We have a very special Lady Wrap Star for you today. She is a writer, clinical herbalist and botanical sanctuary caretaker, who has written us a beautiful piece about her journey with head-covering and how wrapping helps her connect with her maternal lineage. Tons of wrapping photos included!

Without further ado, we will now present to you… Kiva Rose:

“I make my home in a riparian canyon in the wilderness of southern New Mexico where my family cares for a botanical sanctuary. Our cabin is perched atop a mesa that overlooks the San Francisco River. The colors of the cliffs, woodlands, and wildflowers are dramatically colorful, and certainly inspire many of my daily scarf choices! The flaming orange of the Globemallow flowers, the turquoise skies, and the earthy greens of the Pines all show up quite regularly in my wardrobe.

I’m a clinical herbalist, folklorist, and writer. Alongside my clinical work, I also co-direct an international herbal conference in the American Southwest, co-edit and publish Plant Healer Magazine, and write incessantly about flowers and fairy tales! Basically, my work revolves around helping people reconnect to wellness, nature, and story, and includes a great deal of emphasis on accessible healthcare.

I’ve been wrapping intermittently since I was a little girl, in part because my mom did. She worked for a Rabbi when we lived in south Florida and had lived in various parts of the world where covering was important, and then kept it up off and on over the years. Where I grew up it wasn’t uncommon for women to wear scarves when they went out in public, attended religious services, or got dressed up for any celebration, so I didn’t really understand it was an unusual choice until I was in my teens. The realization that wrapping was odd in most US communities didn’t change my feelings about the subject, and I continued to collect and wear my scarves. I frequently wore large printed wraps in college, and got called “Babushka” a whole lot.

More recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about my family, ancestry, and how many traditions have been lost or eroded over the years. And about what I’m passing down to my daughter (and only child) who just turned sixteen this past month…. so I guess I’m very deeply pondering and reconsidering aspects of my religious/spiritual and cultural/social perspective in ways that have led me to feel that covering my hair is an important part of how I interface with people, the natural world, and G-d, if that makes sense.

My family has been splintered by religious and mental health issues, and I find that wrapping helps me maintain some connection to my maternal lineage. I first learned wrapping from my mother, and she gave me my first scarves. Now I’m teaching my teenage daughter to wrap and this year her birthday presents were mostly scarves, so this feels like a joyful way of passing on beauty and meaning.

I’ve loved folklore and fairy tales since I was a child, so when I stumbled across the Wrapunzel tutorials while looking up wrapping on YouTube, I couldn’t resist checking the whole site out. What a magical rabbit hole to fall down! There’s something truly enchanted about how Wrapunzel is woven together, a vibrant tapestry of colors, textures, women, and an undeniable warmth that draws the viewer in.

I’ve always adored how wrapping looks, so there’s definitely some purely aesthetic joy happening here. I love the colors, the textures, the way it looks, and the ways it brings women together in such a special way. They way such a simple garment can bridge cultures, ethnicities, religions, borders, and politics to bring women back together into a beautifully diverse circle of shared delight. I’m fascinated by how much about a woman is reflected in the wraps she chooses, and how the nuanced spectrum of the feminine is expressed. From turban to veil, brilliant ruby to deepest blue, braid to fringe, fairy princess to tribal queen…. we’re a living testament to the immensity of what links us all together as women.

For many years of my life, I dressed, quite literally, in camouflage colors. Whether that was the green shades of the forest or the black uniform of urban centers, I tried hard not to stand out. I’m strange enough that this has always been something of a fail for me, but choosing to wrap was also a choice to embrace who I am and to stop apologizing for it. Choosing to wrap in shades of brilliant color took this yet a step further. At first, I had to make a concerted effort to hold my head up high when I stepped into public instead of pulling into myself in wary self-consciousness. It’s grown easier with each day of wrapping, and I now actually find myself looking forward to smiling back at people when they look my way.

Part of why I only wrapped off and on before was because I didn’t know there were wonderful things like velvet headbands and shapers that made wrapping so much easier to sustain without everything attempting to fall off my head (the punchline of many embarrassing stories from when I was younger) or pull my hair or give me headaches. Now, thanks to watching countless Wrapunzel tutorials, I can literally hang upside off of tree branches (and I do) in my wraps without them getting in my way or falling off. My long skirts are another matter entirely, heh….

The internet is certainly filled with many places to purchase beautiful clothing or accessories, but the search for community is a more challenging one. I certainly didn’t expect to find a whole group of new friends while learning how to keep my scarf on my head, but I somehow did! There’s no way to spend time on the Wrapunzel blog, Facebook page, or website without getting a sense of the enthusiasm and caring that’s at the heart of the Wrapunzel community!

I have very much appreciated Andrea’s willingness to speak about her own story, to share so much joy so generously with others, and to so kindly teach people how wrap easily and confidently, that’s a pretty big deal in what is sometimes considered a curious  or contentious topic. I’m grateful for how many women she’s brought together, and how she opens her circle wide for everyone with compassion and respect.

It’s become a morning ritual for me to check in with the Wrapunzel Facebook Group, look through all the new pictures of women in their gorgeous wraps, and try to let as many as possible know how beautiful they are. I find this a fantastic way to start my day and it puts me in a great mood for work. I know that, regardless of what else is happening in the world, there will be a circle of well-wrapped women showing off their crowns while supporting each other through this journey we call life.”

~Kiva Rose

I have this new dress that I absolutely love… and it has the most unexpected colors on it!  Most dominant are purple, black, and red… but there are also different shades of lilac, light blue, and cream.  You can probably predict that I got excited about the possibilities this presented for my tichel!

When wearing it last week I did a single braid wrap with a dark red 2 in 1 and mulberry Shiny Licious.  (There are few photos that look cropped there because I was holding my son!)

I loved it so much that I reached for the dress again today and the same tichels!  But this time added a rainbow/black Israeli Tichel to the mix in order to get a double braid goin’ on 🙂

For the double braid wrap, I just tucked the ends into the headband/other braid instead of tucking under!

I am alllllll for this color scheme and I never would have tried it if not for this dress!  It’s a pretty bold look for me, but having the purple by my face softens it enough that I think I can pull it off!  What do you think?

Wishing you all lots of joy, surprises, and successful new beginnings (it’s that time of year!)

Love, Andrea

Hi Everyone!!

Long time no see!  It actually feels a bit strange for me to post my daily tichel looks on here, with the fangroup being so active, the facebook pages and instagram being so easy to post on etc., but some of you have told me that you really miss my blogging here so I will make sure to do it here once in a while!  It’s so wonderful to see how far Wrapunzel has come – and to remember that I used to post my tichel looks on here daily back when it seemed like I was the only one wrapping!  Wow!

Today I wore a Shimmery (the light teal) and Shiny Licious (bronze) together.  One of our most asked questions is what the difference is between these two scarves… and because they go so beautifully together (and sound similar) often it can be confusing!  Rachel answers this question here, but you can also see on my head the difference between the two 🙂

I absolutely loved this color combination.  These are both colors that I wear (brown and teal) but in shades that I normally don’t wear – aka lighter.  I’m really glad I decided to try it out and these colors called to me this morning!  I have no idea what kind of wrap this is… it just kinda happened!

Hope you are all doing well and enjoyed this post!  It’s certainly nice to be posting on the blog again.  Sending love to you and yours, wherever you are!

Love, Andrea

Hi, ladies! Thank you SO much for your participation in #wrapunzeledallup! We’ve got an amazing collage full of wraps without tails and had an absolute blast going through all of your submissions – you rock!

Want to take part in our next Wrapunzel Challenge and have your own photos featured on our blog? Scroll down to the bottom of this post for our next challenge reveal and to learn how to participate!

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For our next challenge, we’ve decided to focus on the UNEXPECTED. Pairs of head coverings that you might not normally think to combine, yet seem to work well, anyway! This might be a duo of colors that are not usually worn together, yet work surprisingly well. Perhaps, it’s a mixing of patterns or even textures. I (Rachel), for one, am looking forward to experimenting with black and brown, which fashion rules have always dictated should not be worn together. The possibilities are endless, ladies!!!

Would you like to participate in the next Wrapunzel Challenge? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroup and share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzelunexpected. If you would also like them featured on the next bi-weekly blog post, make sure to also post them in the comments on the pinned post at the top of the Fangroup page, so we know to share them. We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person– no collages, please! If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Challenge of the Week. Instagram users can DM them to us, too at our Wrapunzel_Ladies account! Can’t wait to see what you create!!

Hi, Wrapunzelistas! Summer has officially begun in my neck of the woods, so I’ve been on the hunt for styles to help stay cool in the sweltering heat. Some of my favorite summer scarves have always been Israeli Tichels and I found myself reaching for my favorite one recently, when I knew that I’d be spending lots of time in the sun. Having just watched Andrea’s new Israeli Tichel tutorial, I found myself itching to try something different and came up with the following easy breezy look. It’s so simple!

If you can tie your shoe laces, you can tie this tichel! I was particularly thrilled that it could be worn over just a No-Slip Headband and that it doesn’t require any volume in the back, as I usually skip wearing a shaper at the beach and during many other summer activities. Plus, it can be worn with tails or without, which give even more possibilities.

Tails blowing in a warm summer breeze!

Or even fanned out, lending the appearance of a flower. Totally flapper-esque, am I right?!

This style will work well with any square tichel and a variety of materials. One of my passions has always been collecting vintage silk squares, but I have struggled a bit when coming up with ways to highlight them. Well, I am happy to report that they work beautifully here and even manage to give a more amped-up, fancy look. This one will be just perfect for Shabbat!

Before you watch the tutorial below, know that this style can also be tied with a long, oblong-shaped scarf. Skip your pashminas, grab your favorite thin, rectangular tichel (embroidery might be tricky), tie a knot in the back of your head with one short tail and then bring the longer one over your head, before tying the bow/flower.

Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!!!

My husband and I are at this stage of our lives during which… how to I put it?  In short, we have a lot going on.  A lot of options, a lot of brachas, and a lot of opportunites in terms of how to spend our time.  Between running Wrapunzel, two non-profits, performing as musicians, teaching, my husband doing his doctorate, living in a vibrant community where we love to host huge meals, and oh! most importantly, striving to be present as much as possible as parents, we are being stretched with opportunities.  Not to mention Pesach prep, which we are hosting.  Sometimes, one needs to take a step back and realize that by saying “yes” to wonderful opportunities, one is saying “no” to something that is infinitely more important.  There is a lot to say on this topic, but needless to say, we hadn’t spent much quality time together (aka not working and actually bonding) and we missed each other.

So while our commitments and obligations were looming, we decided to say “no” to everything else and “yes” to each other.  We hired a babysitter for the night and went out on a date, with all work talk banned.

Needless to say, we were excited.

It was such a treat, getting dressed in colors that I know he loves, putting on (minimal) makeup, putting time into my appearance for no one else but my soulmate (who is a part of me, so really, putting time into myself).  I chose a dress that made me feel great, and wore Gryffindor colors in my tichel, which I knew would make him happy.

I wore a dark red comfort and a shimmery sash that I ripped from my old gold shimmery.  Here are a few more photos of my tichel:

How was it?  It was under two hours, and it changed our lives.  And all those other stressful obligations?  They have become so much more manageable and less stressful now that we have invested time in what matters most.  Shalom bayit is the greatest gift that we can give ourselves, our spouses, our children, and the world.  For all of you that think you don’t have the time or can’t go out. I am here to say yes you can.  Say “no” to something else and say “yes” to your marriage.  You won’t regret it 🙂

Wishing you all a stress free (or at least, as little stress as possible) Pesach prep!
Love, Andrea

It’s getting warmer out there, and it’s a great time to start thinking of ways to do easy, layered wraps without a lot of weight or bulk – and without spending ages in front of the mirror! Penina Taylor is here to share her go-to layered wrap using a lace sash (we’re getting more in this week – get excited!), a 2-in-1, and a long, patterned rectangle scarf (use any scarf or sash in your closet that fits that description – Coloriffic or our new Darling Dots Sash would be great choices!). She adds in a stretchy elastic headband and sparkly pin for extra glamour – feel free to use any in your collection, or just leave them out for a simpler look!

Penina got great reviews wearing this wrap as a guest speaker at our Baltimore show – check out the photos below, and then give the wrap a try with her tutorial!

Don’t let this collage fool you! Despite the relatively small amount of photos it includes, in the fangroup we had a ton of fun with our hilarious Challenge of the Week! It seems that many Wrapunzelistas don’t wish to record photographic evidence of their #wrapunzelticheltantrums, however, the stories and pics we did see were highly entertaining! I (Rachel) had a particularly interesting experience, which I would like to share with you all:

“I had a major tichel tantrum today- in public, no less! For the first time in forever, I decided to wear my Signature Shaper with an Oomphtastic Scrunchie, but because my hair is so short, the pony tail itself was very small. The end result was just large enough to keep the tails from slipping off the back of my head. I was entering a physical rehab facility (visiting a patient) and as I caught my reflection in the front door, saw that both tails had completely fallen down and were hanging by my side! I was running late, so was forced to rewrap as I wandered the halls, en route to my destination. Thankfully, I was able to do a quick regal turban without a mirror and managed to look somewhat presentable, but still…. It was totally a ‪#‎wrapunzelticheltantrum‬!”

They can happen to anyone, right?! Tantrums ranged from, “This one seemed fine at first, but then it started falling onto my forehead and hitting my right eye, so I had to rewrap in the bathroom at my office. After that, it was fine.” to ” This regal would not come out right. I spent most of breakfast getting it to just lay right. Gave up and covered it with some bling.” to “Not so much a tichel failure as a missed opportunity.”

Check out the collage below and don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom for this week’s reveal video!

Thanks, ladies!

What one woman considers a tichel tantrum might be tichel success to another and it is definitely evident in this collage. We think they all look great! Do you have tales of tichel woes worth sharing? We’d love to hear all about them in the comments below!

As for this week’s theme, we’ve decided to focus on scarves known as “the basic building blocks of any great tichel collection.” They’re some of our favorites and one of the most versatile type of scarf we can think of!

Check it out:

Would you like to be featured in next week’s collage? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroup and share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzeledinpashminas. If you would also like them featured on next week’s blog post, make sure to also post them in the comments on the pinned post at the top of the Fangroup page, so we know to share them. We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person – no collages, please! If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Challenge of the Week.” Can’t wait to see what you create!!

That’s right! We don’t mean the kind that actually involve water and are fed by babbling brooks and streams, but what we are talking about is the ever-so-classic Waterfall Twist! This Challenge of the Week found us wrapping with style and grace. It was awesome seeing so many women “do the twist”!

Check out our fabulous gallery below and don’t forget to scroll down to see the theme for next week’s challenge!

The theme for this week’s challenge can be summed up in one photo:

What’s going on there? Why, that would be a group tichel tantrum featuring Andrea and Naomi Rose! That’s right- our theme for this week is tichel tantrums! We want to see your tichels gone wrong! Your selfie-bloopers, accidents and more! None of us have managed to lead wrapping lifestyles free of this burden, so we thought, why not embrace the experience and share our frustrations together! This will certainly make for a hilarious compilation of photos next week!

Would you like to be featured in next week’s collage? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroup and share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzelticheltantrum. If you would also like them featured on next week’s blog post, make sure to also post them in the comments on the pinned post at the top of the Fangroup page, so we know to share them. We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person – no collages, please! If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Challenge of the Week.” Can’t wait to see what you create!!

Here is the tutorial for a style that I (Rachel) am totally loving right now! You might remember Italian Wrapunzelista Yael from her Regal Wrap with a Twist tutorial, but today she is back with an all new turban style and we are so excited to share it with you! In Yael’s words, “I like it because it reminds me of the hats women wore in the ’20’s and ’30’s,” and how we couldn’t agree more!

If you’re a turban-lover, like myself, this one is definitely worth checking out!

Edit: The blue/olive pashmina seen here is a Woven Vines! Color option: Navy Cool

Well, ladies, #wrapunzeledinsaris was a whole lot of fun and we absolutely LOVED seeing everybody’s colorful creations! Whether a sari scarf or sash was used, each participant exhibited such creativity and care… The ways these unique scarves were used is seemingly endless and this collage is one of our favorites yet! Do you need inspiration or ideas for how to use your sari scarf? Check out the gallery below!

For this week’s challenge, we’re revisiting an old favorite. A style that Andrea first developed before Wrapunzel was even a store! It is easy and elegant and seems to look good on everyone… Check out the reveal video below to find out more!

Would you like to be featured in next week’s collage? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroup and share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzeledinwaterfalls. If you would also like them featured on next week’s blog post, make sure to also post them in the comments on the pinned post at the top of the Fangroup page, so we know to share them. We can accept up to 5 headshot-style photos per person – no collages, please! If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Challenge of the Week.” Can’t wait to see what you create!!

***Need to learn how to do the twist? These tutorials have the answer!

Veil tutorials are all the rage lately! First we had Samantha’s original Princess Wrap, then Andrea’s easy Wrapunzel Veil, then Naomi Rose with the Duchess Wrap. But all these techniques work best with large, thin scarves. Wrapunzelista Mirjam wanted to find a way to do a veil with a thick pashmina – and boy did she ever nail it! Here are some photos she sent us:

We’ve always admired Mirjam’s posts on the Fangroup for her bold individual style, impeccable dramatic makeup, and especially her seemingly magical way of making any pashmina cooperate and turn into a wrap straight out of a fairy tale! So we were SUPER excited when she sent us a tutorial video to share. Without further ado, here she is:

Have you ever met a hair-covering Buddhist? We’re always amazed at the sheer number and diversity of spiritual backgrounds that inspire women to cover their hair. Check out Victoria’s beautiful and personal story below – and don’t miss her stunningly elegant wrapping style!

My name is Victoria Hogan. I’m a soap maker, business owner, homesteader, and blogger on hippiestink.com. I began wrapping part-time about five years ago, after much debate and thought. My mother is Vietnamese and a Dharma Buddhist, while my father is Irish-Romanian and Cherokee and a practicing Wiccan. I felt more connected to Buddhism, and it’s actually the main reason I wrap my hair.

My hair has always been the subject of envy from my friends. I have fine but dense hair, and in a very dark brown that is almost black. “Asian hair”, my friends would call it. People would always ask me “can I touch your hair!” Some people wouldn’t even ask and would just come up and grab it. I also would fuss over my hair, spending lots of money on conditioners and masks and product to make it look the way I wanted it. I would bother my mother to spend hours on styling it, and would spend a lot of money getting it cut the way I liked it. It became a nuisance and a distraction.

When I began practicing Buddhism in earnest, attending temple and such, I noticed the nuns all had their heads shaved bald just as the monks did. Some wore little sock caps and such, but they were completely bald. They do this to show humility, that they care not for things of this world, and that they are beyond the vanity of their hair. I did more research on the matter and learned that there are some nuns who wear coverings over their head, and that it’s common for nuns to shave bald or cover their hair. After thinking it over, noticing how vainly I viewed my hair, and debating with myself I came to the decision that as a layperson in the Buddhist faith I would cover my hair.

To me hair is a woman’s glory, her pride and joy. It’s considered a status symbol to have glorious, beautifully kept, healthy hair. I used to be so preoccupied with my hair, that it became the thing that I let define myself. I began covering my hair because I wanted to remind myself that I am more than my hair, that my vanity is less important than reaching Enlightenment and Nirvana. I began wrapping and wearing hats and snoods over my hair so I could stop focusing on how my hair looked and remember the important things: family and faith.

I cover for my faith, and I don’t let fear of what others may say and do stop me. We go often to Antwerp, where I can safely wrap because of the large Jewish population. When I’m not safe at home or among others who would not mind, I don’t wrap but wear a snood or hat. I’m glad to share my story with such amazing, beautiful women and I hope you find my story enjoyable!