Over the years, we have shared lots thoughts and ideas with you about how to find a head wrapping style that suits YOU. Here in Wrapunzel-land, we don’t encourage you to copy anyone else’s look – we aint gonna tell you what to wear! (Inspiration, however, is always encouraged!) Instead, we challenge you to look deep within yourself and find the headwrap that reveals YOUR inner beauty.
We’ve all seen the faces of different Wrapunzel models shining brightly in their uniqueness (check out our website if you want to know what I’m talking about!), but I was floored when our photographer, Yehudis, showed me the unedited proofs last week after a photoshoot for our upcoming fall line. This photoshoot was done with two models: M, our graphic designer, and Aviva, a newlywed friend. I could use many adjectives to describe these two women to you, but instead I am going to let the photos do the talking. Yehudis truly captured the unique personalities and inner essence of these women. They are so different, but the same in the way that they are both shining brightly, each beautiful in her own way.
Meet AvivaMeet M
They are both confident wrappers, Yehudis was marveling at how quickly the photoshoot went. While one was wrapping her next scarf, the other was being photographed, and then they switched. What resulted was a photoshoot that went back and forth between their personalities, and viewing the shots was such an incredible pleasure, I just had to share it with you.
See how different they are, each wearing simple one-scarf tichel styles, but in prints and colors that match their own personalities? Absolutely awe-inspiring!
Wrapunzel ladies, I want to encourage each and every one of you to go within yourselves and choose colors and styles that you love! Not what you love on someone else, not what another person tells you suits you. YOU have the answers, we all do. We just need to turn off the noise and discover the clothing that lets us reveal who we truly are. I hope this photoshoot inspires you as much as it inspired me!
The following was written by Devora Sara Alon, Rabbanit of Kehilat Kol Yisrael Achim, after she hosted a beautiful Wrapunzel event in Great Neck.
“I originally became interested in Wrapunzel as simply another tool in the hair-covering toolbox. I had not known how practically to keep all my hair covered securely in (nor thought that I had the features for) anything other than a sheitel.
Upon revisiting your site, I was struck by how Wrapunzel is reclaiming beauty. Society dictates that beauty means being young, skinny, have long flowing hair, etc. yet, we as Jews are supposed to be a light unto the nations. We should not be taking our cues from society at large. We know that aging is actually a gift (after all, Avraham Avinu asked for it), and older people are to be respected and venerated. We know that our bodies are a vessel for our most essential selves: our neshamot. We know that Hakadosh Boruch Hu created each woman’s body with intrinsic beauty, so much so, that we cover our bodies lest they detract ourselves and others from recognizing our true essence. [Andrea’s] analogy of an orchestra really struck a chord with me: each instrument plays its unique part and together we have a symphony. Had we only recognized a single melody, without all the different and unique harmonic lines, our musical traditions would have missed out on a whole world of polyphonic possibility. As a former amateur singer, (way back in high school) I loved singing in large choirs. I loved having my voice blend with the other singers. I vividly recall how on occasion, “diva” singers could completely throw off an entire section or choir simply because a singer was more intent on standing out than allowing her (or his) voice to be part of something bigger. Yet, it is still each singer’s unique voice that creates the stunning quality heard in choral pieces.
I likewise like to use the analogy of a circle: each point on the circumference is unique, though equidistant from the center. It is only when we have all the different points on that circumference that the circle is complete. We never, chas v’shalom, ultimately gain from trying to stand out alone at others’ expense. When we recognize that everyone has intrinsic value and beauty, including ourselves, that is when we can begin to appreciate the artistry of Ribbonu Shel Olam.
When browsing through Wrapunzel’s website, one sees models of every size, color, and age. Strikingly, every model exudes her unique beauty. How do they do that? Is there some special filter being used on the cameras? No, there is no chicanery occurring. Each woman is beautiful and in dressing modestly with joy, and her true beauty just radiates! Thank you for reminding us what we should be realizing all along, for truly being a light unto the nations, and standing well above what society dictates as their (false) version of what a woman should look like. This has undoubtedly led to unhealthy self-image in countless women and girls throughout the world, but Gd willing with all of our personal efforts towards change we will merit the coming of Moshiach and experience the joy of finally singing our unique melodies together in harmony.”
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Wrapunzel recently had an email from a woman who was feeling discouraged. “I am a grandmother, and I would really love to see some older women wear a tichel. I‘m starting to feel like the only 61-year-old woman who wraps,” she wrote. Well, we knew she wasn’t alone, but we we really wanted her to FEEL it! So we reached out to the wider Wrapunzel community to ask wrapping women over 60 to contribute photos and quotes to send to her. We were so inspired by the results that we had to share them with you!!
Annette: “Hello, I am 65 years old (last Sunday) and love wearing Wrapunzel wraps. I feel more beautiful in a wrap and cosy in the cold weather. I don’t often wear make-up so a beautiful wrap I think makes my face look better… and the bonus is that I don’t have to fiddle around every day trying to get my hair to do the right thing.”
Susie: “I’m 61, too! Wrapping makes me feel settled in my age, rooted. Dignified. (Even in tie-dye!) Beautiful in a way that has nothing to do with our culture’s obsession with youthful perfection—which doesn’t exist, anyway. Wrap on!”
Jocelyn: “I’ll be on Medicare in a couple months which makes me 64 right now. I don’t do the big fancy wraps but I wrap almost every day (other days I wear hats).”
LC: “I’m 66 and love wrapping.”
Tzipporah: “I’m also 61 – here’s a very casual shot from the cottage last summer. Wrapping is not the norm in my community for women of any age – sheitels, sheitels, sheitels (wigs) !!! I was wrapped at the largest local kosher grocery and there was a “woman of a certain age” (i.e. mine) who kept looking at me. I thought – uh oh – she doesn’t approve or whatever. Five minutes later, she approached me, told me how gorgeous my wrap was and confided that she wraps too, but only when in Israel. That she really admired me for wrapping in oh so conservative Toronto! For me, a great example of how we can absolutely never judge what’s going on inside someone else’s mind!”
Maya: “67 years old here!”
Nancy: “Hi, I’m a 64 year old woman and wrap everyday. There are so many beautiful women here inside and out. My advise to woman of any age is ‘wrap your pretty little head!'”
Mindy: “I’m 62 plus years old. I began wrapping every day a little over a year ago in order to fulfill the mitzvah. It was a decision that took time until I was ready to fully commit myself. Until I began wrapping and joined this group I hated having my photo taken and my family insisted that future generations would think that I disappeared at age 39.
[Don’t] be discouraged and please don’t believe that everyone in the Wrapunzel Fangroup, or who wraps her hair is chronologically young and fabulous…though many of us ARE young at heart. G-d created all of us and loves us all.”
Loraleigh: “Here I am, 61! This was in the fall of last year; I recently had a birthday and still wrap.”
Shush: “Making apple butter last October. I’m 62.”
Judith: “I started wrapping around 65 yrs old.”
Bonnie: “I reached my 64th year last Friday. I don’t wrap full time but I love the flexibility.”
Evelyn: “60 and counting.”
Nurit: “I’m 63 and I have given up wigs in favor of tichels. I live in a community where wigs are more the norm, but tichels have made me feel more like my genuine self. Age has nothing to do with it – you can be as flamboyant or as sedate as you want in terms of colors and styles. Don’t pass up this opportunity to give yourself new possibilities – and make sure to share the results with the rest of us! We’re all here for each other!”
Thank you ladies for sharing your beautiful pictures and inspiring words of wisdom!!! Are you an older woman who wraps, or do you have an inspiring woman in your life who does? Tell us about it in the comments! We’d love to hear more from you!
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I am happy to finally introduce you to Danielle! She is such an inspiring person – an “Aishet Chayil” (woman of valor) in all ways. She has true grace and really exudes the balance of looking beautiful, treating her family and herself like royalty (because they are!) yet being humble, modest, and giving. I’ve learned so much from her over the years by just looking at her beautiful tichel creations, and I’m so glad that we all get a chance to read what she has to say as well! Without further ado, meet Danielle!
Danielle from South Africa
“Hi Wrapunzel Ladies! Firstly, I want to say what an honour it is to be featured as a Lady Wrap Star. The Wrapunzel blog and the amazing ladies of the Wrapunzel fangroup have been an endless source of inspiration for me and I am so grateful to have discovered this amazing wellspring of beauty and creativity.
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa and was raised in a very traditional Jewish home but we weren’t religious at all. When I was 21 years old, we moved to Sydney, Australia where I met so many young people discovering their Jewish roots and moving towards becoming religious Jews. It was there that I experienced a very powerful Shabbos which ignited a spark in me to become more observant.
Australia turned out not to be the best place for us and so we returned to South Africa where I met my husband. When we got engaged, I always knew I would cover my hair. It was never a difficult choice for me, and it was always a mitzvah that I found easy to keep. I bought a sheitel and a few hats and I reckoned that these would be my main mode of covering my hair.
Danielle needs layers, and even her one scarf wraps always have accessories and folds for subtle interest!
Once I became a mother my sheitel became a nuisance. Little hands were always grabbing at it, I felt like it was constantly in my face, and it drove me crazy! I had wrapped with tichels before, but I had never seen it as an art or a way to become creative. I always just tied the scarf on and wrapped it around my bun.
One day, friends of ours surprised us saying that their connecting flight from Israel to Knysna was delayed and so they would have to spend Shabbos in Johannesburg. They came to us for Shabbos, and I could not take my eyes off my friend’s wrap. It had so much volume, and she looked so incredibly regal. That was when I first discovered volumisers, and I started watching tutorials on hair wrapping and eventually discovering Wrapunzel 10 years after my hair covering journey had begun! I had never even thought to layer scarves together, or add a colourful sash, headbands, pins, buckles, clips. A whole new world was opened to me.
I have had very mixed reactions to my wraps. The African ladies love them and always stop me to tell me how beautiful my “doek” (head covering) is. I’ve even been asked if I was married to a Xhosa man because they had never seen a white lady with a “doek”!
Danielle loves wearing a braid farther back on her head – perfect for her face shape!
I now live in a religious community where most of the women cover their hair, but most of them cover with sheitels and only a very few will try more elaborate wraps.
Someone once said to me that they used to wear colourful scarves but they decided that it was drawing too much attention to themselves so they took to wearing a sheitel full time. This initially bothered me as I thought that perhaps I was drawing too much attention to myself. But then I remembered a something I came across when I was learning about modest dress. G-d is the King of the universe, and I am his daughter. I should therefore dress in a way that says that I am a princess.
As a result, my head covering has become my crown, and I am proud to wear it as a daughter of the King.”
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I firmly believe that every woman needs a “go-to” color combination that will make her feel fabulous no matter what. My “go-to” is teal and brown. What’s yours?
Today I’m wearing a teal shiny licious and dark brown lakeshore bliss – my outfit is just a comfy loose top (perfect for nursing), a turquoise pin skirt and boots. I feel so fantastically comfortable and am really able to move and do everything I need to do!
Can’t wait to hear your go-to color combinations! Who knows? Maybe your “go-to” will inspire something new in someone else!
Sending you all lots of love, Wrapunzelistas!
Love, Andrea
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Black and blue, red, orange, and pink, black and brown… these are all color combos that I grew up thinking were a “no-no” to wear together. Well, time has taught me the error in my ways, and currently I LOVE turning these no-nos into YES-YESSES!! Who says you can’t wear brown and black together? Not I! I’m loving it!
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have a few shimmeries in your collection that are starting to get holes from their much-loved constant use! Thrifty solution: rip them up to make sashes! I love incorporating these sashes into wraps where a whole shimmery might cause too much bulk!
See the gold shimmery sash?
Here is a tutorial I made about it:
Love this double braid style I’m wearing today! The different widths create almost a medieval feel.
Would you rip up your shimmeries to try this? Happy wrapping y’all!
Love, Andrea
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After our latest newsletter for Wrapunzel the store was released (Do you receive our weekly Gazette? Click HERE to sign up!), I decided to write a bit more on the blog about the subject of party wraps. Be sure to keep reading until the end, where I describe the process of choosing a very special tichel for a very special event. Enjoy, ladies!
-Rachel
Let’s be real for a moment- it’s only mid-November and I’m already talking about party season? Well… yes… but with good reason! It’s in early November each year that I attend an annual black tie event with my husband (THE black tie event of the year for us, in fact) and the preparation for this always involves careful planning of both my outfits and the scarves that I choose to go with them. Needless to say, party wraps have DEFINITELY been on my mind lately and I love dreaming up ways of making them match distinct styles of dress.
Previous years and events of this caliber have seen me wearing all sorts of intricate multi-scarf looks. Double turbans, Waterfall Twists, a Tiple Zig-Zag or two… My mind always seems to equate fancy events with extra fancy wraps and it wasn’t until recently that I discovered that just a single scarf could look and feel equally as beautiful. It didn’t garner thoughts of feeling underdressed, as I had feared and there are many ways of making this work, no matter what style of dress you choose!
Many of us wind up at fancy affairs during the month of December, so with our calendars filling up and party season creeping ever-so-closer, why not start thinking about styling options now? Whether it’s celebrating the holidays, New Years Eve, or even just seasonally with friends (There are those with birthdays during this time of year, too!), let’s take a look at matching wraps to your party/fancy/formal dress wear, while letting just one scarf be the focus – complicated multi-scarf styles optional, which is perfect for wrappers of ALL skill levels.
Your Signature Party Style
Dressing up for parties is fun and can allow us the chance to don many different garments that we wouldn’t normally look at for weekday wear. The same can be said for tichels! Once you know the theme or dress code for the occasion and have found a way to amp-up your personal style- now what? Well, it’s time to choose the perfect scarf and style of wrapping, of course!
*Remember that watching tutorials and practicing wrapping styles well before the event is always a good idea- There’s nothing worse than getting dressed and finding yourself tangled in scarves, attempting to wrap in a way you discovered just minutes before! Being prepared will help eliminate stress and give you more time to concentrate on other pre-party preparations.
Is your signature party look influenced by a feminine wardrobe? Romantic blouses and skirts, soft pastels, ruffles, laces and silks are commonly found in this woman’s closet. It can be classic and understated or include bold statement pieces, both of which pair perfectly with quite a few wrapping styles!
One of the most obvious choices of wraps for this look would be lace and there certainly are plenty of easy ways to wear it. Lace triangular–shaped scarves come in a multitude of colors and are quite possibly the easiest-to-tie tichel of them all. Their sheerness also means that you can easily incorporate another colored base-scarf underneath it, for a multitude of different effects. This is not necessary, though, as there are plenty of women who simply wrap them over a black or white volumizer and call it a day, making them a quick and easy way to wrap for formal occasions.
The Ultimate Wedding Tichel (shown here) is new to my wardrobe, but has quickly become my all time favorite feminine scarf. For women who aren’t into lace (like myself), it is an excellent choice! I love how it utilizes sequins without being over the top and its beautiful silky fringe is a level of formality not found in many other tichels. The combination of sheerness, sequines and embroidery lends itself perfectly to a top made of satin or silk (see photo), which will create a party look that’s feminine, yet understated.
Turbans can be stunningly glamorous and look amazing at parties of all types! The women who wear them might favor trendy minimalistic outfits or big bold prints, but one thing’s for certain- a turbanista exudes CONFIDENCE where she goes!
The most comfortable scarf I’ve ever found for turban-tying is jersey, but it can sometimes be tricky to dress up for parties, particularly when worn solo. One way to do so is by opting for a glittery version, which is such an easy way to fancify your favorite turban ‘do. Adding a glitzy pin will also take your beloved turban to the next level.
If you’ll be dressing for the most formal of occasions, even more sparkle might be necessary. A one-scarf turban tied with a tichel that has a sheen throughout is an easy way to achieve this, whether you go for one that is soft and flowy or bold and more structured. Try matching the color of your turban to your shoes and purse, for a perfectly polished, party-ready look!
Peasant skirts, maxi dresses, flowy fabrics and varying textures, are the cornerstone of this party style. Add some chunky jewelry or accessories and you’ll be good to go! But what about the wrap? Making the choice is easy, once you know how to unify your look:
If most of your outfit is a print- Try a solid-colored wrap: Pick one of the main colors from the print as your scarf color.
If most of your outfit is solid-Choose a printed scarf that contains your clothing color within its pattern.
Now, I know that I said that this post would be about letting just one scarf shine, but Naomi Rose’s photo here shows an excellent way to wear two scarves, while keeping just one as the focus. Her formal-looking Shimmery makes a wonderful accent to the patterned scarf, which dresses up the wrap subtly, ensuring that the two won’t be competing for attention. A party-ready look, for sure!
This one focuses on how to wear boldly printed pieces in a super matchy-matchy way, with the end result being a stunning look, worthy to be worn at all sorts of parties and events!
Both the print and outfit are frequently duotone and focus on both patterns AND texture. Pattern mixing among the scarf and garment can reign supreme, but that’s not to say that solids don’t play a part, as well. I typically start with one eye-catching printed piece (say, either a dress or blouse) and then complete my outfit with one or both of that pattern’s colors throughout.
Andrea’s gold Belle of the Ball (shown here) was a perfect match for her outfit! While the shades don’t have to match perfectly (Notice the variation among reds in said photo.), keeping them within the same family is essential for this look to work. Matching a wrap to a perfectly coordinated party outfit like this will take careful planning to make sure everything is just right, but will also make a BIG impression. The payoff is so, so, SO worth it!
Here’s where I get to write a bit about how I chose that very special tichel for a very special event! But first, let’s talk a some about how to pair you wraps with an ultra-glamorous, retro-inspired party look.
Vintage fashions and the headscarves that went with them have always been cohesive. From silent film stars to the globe trotters of the 1930s to Barbara Streisand’s 1970s high fashion turbans, we’ve seen complimentary pairings that were perfectly curated to both the outfit and to the wearer. The best part? Throughout history, some of the most glamorous of these looks have involved wearing just a single scarf in a similar color or pattern, complimentary to the outfit itself. Even a simple wrap tied with a glitzy scarf will look truly incredible! (more on that below)
So, it was keeping with all of that in mind that I began to think about what I would be wearing to this very important black tie event, but the decision was, by no means, an easy one. With a fabulous vintage-inspired dressed picked out months in advance, I had a LONG time to think about what to wear on my head, yet it really wasn’t until about a week prior that I started to give it any serious thought.
Despite what I knew about retro turbans and styling, I did find myself considering an exotic multi-scarf style to wear with my gorgeous sequined gown (This, after all, is always an easy way to look formal and there are no “rules” when it comes to wrapping), yet not a single color combination I could think of seemed to jive… not a single two-scarf style seemed to work! I was 99% sure that I wanted to wear The Shimmery, but was not at all sure of much else and was feeling immensely frustrated. A couple days before the big event, my gown had arrived and I was STILL feeling totally blank and without a single shred of inspiration. My frustration was now reaching maddening proportions.
In the end, it was my husband who suggested I drop everything I know and start from scratch, reassess all of my usual formal styles and trying something new. Oh, how right he was! You see, once I was able to take a step back and come at it from a different perspective, I realized that the reason my intricate wraps weren’t working was because they were competing far too much with my dress- an easy solution, but one that I wasn’t able to “see” previously. Simple had worked for fashionistas of the past and it was going to work for me, too!
The next question was, bright and bold or a classic monochromatic look? While the answer wasn’t immediately clear, I did get a chance to experiment some and try a few scarves on during a photoshoot the day before our event, which was immensely helpful. No matter which one I would ultimately choose, I could go into it knowing how each could be wrapped, lifting part of the indecisiveness off my shoulders and making getting ready before the event a breeze. I had narrowed it down to: The Shimmery in red (Tied in a Turban-style Regal Wrap), The Shimmery in purple (Tied in Shira Tails), Belle of the Ball (Tied on the side with a hair elastic.) and The Shimmery in pewter (Tied in an Extra Fancy Turban with a feather fascinator.).
@drewcarrying photography
Fast forward to 24 hours later to when the night of our event was imminent, and we were about to walk out the door. The very last thing I had to do was to put on my tichel and it was then that I gave the pile of possible contenders one final look, before deciding to leave the decision up to my wonderful and loving husband. One glance was all it took- he knew exactly which one he would choose!
Marine Corps Ball 2016
What followed was an awesome evening where I felt like a million bucks and couldn’t have been happier to arrive in my one simple scarf. A little time, a little preparation, a little frustration and a little stepping back, all led to discovering my signature party look (for this event, anyway.) and I hope you all can enjoy the adventure of discovering yours, as well!
I’d love to write more about matching headscarves to the clothes that we wear! Got any requests? Let me know in the comments below. -Rachel
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Can you believe that it’s time for yet ANOTHER challenge? Time sure does fly when you’re having fun in Wrapunzel land! Enjoy our pashmina gallery, ladies and be sure to also check out the theme for our next challenge at the bottom of this post!
Wondering what we’ve got in store for the next Wrapunzel Challenge? The theme is something new- we’ll be focusing on two different colors and coming up with all sorts of wraps using them together. The colors are… drumroll…. PURPLE AND GREEN! This could be as simple as azig-zag/criss-cross, purple scarf and a green accessory or maybe even one scarf that combines the two. Need a little inspiration? Check out our purple and green blog post, HERE.
Would you like to participate in the next Wrapunzel Challenge? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroup and share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzeledinpurple+green. 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. If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Wrapunzel Challenge“. Instagram users can DM them to us, too at our Wrapunzel_Ladies account! We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person– no collages, please. Deadline for submissions is Friday, November, 11th. Can’t wait to see what you create!!
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Hi there, Wrapunzelistas. It’s time for another Wrapunzel Challenge wrap-up post! The past theme we had going was tichels using the color white. Whether you wear white for Shabbat or wearing it just because, you’re sure to appreciate today’s gallery, which is FULL of beauty and inspiration.
Also, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for the reveal of next week’s theme. Enjoy!
#wrapunzeledinwhite
As the temperatures begin to drop, many of us are starting to think about ways to stay warm. One’s tichel-wardrobe is no exception! In honor of the current season (and the weather that’s sure to come), our next challenge theme revolves around a type of scarf that will keep you comfortable, even in the most frigid of temperatures. The theme is… PASHMINAS! We want to see your wraps with pashminas, ladies and know that you won’t disappoint! Need a little inspiration for how to wrap these wonderfully thick and luxurious scarves? Check out our pashmina tutorial playlist, HERE!
Would you like to participate in the next Wrapunzel Challenge? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroupand share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzeledinpashminas. 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. If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Wrapunzel Challenge“. Instagram users can DM them to us, too at our Wrapunzel_Ladies account! We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person– no collages, please. Deadline for submissions is Friday, October, 28th. Can’t wait to see what you create!!
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It takes guts to be the only lady with her hair covered – lots of our fans can attest to the challenge of being the lone wrapper in a community where no one’s familiar with the concept. Rahaf Khatib (above) lives this challenge every day! You may recognize her from our feature of her on the Wrapunzel store Facebook page. Rahaf is making history as the first covered runner to appear on the cover of Women’s Running Magazine! Check outthis article to see the cover photo and read more about the reactions she got!
Hello, Wrapunzel Ladies! Another two weeks have passed, which means that it’s time for another Wrapunzel Challenge! But before we get to our next theme, let’s take a look at some of the incredible creations the wrappers in our community came up with recently for our turban challenge: We saw turbans with one scarf and turbans with two. Big turbans and more compact, subtle ones. Turbans utilizing bold, bright colors and ones with earthy hues… Endless creativity all around!
While they certainly aren’t for everyone, it was wonderful seeing ladies experiment with something new and different, sometimes even find a new favorite way of wrapping entirely! Check out this awesome email we received from one of our participants:
I actually didn’t like the turban style for myself, or so I thought, until I actually did one this morning with a twist on top, and it took me like 3 minutes tops to achieve it, and it is now my favorite wrap to do! 😀 It feels like it stays on my head better too.
Amazing, right?!
We hope you all enjoy our gallery and be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to learn the theme of our next challenge. We’re SO excited for this one!
#wrapunzeledinturbans
Wondering what we’ve got up our sleeves for our next challenge theme? This one’s simple as can be and is a seasonal favorite for many, especially as we go into the Chagim… The theme is WHITE! For the next two weeks, we’ll be experimenting with white wraps and accessories, ladies! In the colorful world of Wrapunzel, we find that this color can frequently get overlooked, but there are still TONS of possibilites for how to incorporate white into your wraps. Whether it’s wearing one white tichel or adding it as a complimentary hue, we just know that you’re going to love this one!
Would you like to participate in the next Wrapunzel Challenge? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroupand share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzeledinwhite. 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. If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Wrapunzel Challenge“. Instagram users can DM them to us, too at our Wrapunzel_Ladies account! We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person– no collages, please. Deadline for submissions is Friday, October, 13th. Can’t wait to see what you create!!
-Rachel
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We’ve already heard her thoughts on the Wrapunzel Fangroup and how it allows her to cope with her job, but Rivka has so much more to say about wrapping. There are too many good quotes here to pick just one so just… read on… and prepare to be moved ❤
By Rivka Spicer
I guess this post has been a long time coming. It’s something I get asked about frequently and while I’ve explained bits and pieces here and there, I don’t think I’ve ever actually sat down and compiled the whole list of reasons.
The first thing you should understand about wrapping is that it’s a journey. Everyone has a simple reason for starting. For about half of the women I know, it’s a religious thing. Maybe a quarter are Jewish, the rest are a mixture of Muslim and various Christian denominations. Another quarter do it for health reasons (and in that number I include those whose hair grew back and they carried right on because they enjoy it). The final quarter are like me – those who do it for reasons that don’t fit neatly into a box. Whatever the reason for starting, it soon turns into something that touches many aspects of your life. The reasons I had 18 months ago aren’t the same reasons I have now and probably won’t come close to encompassing the reasons I’ll have 18 months from now.
When I started it was because I missed my long hair. I’d had it all cut off and donated it to charity and while I like my short hair and think it looks good, I missed the creative outlet of being able to do fun stuff. I tried different things, like synthetic dreadlocks because they were fun and colourful, but I kept coming back to wrapping. I like the aesthetic of it and I see it as an art form. It takes an eye for colour, pattern and design. There’s a skill to it, a learning of layering and knots. It’s a creative outlet that I enjoy because I think it speaks to who I am inside – full of wild colour and fun. I like the challenge and the fabrics and all the fun stuff that goes with it.
For me, it very quickly became as much about the community as it was about the creativity. The wrapping community I’m in is amazing. My main active group is a spin-off from the company Wrapunzel who supply scarves and accessories. It was a whole new experience for me – I’d never seen that many women in one place just radiating so much positivity and kindness and warmth. It became a big part of my day to go through all the pictures of daily wraps along with snippets of the stories that go with them and tell these women how beautiful and strong and amazing they are. The thing with the wrapping community is that what you put into it comes back to you a hundred-fold. Very quickly, pictures I was posting were garnering 100+ likes with dozens of comments, telling me the same thing as I was telling others. You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You’re so inspiring. You’re valued.
When somebody tells you that enough times, you start to believe it. For the first time in my entire life, I feel beautiful. And strong. And inspiring. And valued. For someone that has struggled for so long with self-esteem issues and body image and self-destructive negativity, it’s a turnaround that’s almost miraculous. I am confident now. I’m learning to love myself. I’m learning to be authentic and true to myself without worrying all the time about how other people are judging me. I wear the clothes I want to wear because I want to wear them. I’m also learning to lead by example. Be kind to others – a few sweet words here and there cost nothing and the cumulative effect of them is staggering. Be bold with your scarves – try fun and new things and maybe inspire someone else to do the same.
The positive reinforcement I receive from within the community has given me a balance I’ve never had before. They’re good people. There are so many of them who work in service to others, who feed and shelter the homeless, who give to charity, and who are literally, every day, being the change they want to see in the world. I don’t talk much about my job but I work in the criminal justice system and sometimes it’s harrowing. I spend all day dealing with darkness and death and the lowest of human nature. It’s easy to believe that everyone is like that, especially when the news is just one long slide into apocalyptic misery these days. Whenever I start to feel like I’m slipping into that negative spiral, I can touch my wrap and think of my wrap sisters and it reminds me that there are so many good people out there. It brings me right back up and the giving of uplifting words is almost as powerful as the receiving of them. There are few things that make me feel as good as making other people feel loved and special and all it takes is a quick comment here and there. I can log in and within a few moments I’m smiling at something or other.
They’ve also been a support system to me. Recently I underwent a couple of minor procedures and then ended up in hospital for a few days. I live a long way away from my family and I was alone and scared and hurting and my wrap sisters did not fail me. Messages poured in as word spread, keeping my spirits up and encouraging me when it seemed like I wanted to die. Even women I didn’t know that well were checking in, telling me they were thinking of me, praying for me, wearing a wrap inspired by me in my honour…you name it, they were there with love and support and it filled my heart to bursting.
Aside from the community, wrapping has had a profound effect on other areas of my life. For one thing, it helps deal with my anxiety. The last few years have been horrendous for me, both in terms of ill health and financial devastation. Thanks to a house that wouldn’t sell and drained every reserve that I had, I was at rock bottom in monetary terms. There were months I couldn’t afford to pay my rent and only skipped through on the kindness of others. In January I was so sick I was actually feeling suicidal. I was done with hurting all the time. The thought of a future of always feeling like that without any cure or diagnosis was just too horrific to contemplate. I couldn’t face it. I’d decided that if I was still sick in a year I was going to end it. I wasn’t sleeping at night and I was constantly on edge with shredded nerves because even though the house was finally gone, I was still in debt, albeit manageable. I had panic attacks at 3 and 4 in the morning because my brain wouldn’t shut up.
It was around that time that I began wrapping full time in my free time because the sensation of it is both comforting and calming. There’s a massive body of evidence to suggest that it’s great for people who suffer from anxiety. I don’t know the science of it, although I have read articles about how it works on pressure points in the same way that doctors will prescribe heavy blankets for children suffering from anxiety attacks. I’ve also read that it reduces external electromagnetic interference on the brain. If you believe in such things as empathic energy, I have heard it said that it also blocks that. Whatever the reason, I can attest that it works. When I wrap I am calmer, less quick to panic and less easy to anger. Eventually the anxiety faded. I started to sleep properly again. I haven’t had a panic attack for months.
The more you hang around in the community, the more you learn about why people choose to wrap. For about 1/2 to 3/4 of the community, it’s to do with a concept of modesty. This appeals to me on so many levels. Hair is a powerful symbol in the universal subconscious. We associate long hair with youth and unmarried women. We associate messy hair as a sign of a terrible day. Women are constantly flipping their hair as a sign of attraction and availability in movies and TV shows and adverts. We play with our hair when we’re trying to appear shy and flirtatious. It’s the first thing people notice about me and it’s the first complaint I hear from people who don’t understand why I wrap – “You have such beautiful hair that it’s a shame to cover it”. Shame is an interesting word.
My choice to wrap is a powerful statement about my bodily autonomy. It’s a feminist statement. It’s a big “screw you” to the patriarchy.
We live in a society where men think it’s okay to dictate to women that they can’t cover on beaches, where page 3 glamour models are the norm, where kids are watching porn online as young as 9 years old, all of which is skewed towards the denigration of women. There’s this crazy perception that women who choose to wrap for religious reasons are oppressed somehow, like the covering of their hair reduces their power as a human being. It’s the other way around. We live in a society where we must appear available and beautiful and polished at all times, because the magazines say so, because the news says so, because the films say so, because the television says so.
I say stuff that. I’m never going to be a size 6 with luminous skin and I don’t see why I should follow any societally normative standards of beauty made up by some editor in New York who wouldn’t know me from Eve, because I am more than a pretty hairstyle and a yearning to ‘fit in’. I am a brain and a heart and an explosion of colour and crazy and fun.
You might think that I’m just one of those bra-burning feminist fanatics that spouts these things from a place of idealist fervour but for me it’s a much deeper and more powerful thing. You see, I’m a survivor of domestic abuse. I’m not ashamed of it and I’ve talked openly about it, although more about my recovery than the details of what happened.
I know how it feels to be isolated from my family and friends. I know how it feels to be driven into the ground financially to subsidise a controlling partner’s lifestyle, which he enjoyed without me. I know how it feels to be held down by the throat and violated again and again. I know how it feels to have my own body turned against me and I know how it feels to be broken.
I’ve come a long way since then and I’m one of the success stories. I’m strong and kind and loving and happy and I won’t shy away from saying that I’m a better person for having been through it. I am. That said, there are some scars that can’t be healed by extensive counselling and 700 miles of distance and 6 years of learning to love again.
To me, my wraps are a symbol of my healing, of my bodily autonomy, of my right to decide who has access to my body, even if it’s only visually. It’s part of the process of reclamation that most survivors go through. We take our bodies, these vessels of so much pain, and we try to teach them how to be vessels of pleasure instead because it’s the only way we can be whole again. In the same way that each part of my body has been reclaimed through loving acts, so too will I reclaim my image by crowning it with something beautiful that’s wholly mine. I will take this head that made me think I was worthless and forced me into denial and made excuses for things that were inexcusable and make it a thing of striking beauty, because that is who I am now.
Now that there’s a man in my life again, choosing to unwrap around him is a powerful thing. It’s a statement of trust, something that’s both intimate and fun. We’ve made a game of it – I come up with something fiendishly clever and he tries to figure out how to undo it. He gets tangled up and we laugh about it. There’s really something to be said for keeping something aside just for the person you care about. It becomes a special thing between you. Because he is the only one that I voluntarily let stroke my hair, it can at times feel like an intimate gesture akin to a kiss or similar. I’m lucky in that he loves my wraps and thinks I’m as beautiful in them as I am without, but I feel in many ways that his is really the only opinion I should care about because outside of my family and closest friends he’s the only one that sees my vulnerabilities and cares about me anyway.
Finally, I adore the classic and retro aspect of it. There’s a common misconception that only religious women from the far or middle east wrap and I don’t really understand it. Head and hair wrapping is universal to every culture worldwide at some point in history, including western culture. Between the 20s and 60s, the turban was the ultimate in Hollywood glamour. There are amazing photos of film stars from the silver screen swanning around looking gorgeous in their sleek headcoverings, all jazzed up to the nines with accessories and pins. Probably the most universally recognised “wrapper” is Rosie the Riveter with her red and white turban. British women have been wrapping since the dawn of our civilisation, from simple cloth bonnets to the elaborate wimples and structural coverings of the Tudor era, through the hats and into the wraps of the 20th century. American women have been on the same journey. Right up until the 1950s, “proper” women still covered their hair when they went out. In choosing to cover my hair, I’m not doing anything groundbreaking or new. There’s no cultural appropriation here. In my favoured turban style, I’m just making a small nod to all the millions of women that have gone before me.
I think it’s easy to be scared in this world. I think it’s easy to shy away from the choices that we make about our appearance for the sake of avoiding confrontation and going with the flow. It’s easy to let everything and everyone instil a fear of persecution out of misunderstanding and misguided hate. But we can’t let a world of hate dictate to us who we should be. We can’t make our choices to compensate for the ignorance of others. What kind of message is that to send to our daughters and nieces and granddaughters and friends? You will never be an individual because you should try and fit in, just in case someone takes issue with what is unusual about you? No. Being authentic isn’t an easy choice. Letting your outsides match your insides isn’t an easy choice. Being different isn’t an easy choice, but it’s how we’re made – all of us. Different. I have never been a “normal” girl. It may have been quiet and unseen, but I have always danced to my own beat.
When I look in the mirror, I see radiance. I see positivity. I see a sisterhood of good and kind women. I see a powerful statement about my healing and recovery. I see my ancestors. I see the best of my creative flair and style.
I see me.
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Well, I’m a little late for last week’s #thewrapunzelblues challenge, but I’ve been so inspired by all of you that I haven’t stopped wearing blue all week! Here I’m wearing a blue and purple Sari Scarf and a blue denim Lakeshore Bliss. I tied it in a “Do the Twist” style… this is a super classic Wrapunzel tutorial and I haven’t done it for ages! So glad to revisit it!
How are YOU doing lately? Any new/old styles that you’ve revisited?
Love, Andrea
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While this shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, here at Wrapunzel, we see a lot of headwraps. Not a lot, actually, but a TON. After seeing so many amazing creations over the years, it becomes apparent that certain colors tend to be more beloved by wrappers than others and the color blue definitely falls under that category.
For our most recent Wrapunzel Challenge, we asked you to wrap with blue. Not one particular type of blue, but all blues. Whether it be cobalt, teal, aqua, indigo, cerulean or even combinations of two or more- all were included! The submissions we received truly covered the entire spectrum and it’s wonderful to see how this hue can look different depending on the skin tone of the wearer, what other colors it’s worn next to and how it is tied.
Need some inspiration for how to wear your own blues? Take a look at our incredible collage from our #thewrapunzelblues challenge! It’s got wraps with tails and layers and twists and turbans and so much more. Want to participate in our next Wrapunzel Challenge? Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the big reveal!
Thanks for all of your submissions, ladies! Ready to move on to our next challenge? Check out the reveal video below!
Would you like to participate in the next Wrapunzel Challenge? Head on over to the Wrapunzel Fangroupand share your pictures using the hashtag #wrapunzeledinturbans. 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. If you’re not on Facebook, you can also email your pictures to us at wrapunzelthestore@gmail.com with the subject line “Wrapunzel Challenge“. Instagram users can DM them to us, too at our Wrapunzel_Ladies account! We can accept up to 2 headshot-style photos per person– no collages, please. Deadline for submissions is Friday, September, 30th. Can’t wait to see what you create!!
Need some turban inspiration? We’ve got an entire playlist dedicated to truban tutorials on the Wrapunzel Ladies YouTube channel!
Want some extra turban tips and tricks? Check out a replay of our Wrapunzel Wednesdays live turban video, by clicking the image below!
Turbans Galore!
-Rachel
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“I originally became interested in Wrapunzel as simply another tool in the hair-covering toolbox. I had not known how practically to keep all my hair covered securely in (nor thought that I had the features for) anything other than a sheitel.
Once I became a mother my sheitel became a nuisance. Little hands were always grabbing at it, I felt like it was constantly in my face, and it drove me crazy! I had wrapped with tichels before, but I had never seen it as an art or a way to become creative. I always just tied the scarf on and wrapped it around my bun.
The Wrapunzel Blog 