ask, I usually offer a brief explanation about how Jewish law teaches that once a woman gets married, her hair becomes spiritually charged, and she keeps it covered to protect the holiness. The only man who gets to see it is my husband, and it’s like a special treat just for him. If the person seems interested, I’m happy to talk more about it, but generally, I keep it relatively short.

What do you tell your children about it?
My children are still small, so we haven’t gotten beyond “Mommy covers her hair.” They know the difference between my different hair coverings (sheitel, tichel and hat), but that’s pretty much it at this point.

Can you give us some scarf tying advice, based personal experience? (ie you hair type, face shape, colouring, lifestyle, etc.)

I started out using square-shaped scarves, folding them in half to make a triangle and doing a basic bun-style tichel. Sometimes I would put a stretchy headband underneath to hold it in place more securely. I like cotton-blend scarves because they don’t slip as much. In the past year or so, I branched out to rectangular-shaped scarves, which gives me a little more height, as opposed to the bun-style, which tends to be flat to my head. I have an oval-shaped face, and I’ve found that both styles work with my face. For the rectangular scarves, I like to work with a cotton-based material, as opposed to jersey. It also helps to do a big bun-style tie underneath the rectangle, to provide some volume in back.

What are your favourite kinds of scarves and colours that you like to wear?

My current preference is to use colorful scarves. I used to stick to more neutral colors (they match more outfits!), but I’m trying to make my wardrobe more vibrant, so now I keep my eyes out for scarves will more personality. I gravitate toward navy blue, purple and teal.

How did you feel about hair covering before you got married? What about now?

Before marriage, I never really thought much about hair covering; it was just something I was going to do. Now it has become such a integral part of my life that I feel a little naked if my hair is uncovered. It’s like a part of me is missing. I love how each hair covering gives me a different look. My absolute favorite part is that it drastically reduces the amount of time needed to get ready in the morning. When I’m running out to take my four-year-old to his preschool, I can get stick my hair in a bun and pop on a hat. It is the best. If I want to be a little fancier, I can put on a beautiful tichel, and it makes me feel so regal. Much better than the washing, drying and straightening routine I had with my hair pre-marriage. Also, my hair is super-healthy now that I’m not constantly abusing it. Bonus!

Do you have any funny or inspiring hair covering stories that you would like to share with us?

When I was newly married, I worked in an office where I was the only Jewish woman. It was in a town that does not have a large Orthodox population, and it’s likely I was the first (and perhaps only) Orthodox women my co-workers had encountered. At the time, I only owned one sheitel (wig), and the time came for it to be washed. It wasn’t ready by Monday, so I wore a tichel to work. One of my co-workers asked me how many times a year I had to cover my hair. When I told her “all the time,” she responded, “but I see you with your hair all the other days.” So I revealed that it wasn’t my hair, but a wig, and she wouldn’t believe me until she was able to inspect it the next day!

You have a beautiful blog called Life in the Married Lane. What made you start blogging? How has your writing style and the topics you choose to discuss evolve over the years?

I started blogging when I was studying for a year in Israel. That first blog was called “Inspirations from the Holy Land.” Its purpose was a way for my friends and family to keep up with me while I was abroad. When I came back from Israel and got married, I started a new blog (I was no longer in the Holy Land, unfortunately), and it served the same purpose. That was over five years ago, and slowly, it has grown into a beautiful community of women who I am so glad to have in my life.
My style has evolved because now I’m aware that people I don’t know personally are reading my blog, and that I’m kind of representing Orthodox Judaism, so it’s a certain level of responsibility. I would say I’m more thoughtful about my posts now, and take more time to try and clearly express my thoughts, to make sure that I’m accurately representing Judaism, and myself. I’ve also scaled back on sharing details about my personal life, unless I think they would be helpful or inspiring to others. I’ve started writing a lot more about Judaism than I intended, but someone my religious posts seem to be my most popular. So that’s what I’ve gravitated toward.

What music are you loving lately?

Lately I’ve been really digging Anat Cohen, who is a phenomenal clarinetist/saxophonist/composer. She plays jazz. I heard her on Fresh Air, and I was smitten. I purchased her newest album, Claroscura, and it has been in heavy rotation. I’ve also been listening to Shalsheles Junior, which is simple and upbeat, and gets my energy flowing. Also Beethoven’s 4th and 5th piano concertos, Chopin’s preludes and etudes, Ast by Pachora (another jazz combo with clarinet) and some Yosef Karduner, who really speaks to my soul with the simplicity and devotion of his music.

Grateful :)

On 2013/03/122013/03/12 By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation, Lady Wrap Stars, Recommendations, Updates15 Comments

There is something important that I would like to say, probably the most important thing I have said on Wrapunzel since creating the site:

“Thank you.”

Yes, you! Over the last few days, I have received an overwhelming amount of love and response from this community. It has been much more than usual, and is the reason why I am going through my days with a perma-smile! These messages, comments, and emails have given me so much strength and encouragement. It is amazing how much love and blessing I can feel through your words, and I thank you for giving so much of your love to me and the others on here! It has made me reaffirm how much a site like this is needed in the world, and I am so grateful to have been given the tools to run it. I am also glad to announce that over the past two days, Wrapunzel has achieved the highest number of daily site visits since its creation… wow! Thank you so much to those of you who have been sharing the site. I would have never guessed that hair covering could help build so many bridges and create so much love!

On Saturday night, I has the opportunity to teach a hair wrapping class to the largest group of women that I have taught! The particular one was for a group of Sephardi women, and it was a wonderful experience. I made new friends, learned a lot, and am looking forward to doing many more events like this in the future. If you have any ideas of places that could use hair wrapping classes, I would appreciate the connection. I especially want to reach out to health centers in order to offer classes to ladies who are dealing with hair loss… I know that feeling beautiful during rough times can do wonders for self esteem and healing.

Anyway, I digress. This post is about gratefulness and yesterday I received the most exquisite gift; Batsheva, our “Lady Wrap Star” from the Golan sent me a package in the mail. I opened it and after her beautiful note made me tear up, I discovered that it contained beautiful jewellery and hair covering accessories that she had made by hand! I had no idea that she was such an artist, but now that I look back at her photos, I should have guessed! She apparently used to sell them but does not do so anymore… but I’m thinking we should encourage her to start up again because these are gorgeous (she did not ask me to make this post, but I got her permission – her creations are just too beautiful not to share)! I am especially inspired by her “Tichel Tiara” (the one in a spiral – it’s not a necklace), that is adjustable and will not cause pulling like the other headbands I use. Can’t wait to wear it! Here is what she sent me:

andrea grinberg wrapunzel batsheva jewellery tichel tiara

andrea grinberg wrapunzel batsheva jewellery

So, I want to wear them all at once, but since I realistically can only wear one pin with earrings and a necklace, here is today’s wrap!

Meet Sarah, this week’s Lady Wrap Star!

On 2013/03/102013/03/10 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars16 Comments

I discovered Sarah when a friend directed me to a post she wrote for Worn Journal. I was immediately captivated by her beautiful writing, evocative stories, and genuine insights on hair covering and modesty. I left and comment on the article, asking if she would like to be featured on Wrapunzel, and here is the result! It made me very happy to finally get some answers to the questions I had about the Muslim ideals of hair covering. She’s also a fellow Canadian! Enjoy!

(All photographs are from the article “Cover to Cover; My history with a headscarf“ from Worn Journal.)

Hi Sarah! How is today treating you?
Hi Andrea! Today has been great, although I’m a bit sick of winter. Other than that, I’m great!

How do you choose to spend most of your time?
I’m a part time student and a full time worker, so most of my time is occupied by one of the two. I’m an English major, so I get to spend a lot of my time reading and writing which is enjoyable for the most part.

We found each other because I stumbled upon the article you wrote for WORN magazine. Have you shared your thoughts on hair covering in a public forum before?
I actually have never shared my thoughts on a public forum, ever. A friend of mine is the web editor of Worn and she sent me a message on Facebook asking if I wanted to write something for their blog. I jumped at the chance because I’m a huge fan of Worn, but also I’ve always wanted to share my thoughts and beliefs on covering publicly. It has always gotten on my nerves that most of what I read in news stories were usually written from a negative point of view concerning head covering, and also they were always written by those who don’t even cover!

Can you tell me a bit about why you cover your hair?
First and foremost, I cover my hair for religious reasons. It’s a part of my religion that is very important and personal. A lot of Muslim women wear it for different additional reasons, but what it comes down to is that it’s a religious obligation. I wear the Muslim head covering called a hijab. Hijab is an all encompassing term for covering your hair and body. I feel like it really gives me ultimate control over my body and what others are able to see. Also, I feel like wearing a hijab makes me easily identifiable as a Muslim woman and that way people will know what I stand for.

What does the Muslim religion say about when a woman should start to cover her head? Is there a particular right of passage that happens around the time she starts doing so?
In Islam, Muslim women are advised to start covering around the time puberty hits, however, it’s up to the woman as to when she starts. There’s no particular right of passage that happens, probably because there’s not a set age of when a woman should start covering.

Are there any specific rules that you follow when you cover? (Aka how much skin, colour, material etc.)
There are specific rules and guidelines within Islam for covering. Although a lot of people have their own ideas, I try and stay as close as I can to my religious guidelines. I cover my hair, ears, neck and bosom and I try to wear loose clothing that doesn’t show too much of my figure. A lot of people assume Muslim women have to wear black, but that’s more of a Middle-Eastern cultural practice rather than a religious obligation. I mostly wear long skirts and dresses, but I try not to be boring in my choices. I make sure that even though I am covered, my personality still comes through in my clothing. I try to wear a lot of different colours and even though I follow certain guidelines, I think I still am able to be stylish.

What does the word “modesty” mean to you?
Modesty means to me, being empowered. Being able to dress in a way that allows me to keep my dignity and makes me feel comfortable. It’s different for everyone, but I find that lately aspiring for modesty is something that is looked down on. To me, it’s what I strive for.

What are your thoughts in regards to one’s self worth and covering hair?
Personally, it has given me a great feeling of self worth. I can’t speak for others, and maybe this isn’t something that works for every woman, but covering has really made me feel very confident. In high school, it wasn’t always very easy because of that desire every teen feels to “fit in”, but the more I thought about the reasons why I cover, the more I realised how good it made me feel.
The older I got, the more I started noticing how objectified women are and it made me realise that from the moment we’re young girls, we’re told that a woman’s worth is based on how attractive she is. I feel like covering my body goes against those principles and that I’m focusing less on my physical self and more on who I am as a person.

Do your friends also cover?
My friends I see the most often don’t cover, mostly because they aren’t from religions that follow this practice. Out of my Muslim friends, most of them do cover but there are also some who are not ready to take that step just yet. It really isn’t an issue for anyone as it is a personal choice.

What is your most vivid hair covering experience?
The most vivid hair covering experience was probably getting to write the article for Worn. I never thought anybody would be interested in my experiences with covering my hair, but I don’t think I’ll forget such an empowering experience

Funny/ironic hair covering experience?
Yeah, there have been a few for sure! A lot of funny questions have been asked, and honestly I find it very hard to answer some of them with a straight face. Sometimes people ask me if I have to shower with my hijab or if I sleep in it. Also, I think some people assume that because I cover I don’t speak or understand English. I’ve actually had people ask me when I learned English and how I speak without an accent. They usually get a little embarrassed when I tell them that I was born here in Canada!

How do your friends react to your covering? Your family?
Luckily, I live in a very diverse city so there has been no backlash from my friends and I can’t think of many cases where it has stopped me from making friends. I started wearing a hijab when I was 12 or so, and people asked me questions at school, but it wasn’t a big deal at all. It was definitely something I was more self conscious about when I was younger, just because of that need to look “normal”, but I came to the conclusion that if someone is going to judge me negatively based on my beliefs, they aren’t worth my time. Most of my friends are used to seeing head coverings of all sorts, and it’s really a non-issue. I’ve made some friends at school who are from small towns and have never seen a woman cover her hair and they had a lot of questions at first, but they’re very supportive of my choices. I find that even though obviously someone might not agree with why I cover or my beliefs, they’re still able to respect me and my choices.
My family also had no issue with me covering, but it was a bit of a surprise to my parents. My sisters had waited until much later to start covering than I did, so my parents were a bit scared that I was rushing into wearing one to copy older sisters. I had to assure them that it was something I wanted to do for myself.

Has covering affected you professionally?
I haven’t really had a “real” job yet since I’m still a student, but I don’t think it has affected me in getting any of the jobs I’ve had. I’ve had jobs that have required uniforms and usually employers are lenient. I do worry that at some point in the future, certain employers might be uncomfortable. I don’t really see it being an issue in my future, mostly because our society is getting used to this sort of thing and it’s becoming more and more common.

Please tell us a bit about what covering has done for you internally. Any noticeable changes?
I guess internally one of the biggest changes is that I’m now more of a representation of my faith. Before, nobody would really know I was a Muslim woman but now, it’s very obvious. I know I don’t speak for all Muslim women or Islam in general, but I try to be a good ambassador of my faith by countering stereotypes and negative images. I guess it’s the same for all minorities; even though you can’t represent everyone you still can be the first experience someone has of someone of your faith or race.

What do you look for when searching for scarves?
I usually wear the longer pashmina type scarves as they’re the easiest to wrap around my head and luckily they’re available almost everywhere! I try and find ones that are appropriate for the season, thicker materials for the winter and light ones for the summer.

Do you have a favourite scarf and/or accessory?
I don’t have a favourite scarf or accessory. I don’t really accesorise much, and I have too many scarves to pick just one!

Any covering tips or tricks you would like to share?
For a while I was really annoyed with my scarves made from silkier material falling off my head. To avoid that from happening, I always wear a sort of underpiece to have a little friction between my hair and my scarf. Also, I was having issues with storage so I bought the KOMPLEMENT scarf hanger from Ikea. It really has made storage so much easier!

Do have any nicknames? Where did they come from?
No nicknames! There are a lot of Sarahs out there, so a lot of people just call me by my last name.

What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for so many things. Most days, I’m used to the privileges I have over many others on this Earth and take a lot of things for granted, but sometimes I see something that makes me feel very grateful just to able to walk down the street and feel safe. Above everything, I’m grateful for my parents. The older I get the more I realise the sacrifices parents make for their children and I’m grateful I have two people in my life I can go to for anything. I’m also grateful to have grown up in Canada where I’m exposed to so many different ways of life.

I’ve been interviewed!

On 2013/03/07 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars, Updates2 Comments

Do you remember Maya, one of our first Lady Wrap Stars? Well, she wanted to interview me as well, and I happily agreed. She sent me some incredible interview questions… ones that really made me think and write about subjects that I had never thought to discuss or shed light on.

Click here to see it! I hope you enjoy and would love to hear what you think about some of the answers I gave.

Hope you’re all having a lovely day 🙂

Lady Wrap Star, Cynthia!

On 2013/03/032013/03/03 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars7 Comments

I am excited to feature Cynthia as this week’s Lady Wrap Star! Cynthia contributes so much to this community, with her lovely comments and ideas, as well as her photos that she shows us on the facebook group to give inspiration. I love her use of different shades and soft colours, and was not surprised to hear that her thoughts on hair covering are just as beautiful as the wraps she wears! Read on…

Lady Wrap Star known as:
Cynthia Doniger

How do spend your time?
I am a Licensed Massage Therapist (18 years) and a Certified Aromatherapist—After a long full career, I now see a few private clients, do consultations and teach continuing education workshops with Cross County Education. When on a teaching tour I am in 3 cities in three days. Lots of travel!

How long have you been covering your hair?
Since I married my best friend in the world!

Have you changed how you cover over time?
I began covering my hair at shul after marriage by wearing hats…I had an extensive collection which I only wore once a week. I was hat shopping and having a conversation one day with a very liberal Jewish friend—we were both trying on hats and she put on one that was gorgeous for her. I told her so and her reply was that since she normally wears a kipah & tallis, she would feel hypocritical wearing a hat or covering her hair. This chance remark began some significant soul searching on my part. I decided to cover my hair all the time, I gave away my hats because I felt like putting on a scarf (or two) was similar to my husband putting on a tallit…it was an opportunity for me to grow closer to Hashem. BTW-the friend who started all this later tried to apologized for her remark, but I wouldn’t let her because she spoke the truth as I needed to hear it,

What is your favourite scarf and/or accessory?
I have shared the pictures of my collection….I love them all! I discovered that I like volume and invested in a volumizing cotton cap for under the scarves…best accessory EVER!

What are you wearing on your head today?
Today is a lazy day wrap a heavy square gold & black square folded in a triangle just tied & tucked. I have this scarf in black & red also black & teal.

How has covering your hair affected your professional life?
It may sound crazy but I feel authentic. Because it is obvious that something is different, my students & clients all know that I am Jewish. I seems that somehow this actually gives them permission to be authentic too. So far, professionally it has been a good thing.

How did your family and friends react to your covering?
Most of the family said nothing. Either it didn’t matter or they were following the old adage –“if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” There were a few whispered remarks from liberal relatives & friends- “Well, that’s just ridiculous!” and “Where do you think you are…in the shetel?” Some Jewish friends who had not seen us in awhile took my husband aside to ask if I had a “medical condition”?!?

Any funny or inspirational covering stories you would like to share?
What I want to share (especially after that last question) is the JOY I get when I am out and encounter another woman who cover. I have to travel 2 hours to buy kosher meat. When I first got to Detroit this last time I pulled up to fill the gas tank at Costco. As I was standing there the woman at the car behind me peeked around her open car door, our eyes met (after taking in the mutual head coverings & skirts) and we shared the secret smile!

Any recommendations to someone that has a similar face shape and/or colouring?
Don’t assume that you can’t wear a particular style until you try it. I was stuck in a simple wrap style until I met Andrea and her awesome videos—now I have a wonderful time trying new wraps!

What are some of your hair covering tips/tricks/secrets?
Allow yourself some “play time” to experiment—not all wraps will be sucessful….but the more you do the more you learn.

How do you store your scarves?
My wonderful husband made a rack for me out of a wooden strip with cup hooks and I use binder clips to hold the scarves!

What is your favourite colour?
I tend to really like to match my head wrap to my outfit and so my tendency is to gravitate towards black, ivory, gold and other neutrals, but Andrea’s artistry has got me experimenting with more colour.

What are you grateful for right now?
I am grateful for finding this group of women. The Jewish community in Grand Rapids, Michigan is small. The observant Jewish community here is even smaller. Sometimes it gets a little lonely….it’s nice to connect to so many beautiful women!

Lady Wrap Star: Batsheva!

On 2013/02/262013/02/26 By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars13 Comments

Meet this week’s lady wrap star, Batsheva. Batsheva hails from the beautiful land of Israel, and has some very unique insights about hair covering to share! She welcomes any questions we might have about her post, and will answer all comments!

[Tichel=the Yiddish word for head scarf.]

Hi! What do people usually call you?

My name is Batsheva Tova. I use my middle name often, but most people call me Batsheva. There is quite a story behind it. My father fought in the 1982 Lebanon war and lost 7 of his friends. When I was born in October ’83, he named me after them (sheva=seven in Hebrew).

How long have you been covering your hair?
I have been covering since I got married, 8 1/2 years ago. My mother covers her hair, so I always knew I would too.

What kind of climate do you live in? How has this affected how you cover?

I live in the beautiful Golan Heights in the north of Israel (y’all are welcome to visi!) The winters here are quite cold in local terms, and I tend to wear more ostentatious arrangements in the winter. Summers are boiling hot and therefore minimalistic.

Have you always covered your hair with scarves?

Mostly scarves. I had a couple of hats when I got married, but they didn’t last long. When I am not in the mood, I wear berettes.

Have you changed how you cover your hair over time?

Oh, yes. When I was newly married, the tichels and the way to wear them were very different. The tichels were all made of thickish cotton, and were monochromatic. No patterns, unless a gradual hue counts.We used to tie them in various “Rachel Imenu” styles; We wore square-triangles and we switched the ends behind our head and across the forhead. Some took one end under the hair and the other one over it. We sometimes did it with two tichels, one was the cap on top and the other one went around it. If anyone ties them this way today, they look very dated. When the scarves first came out, we use to tie them in a special way too, creating a kind of sack holding our hair and going above it. There were other covers too. There was a time when women wore small hats and wrapped their hair in black fabric like a black snake down their back. I saw a woman doing that the other day and thought:”Boy, we were peculiar”. Today, many women here wear “designed” tichels which are sewn from several fabrics with laces and decorations on them. They cost at least four times the price of a plain scarf. Back when I started wearing them, there were only square-folded-into-triangle type tichels. I must sound like a tichelosaurus. If you ever do a retro-tichel post, I would be happy to demonstrate!

Can you share with us some advice about the technique of hair covering?

I always wear a tricot (tshirt material) triangle tichel under anything I put on. It prevents slippage and gives a nice smooth shape to my head.

What is the most important thing you have learned/realized from covering your hair?

Honesly? To always be comfortable. The rest doesn’t matter. And also to follow your belief. I believe that I should cover all of my hair, even though around me most women do the ponytail-out look.

How did you figure out how to wrap your scarves so beautifully?

A LOT of trial and error,and also jealousy of my sister. She has only been married for 9 months and is already a Ph.D. level tichelist.

And obviously this site and Rivka-Malka’s one have inspired me.

How do you wash/care for your scarves?

Most of them are hand-wash only. I also fold them an extra fold in the front so they stretch a little less over my forehead. I included a photograph of the AMAZING tichel cupboard my husband got me for my birthday. The drawers underneath store my pins, brooches, lace ribbons etc.

What are some of your recommendations that you would give someone with your hair type, face shape, colouring etc.?

I am quite pale, but lucky enough to be olivish toned. Most colours look good on me. The only colour that I should really keep away from my face is black. I don’t like black, so this is rarely an issue for me. In my experience, black tichels make pale women look sick and swallow up the dark-skinned ones.

My face is roundish and quite full, so I like volume in my tichels. If there isn’t enough volume, I feel I look like a balloon, or a bald person!

My hair has nothing unique about it, just a wavy brown. I do recommend keeping it long – it helps holding up the whole thing. I know a girl with very frizzy long hair, and she doesn’t need a volumizer or an extra scarf or anything – if some of you disliked your frizzy hair, you’ll have a lot of fun when you start covering. For extra volume I use big velvet scrunchies on myhair, and also use a special sponge shaped like a bagel which is quite popular here.

One more pointer – I have a big head, so I always try to get the longest scarves/biggest squares, otherwise I have to work really heard to make them fit…

What do you love most about covering your hair?

I love having this neon sign on my head declaring that I am an observant Jew and a lawfully wedded wife.

To me head coverring is as much a part of tzniut as wearing a shirt is.

On a more materialistic view, I feel it help sme complete my outfit and make a match between garments that wouldn’t go together without it.

What is your favourite way to wrap your scarves? What is your favourite scarf/accessory?

My favorite way is when I get a “chassidic” look, with a lot of volume – like the Breslev women do. My favorite scarves change from time to time, but it is always an item which I like for being comfortable more than the colour or any other criteria. I have many accessories and I also make some (such as the brooch on the pink-and-gray do photograph). I don’t know if I have a favorite, but there are some I wear often like the bobby pin with the creamflower on the mint green-and-maroon look.

What are you wearing on your head today?

I haven’t gotten dressed yet, so I am still wearing the dark green berret I sleep in.

Do you have any stories (funny, meaningful) you would like to share about hair covering?

I don’t have many stories, though I do remember as an inexperienced newlywed wearing a silk scarf to shul. It slipped off and I ran out to rearrange it. I also remember at my wedding, during the dancing, knocking the hat off my newly married friend. You can see it quite clearly in the DVD. She doesn’t wear hats anymore…

Before I gave birth 4 months ago, I had a serious discussion with a friend about what to cover my head with in the delivery room. We decided on either a berret or a snood (I love charedi snoods – very lite and comfortable) or a very comfy tichel. When the time came it was shabbat morning, and I couldn’t stand the thought of getting in the ambulance in plain clothes. So I put on a shabbat dress, tied a sparkly shabbat tichel with a lace ribbon and got on the ambulance. I only changed in the delivery room.

What are you grateful for right now?

I am grateful for the biggest treasures Hashem has given me. A lovely supportive kind-hearted husband, and my two beautiful daughters, aged seven years and four months old, and for the being a stay-at-home mom. I am grateful for the lovely house we have built recently in which we live, and for our loving families and friends.

Thanks for giving me this opportunity for self reflection. It was very interesting. Have a lovely day!!

The Wrapunzel Blog

Category: Lady Wrap Stars

Our Latest Lady Wrap Star – Tiona!

Lady Wrap Star Hannah!

Introducing… Batsheva!

Judith de Paris!! {+ giveaway!}

Introducing… Nava!

Ticheled Tamar!

Lady Wrap Star Melissa!

Ladies Do the Twist!

Meet Myriam!

Meet Rivki :)

Grateful :)

Meet Sarah, this week’s Lady Wrap Star!

I’ve been interviewed!

Lady Wrap Star, Cynthia!

Lady Wrap Star: Batsheva!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!

Share share share!! Help others shine from the inside out!