Tag: hair loss

Fancy Tutorial Alert!

On By RachelIn Tutorials!Leave a comment

Hello, Wrapunzel World! This is Rachel writing. Sometimes you need a REALLY great headwrap. One with a huge WOW factor, that’s full of elegance and grace. A true head-turner, so to speak! We’ve got two new tutorials from skillfully-wrapped Wrapunzelistas that fit the bill perfectly and are thrilled to be able to share them with you today:

Stepanie (Belle of the Ball) - WrapunzelFirst, we have Stephanie in her Wrapunzel tutorial debut (Remember her from our most recent Lady Wrap Star post?)! She recently discovered  an incredible solution to tying a rather tricky scarf and the end result is truly breathtaking.

Starting with her “Wendy” Beret Volumizer as a base, she then combined a silver Belle of the Ball and dark blue 2 in 1 to create this sophisticated side-knot, which is perfect  for even the most formal of affairs!

Stephanie tells us that almost any very thin scarf will work with this wrap style, which got me thinking of other possible combinations. Trying it with a Shiny-licious is at the top of my list!

 

Jasmin (Shimmery - Shiny-licious) - Wrapunzel2At the other end of the spectrum, we have the triumphant return of Jasmin and her stunningly glamorous shimmery wrap! This seemingly effortless (it’s not as complex as it looks, I swear!) and creative style is perfect for the woman who loves intricate-looking wraps without tails (myself included).

Like Stephanie, she also started with her “Wendy” volumizer (you need a LOT of volume to wear under this wrap), before moving on to her mix of The Shimmery (in both light olive and navy) and a  Shiny-licious (in mulberry). The end result is big, bold and beautiful- a real statement wrap!

 

Enjoy, ladies!

 

A Trip Down Memory Lane!

On By RachelIn Challenge of the Week!, Wrapping Photos2 Comments

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Well, ladies, we just finished up another epic Challenge of the Week and it was awesome! For many of us, the way we covered at the beginning of our journey is totally different than how we do so today, and revisiting old scarves can be a great way to document this process. Our challenge this week was to wrap with our first Wrapunzel tichel or first scarf ever worn as a head covering and it was SO much fun! Some ladies even submitted photos of the first tichel they ever wore! So cool, right?  Thanks so much for your participation!!!

*Bonus: Can you find the Wrapunzelista dressed as a fairy, sitting in a meadow? She is a clue to the theme for this week’s challenge! Don’t forget to check out the reveal video at the bottom of this post!

For this week’s challenge, we’ve decided to step away from our day-to-day tichels and experiment with something truly fun!  A big thank you goes to Facebook fangroup member Meira, who ever so graciously suggested the wonderful idea! Check out the reveal video below:

 

 

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 #wrapunzeledincostumes. 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!!

 

***Need some costume wrapping ideas? Check out Tamar Adina’s Purim Tichel post for inspiration! Or how about duplicating one of Samantha’s historic wraps? The Girl with a Pearl Earring tutorial might be helpful. Our Star Wars post has TONS of great ideas, too!

My Husband’s Fashion Sense

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation13 Comments

So my hubby saw this new Shiny Licious color last week and was like “Andrea you have to get this for yourself!”
Me – “Wha-really? But you don’t like when I wear black!”
Yonatan – “First of all you look beautiful in black, but this one is really more gold!”
I got it, and yesterday he saw it in my closet and said, “That one would really look great with your gold roses headband!”
So I took the hint, and this morning he took one look at me and commented on how lovely it looked, and then said, “Wait wait wait a minute – YOU are listening to MY tichel advice?!?!”
Wonders never cease 🙂 He does have good taste though, don’t you think?

Shabbat White ~ (with a little Canadian thrown in!)

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation9 Comments

I was so happy with my Shabbat tichel that I wore it on Friday night AND Saturday during the day!  I don’t know why I’ve never tried putting the white shimmery and white shinylicious together before… they were made for each other!  And of course I couldn’t help adding some lace to top it off!

It's so pretty!!!
It’s so pretty!!!

I only realized later that the dark red and white colours (that’s right, it’s coloUrs :P) made me look very Canadian.  I’m not one to tout my nationality, but it definitely made me smile!

For those that are wondering… I do attempt to wear white on Shabbat when I can.  My husband wears all white (yes, even the shoes!) so it’s sometimes a challenge to keep up, but I at least don’t wear black on Shabbat.  The white reminds us that on this day we are elevated, ethereal, and closer to the infinite than during the week.  I must admit, that wearing white tichels and clothing truly reminds me of this, and I hope to do it more often!

How do you feel about wearing white?

Love, Andrea

Pin Tutorial!!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Tutorials!9 Comments
wrapunzel andrea grinberg
It’s all about the pins!

This one has been a long time coming!  Finally, a tutorial all about putting pins into your tichel!

Andddd what am I wearing on my head in the beginning/during the video?  Sometimes it’s best to just stick to what you love, and today I decided to wear comforting tichels and an accessory that I just know is totally “me”.  My favourite green pashmina, a gorgeous green sari sash, and the vintage beauty headband.  Such a happy day to be wearing this!

Lots of love, and happy pinning!  Enjoy the tutorial!!

Naomi Rose and Andrea Together!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Clothing Ideas & Inspiration, Daily Scarf Creation1 Comment

Look at our different face shapes and personalities, and how you can use your tichel to highlight these unique features and allow your inner essence to shine!

Look at the gorgeous soft height on Naomi Rose, and the awesome shimmery-ness I'm wearing!
Check out the gorgeous soft height on Naomi Rose, and the awesome shimmery-ness I’m wearing! No such thing as too many shimmeries… right?

In the photo above, you can see how Naomi Rose has highlighted her beautiful face shape with a wrap that give height at the back and not the sides.  And of course the teal and wine combo is just sumptuous!  (She’s wearing a Trust and Sari Scarf.)  I decided to go Shimmerycrazy with some side volume, angles (but not too angled because my face can’t take it!) and a side braid!  Loved this!

Top View
Side View

Now check out the next one we did!  I decided that I wanted to try the height at the top too… but made sure that I extended it around the sides as well which worked beautifully!   I really should wear this Lakeshore Bliss tichel more often!  Naomi Rose looks ethereal and earthy in her Peaceful Mornings and Gold Roses headband tied in the Shira Tails style!

wrapunzel andrea grinberg

Now honestly, both of us could have swapped styles and we still would have loved it, but the styles we wore during these particular photos reflected how we were feeling at the time, and what kind of light we wanted to give to the world!  I’m so lucky to know this woman!

Wishing you all the bracha, beauty, and joy in the world!
Love, Andrea

A Beautiful Article About Yours Truly

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Recommendations, Written Pieces10 Comments

I am so moved by this beautiful article written about my story and the Wrapunzelution!   This is from a paper in Lakewood NJ (Lakewood Shopper).  Thank you Fradl for putting that which is so hard to talk about into words!

Here is the link to the online pdf: http://www.flipdocs.com/showbook.aspx?ID=10006519_399847&P=84

(Click on the first photo to see the gallery and read the article, you may want to zoom in on your screen.)

Tamar Adina: Become a Color Expert

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Written Pieces6 Comments

Are you ready for another awesome color article by Tamar Adina?  Here she helps us sort through terms like warm/cool/hue/shade etc., so we can figure out why that purple tichel looks awesome on one person, yet that other purple which is almost the same doesn’t work as well.  Enjoy!

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Hey Wrapunzel!

I’m back!

And I’ve been getting a lot of questions in my inbox.   It seems like most people have heard about how certain colors look better (or worse) than others, but that one favorite blue tichel can be THE. PERFECT. COLOR but another blue just doesn’t seem to work.  So —

Lets get some terminology down.  We throw around the terms hue, tint, tone, and shade, but each of these words actually has a fairly specific meaning.  The word hue means any color on the color wheel.  Tinting, shading or toning, can then alter every individual hue on the color wheel.

First up, a tint is sometimes called a pastel. Basically it’s simply any color with white added.  Our second term, a shade, is simply any color with black added.  Lastly, tones refer to adding gray to a hue.  So in painting terms, tone actually refers to how dark a hue on the color wheel is rather than the actual color.  A little trick to seeing the actual tone of a color (or a photograph) is to knock it grayscale on a computer.  You will instantly be able to check the tone!

Wrapunzel Color Theory

Still with me?

Good, because before I get much further, why is color in a wheel? Why can’t we have a color box (I helped myself to a nice box for tone!) Why the “wheel?”  In answer, supposedly all other colors are created by mixing three primary colors in certain proportions. In particular, mixing equal quantities of each pair of Primary Colors produces the Secondary Colors (orange, green, and purple).

I say supposedly because I have a confession to make.  See…

Unfortunately, that’s not how color actually works.

Processing color actually has to do with the visible electromagnetic spectrum, the brain, and lots of scientific stuff that gets way too long for this blog post.  (Darn human physiology it’s always soo complicated to explain). 

But, there are ways to counter the fact that the color wheel you were initially taught is a little more messy:

Rule number 1: there’s another version of the color wheel that artists tend to use. 

And it has four primary colors.

(Preschool teachers everywhere just looked at me in horror.)

Yes. Four.  Not the three that all little kids are taught.  Four.  Red, yellow, blue, and GREEN. 

And on that wheel, all colors have a true, a warm, and a cool version.

Wait…WHAT?!?  Tamar!  First you confuse me by telling me that there is a fourth primary color, then you tell me that there are ‘warm’ blues when you wrote in your last post  (LINK to last post) that blue in itself is a cool color!

Yes…I know…don’t kill me. 

Rule number 2: color tones refer to GRAYSCALE but in makeup world, when people throw around the term undertones they are actually talking about the HUE.    So, when a company advertises that a particular makeup is “your perfect shade” they are actually referring to both the level of darkness/light (the tone) and the actual undertone (which is really hue.) 

Are you thoroughly confused yet?

Yes? Alright, let’s sort through the crazy. 

To begin, we’ll use this chart that I borrowed (ahem, stole with credit!) from DreamHomeDecorating.com (http://www.dreamhomedecorating.com/support-files/printable-color-wheel-3.pdf) in order to explain the four primary color shtick.

Wrapunzel Color Theory

If you look at the outer ring of this 4-primary color wheel chart you can see how neighboring colors “infiltrate” into each other.   

So, every color family ends up with a ‘cool’ and a ‘warm’ side:

Cool yellow has a bit of green in it, but warm yellow tends toward red and appears almost “golden”.

Cool red has just a hint of blue (ok, in this photo it trends towards burgundy, but that’s what happens when you don’t use Photoshop and DIY your own color wheel…I found a better picture to explain red later), while warm red has a yellowish cast to it.

Cool green has a blue bias and looks teal.  In comparison warm green has a hint of yellow and looks more “lime” in this photo.

Cool blue has just the tinniest amount of green and warm blue has a bit of a red blush.

Onwards to example #2.

Wrapunzel Color Theory

So, let’s look at example number two.  In this box are three different red circles (borrowed from Google Images).  But they are NOT all the same!  The red on the left is a warm red (yellow hue), the center red is a true red (equal amounts of blue and yellow) and on the right is a cool red (containing more blue hue). 

Ok Tamar, I get it.  But what does that mean for my tichels?  Well, going back to skin coloring, someone with warm undertones will have more yellow hue in their skin.  Someone with cool undertones will have more pink hue.  (Again, your skin tones aren’t just talking about the shade of your skin!) To find out which category you fall into, do the veins check, the metal experiment, or the fabric test.  Then, find a color that falls into your color category and go rock your tichel.   

Ready to take this up a notch? 

WrapunzelTeal Comparison

Here are two wrapunzel teal pashminas.  The scarf called Andrea’s Teal is on the left and “Rivka Malka’s Teal is on the right.  These scarves were initially named somewhat ironically, because Andrea recently confided in me that she somewhat prefers Rivka Malka’s Teal and doesn’t even own her namesake.  I wasn’t surprised by this at all!  Why?  Well, if you look at the grayscale on the right side of that image you’ll see that the tones are pretty similar, it’s the hues  that are different.  Andrea’s Teal, it’s actually considerably more yellow that Rivka Malka’s Teal.  In comparison, Rivka Malka’s Teal has a blue hue. 

Next, let’s look at a close up picture of Andrea (sorry for putting you in the hot seat Andrea!)

Wrapunzel Andrea's Collage

Andrea’s skin undertones are mostly cool.  The more blue teal scarf (right photo) therefore looks better on her than the slightly more yellow version (left).   

Now, let’s look at a situation where the hue is the same, but the tone is changed.

Wrapunzel Tone Collage - Brown WM

The tichel on the left is considerably lighter.  The one in the middle is a darker shade.  The hue is the same on the two tichels but I look “washed out” in the lighter shade.  When I paired the middle pashmina with a New York Brights my skin color looked great (ok, ignore the lack of makeup and the bad lighting in the hallway.  The things that I do for you guys…)

I could also title this particular photo, why I can’t wear baby pink, but Andrea can.  Why? Well, although I’ve got a cooler hue (which supposedly allows for baby pink) my skin tone is too dark for that color.  Baby light pink blends in with my skin tone and my hue.  Monochromatic skin and tichel schemes are always a VERY BAD IDEA.  (Please note: there is no photo to portray this particular issue.  Although I love Wrapunzel, even I am not willing to sacrifice that much of my vanity.  Moving on…) Andrea is an ashy blond and her skin falls in a totally different skin tone category from mine.  So, she can wear those lighter, cooler colors whereas I’ll become instantly jaundiced.

Now, I want to stress that this does NOT mean that there aren’t cool or warm color groups.  Even a warm blue is still going to be much cooler than a shade of orange!  But the subtle differences can wreck havoc with the warm-and-cool color scheme, and when it comes to tichels (and also makeup, this also makes a HUGE difference in makeup – if you want to hear more about makeup let me know and I’ll come up with a post!) the devil is in the darn details.

See you all next time!
Tamar Adina

Perfect Pleats! It’s all in the details!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Tutorials!5 Comments

Here is an incredible tutorial by Naomi Rose on how to do perfect pleats with your tichel.  This tutorial is for the perfectionist in all of us!  She breaks things down so simply!

This tutorial teaches us the beautiful technique of layering and pleating.  Now you can get exactly the colors that you want showing where you want them!  As Naomi Rose says in the video, you can use the technique briefly in your regular tichel ties for a little detail, or you can be as perfectionist as you like!

Andrea’s Face Shape Fiasco

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation19 Comments

So you all heard Tova talk about face shape in her last post, right?  I want to show you an example of my experimenting with height and angles in a way that did NOT suite my face shape!  (And certainly doesn’t work with my personality either!)  Please note that I have a long face, pointy chin and nose… and generally look best in softer angles and shapes, with more volume at the sides instead of on top.  This style would be great for someone that wants to enhance the angles of her face and make it look thinner.

This wrap would look AMAZING on someone else with a different personality, but not so much on me!

I snapped these photos as an example, but immediately changed into a much softer and more comforting wrap which suits my face shape and personality better.  Whew!

Now don’t get me wrong… y’all know that I love doing the crazy layers/braids/angles like nobody’s business!   However those layers need to be done with my face shape in mind; flat near the front (even if it has layers) and then more volumous/crazy at the back and on the sides!  In the following example, I’m still doing a lot of height, but father back and with better angles to suit my face shape and personality 🙂

wrapunzel andrea grinberg

At Wrapunzel we want to teach you to look YOUR best in a tichel!  This means that you might see a photo of someone else and they look AWESOME, but that look may not be right for you!  We’d love to hear in the comments, what are some looks that just don’t work for you and why?  And what have you learned from your experimentation?

Love, Andrea

Tova Speaks!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Inspirational Videos, Lady Wrap Stars7 Comments

I am just so happy for all of you to finally meet Tova!

Tova is one of the warmest, funniest people I know… you can just talk and laugh with her for hours!  There’s so much I could say about her, but I’ll just focus on a few key tidbits; she happens to be an EXTRAORDINARY cook of Indian food (she also is a culinary genius at other things, but I’m biased) and this is coming from me, a total Indian food connoisseur.  She has a beautiful family and home, and she is very artistic.  She makes beautiful earrings by hand!  All this pairing of wonderful flavors and artistry comes out in her vibrant personality and beautiful tichel tying.  In this video, she tells us a bit about herself and how she wears her headscarves in the professional world.  She also has an incredibly important message for us about how to tie your tichels based on one’s face shape.  Listen up!

Wrapunzel Fangroup Guidelines

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Updates, Written Pieces22 Comments

Here are the guidelines for anyone that wants to join the Wrapunzel Fangroup on Facebook!

Screen Shot 2015-11-15 at 9.54.40 AM

Dearest Ladies,
Welcome to the Wrapunzel Group!

Your Moderators are:
Heather Thompson
Tamar Adina Campbell
Rachel Stolley Gray
Tabitha Johnson
Kaede Fyrecreek
Penina Taylor (nighttime hours)

If you’re new here, we are so excited to get to know you. Each woman brings her own special spark and makes this community vibrant and miraculous. This is the place to swap tichel wrapping ideas, answer questions, get inspired, and safely share with each other, no matter what background you’re from!  It is a place of love, understanding, and connection.

The details are what make any home special, and the Wrapunzel Fangroup is no exception.  Your moderators want to make sure you have the most positive experience here possible.  These rules have been created with much care and deliberation from to our collective knowledge and past experiences.  We’re very serious about your safety and making sure that no one takes advantage of the wonderful atmosphere here.

Wrapunzel Fangroup Guidelines:

By requesting to join this group, you affirm that you have read and understand these guidelines.  If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

These rules are all based on the very important bottom line that this group is a community fostered and inspired by creative output of the ladies from Wrapunzel.  The rules are here to maintain the special, supportive, and safe atmosphere of the group.  Anyone wanting to join or already belonging to this group with any agenda that is not about personal growth and spiritual health (whether it be pushing your religious beliefs on others, money/business oriented motivations, political interests, or just general negativity, etc.) should please not join this group.  The following rules should help clarify this:

1. If you have any questions about whether or not it is appropriate to post something, clear it with a moderator before posting.  Do not post anything starting with something like, “Not sure if this is okay to post here but… “ or “Moderators please let me know if this can be approved…” or “I know this is off topic but…”  Any questionable posts need to begin with “[Moderator Approved]”, and the way to get this done is by asking a moderator before posting.  Please follow this rule so other ladies know to do the same.  See guidelines below for kinds of posts that may need to go through a moderator before posting, but when in doubt, ask a mod first!

2. This Group is for women only.  Please message a moderator if you have any questions about this (such as shared profiles with partners, gender identity etc.) and we will discuss with you how to best participate in the group.  If you are joining this group and have high privacy settings on your profile, please write us a short note telling us a little about yourself.  We will PM you when you request to join the group, so make sure that you check your ‘message requests’ folder for messages from moderators!

3. Please keep your posts and comments on topic (aka related to tichels!) and within the framework of what Wrapunzel is all about: a life affirming community that seeks to bring women together from all walks of life, bonding through the shared love of head wrapping.  This group is a safe haven for many; a place to come and experience joy, acceptance, and positivity.  We love sharing our personal journeys and stories of growth, and have built beautiful movements through this sort of sharing on here. Please keep in mind that personal posts such as these must be thought out before posting in order to keep our group an open and beautiful space for all; this is not a place for posting prayer requests, excess negativity, or simply venting.  Prayer requests must go through a moderator first.  However, this is a wonderful place to come to for advice on any struggles you might be having with hair covering and how it affects one’s life.  Treat everyone on here with the respect that you would hope to be treated with, and please do your part in maintaining the positive atmosphere of this group for everyone.  Sharing stories of overcoming struggles and dealing with personal growth challenges is highly encouraged, and the support system here is out of this world.   However, we need to always be aware of the power of our words, and be considerate of all the members that come here to experience the positivity and light that the Wrapunzel community has to offer!

4. Wrapunzel respects that each of us live different lives. We come together from vastly different backgrounds and the bridges that we have built are what makes this place so miraculous. While you may make mention of your place of worship, lifestyle choice, holiday etc., please do not overshare or attempt to influence others through religious teachings, other doctrines or misrepresentation either on the group wall or in private messages.  Note that any mention or allusion to missionary work/proselytization is strictly prohibited   If you witness anything of this sort happening, please notify a moderator immediately.  Since this rule is somewhat of a grey area, it is always best to ask before posting if there is a doubt.

5. With this in mind, please keep in mind that while Wrapunzel is a Jewish website run by Jewish ladies, the community of Wrapunzel comes from all over the world (and is only 1/3 Jewish!)  Ladies on here cover because they’re from different religions, for health and hereditary reasons, for fashion, for feminism, and much more!  When you post, please be considerate of the reality that the ladies here come from different backgrounds and try to define any terms that you use.

6. You may not use this group to solicit members for personal/outside ventures through posting or private messages unless you have been granted express permission from a moderator.  This includes sharing events, writing papers, trading of merchandise, personal videos that are not about hair wrapping, your own blog, looking for volunteers for a cause, etc.   If you have a something of this nature that you think would benefit the Wrapunzel community and would like to promote and share, you must clear it with a moderator before being allowed to post.

7. We encourage sharing creative ideas but please note posting affiliate sources (aka stores, online or otherwise) or links is not allowed due to past incidents related to #8.  While we understand the innocence in saying “Got this scarf at 50% off at X big box store!  Woohoo!” we sadly can’t allow this sort of sharing, because there is a huge grey area between this sort of sharing and advertising for said store.  Unfortunately we have had incidents in the past of businesses exploiting members of this group and we need to keep that sort of thing away from here.  If you want to know where someone got her outfit, please message her privately.  You must approach the person, and privately – she may not approach you.  (Posting your own personal tichel tying tutorials, as long as not related to another store, is totally fine!)

8. This community is fostered by Wrapunzel and the obvious effort that goes into building this type of trust and connection. It is unfair to the members of this group to exploit this closeness by using it as a business network rather than a social one. Therefore, if you are a vendor that sells tichels or scarves/accessories, please do not join this group. Using this forum (including the blog/site/page and privately messaging members) as a business network is strictly prohibited.  If you sell tichels, no matter how few, you may not post your products on here, however subtly you are showcasing them.  You may not use this group as a business network in any way.  If you witness anything of this sort happening, please flag the post and notify a moderator immediately.

9. Political comments do not have a place on this group. World events can be discussed elsewhere.  Please message a moderator if you have a question about whether or not a post may be political.  Here we focus only on our own personal journeys. For further clarification, please see the footnote at the end of the list.

10. We all love and admire each other’s incredible photos and posts!  However, many members of this group treat this group as a private safe haven.  If you would like to share someone’s photo/video/writing on any forum other than this one, you must ask and be granted this person’s permission before doing so.  On the same note, we must remind you that while this group is a ‘closed’ forum, please use your common sense when sharing.

11. Please do not arrange meet ups, swaps, etc. using this group.  We are serious about your safety and cannot be accountable for any of the mishaps that may happen (use your imagination – a lot can go wrong!)  If you become friends with someone that you meet in this group, you do so at your own risk.  Please inform us of any negative incidents so we can deal with them and protect our community as much as possible.  While we try to speak to every member that we let in here, we cannot vouch for everyone’s integrity.  Please use common sense and discretion and remember that while this is a private group and we do everything we can to keep it safe, this is also the internet, and anyone can take a screenshot.  Please use your ‘street smarts’ when sharing personal information; we do everything we can to protect our members, but we would rather not have to deal with incidents after the fact, if possible.

12.  If your post was removed from the group, please review these guidelines to see why it was removed.  If there is any confusion still, contact a moderator and we will let you know why it was removed.  If you see a post on the group that is offensive and/or goes against the group guidelines, contact a moderator right away.  Do not take matters into your own hands by privately messaging the offending party or engaging in negative speech on the post.  Simply tag a moderator (or even better, tag more than one!) in the post and send us a private message as well.  You can (and should) also report the post so we can remove it quickly; this is easily done by clicking the little grey arrow at the top right side of the post.

Your moderators are peace loving, hard working individuals and everything that we do on here is with the benefit this group in mind.  In a large and diverse group like this, we sometimes have to make difficult decisions, but rest assured that we discuss these issues at length, always do our absolute best, and work together continuously to make this group the miraculous and safe place that it is.  Please note that being rude to and/or blocking a moderator on facebook will result in your removal from the group.  All major decisions are discussed between us and we are in communication constantly in order to make this group better and better for you!  

Thank you for following these guidelines and being such a wonderful contributor!  We’re looking forward to spending may more gratitude filled days together with you and some incredible tichels!

Love, your moderators ♥

Footnote regarding #9:

Your moderators would like you to know that we care about each and every member of our community. And so, in an attempt to keep the fan group from becoming political and exclusionary to those with differing beliefs on the politics going on in the Middle-East and other strife-ridden areas, we are respectfully asking that if you choose to wrap in national colors, that you do not include political messages, opinions, or hashtags in your post.

Hashtags or references to specific political situations, terrorism, patriotism for any country, etc. will result in your post being removed. While it may seem harsh, this policy protects the group from extremism as well as making it a space safe from arguments, hate speech, and conflict – unlike so many other media outlets that we have to deal with.

Please do not construe this as support for or nonsupport for any political stance, but merely a way to keep the peace in the Fangroup and to keep it a safe place for all our members. We have worked very hard to make this group a place where women come to get away from all the negativity in the world, a safe haven, and we do not want world events brought in here.

Thank you so much for understanding and respecting our request!

The Song of the Sari Scarf

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Written Pieces13 Comments
The First Sari Scarf
The First Sari Scarf

Many of us don’t know the story of the first sari headscarf.

It was before Wrapunzel, before andreagrinberg.com, before the head wrapping movement.  Just a cold, lonely day in Chicago, and a shivering woman contemplating a weird looking piece of colorful fabric strips in her local thrift store on half price day.

Little did she know that odd scarf would revolutionize how she covered her hair, and in turn inspire thousands of women and create jobs for talented artists across the ocean!

That woman is me.  And this is the story of the first sari scarf and how it has changed the world:

I remember holding up that first sari, and putting it down, trying to turn away from it, yet I couldn’t.  It was so beautiful, yet I couldn’t fathom how I was going to make it work as a head covering.  I already had a vast collection of scarves and didn’t need more, and I certainly didn’t need some messy bunch of fabric strips cluttering up my closet.  But it was so pretty, just begging to be made into something beautiful.  I bought it on a whim, hoping that maybe I could make it work.  One day.

It sat in my closet for weeks and eventually fell to the floor, forgotten.

I grabbed it one morning, and my thoughts were, “What was I thinking?  How can this ever work?”  With doubt and a bit of laughter, I put it on my head haphazardly in front of the bathroom mirror.  And I gaped.

The first try - it's come a long way since then!
The first try – it’s come a long way since then!

And never turned back.  The head covering world hasn’t been the same since.

That first sari quickly became my most worn scarf.  It was so easy and looked like I was wearing 10 scarves at once!  All I did back then was put on a simple underscarf and then tie the sari on top, knotted once at the nape of my neck.  I was asked, “How did you do that?”  “How many scarves is that?” and no one believed that it was only one.

By then I was slowly, shyly starting to make tichel tying tutorials.  But I never brought out the sari, because it just wouldn’t be fair to teach others how to tie something that simply wasn’t available to them!  But I wore it, oh, did I ever wear it!  I wore it to weddings, and on Shabbat, and basically every formal occasion that came up.

I also wore it for a cello playing video which eventually went on youtube, which meant the sari scarf was now public.

wrapunzel sari scarf andrea grinberg

And now so many women were begging for advice on how to find one.  And I had nothing to give.  There were rumors of some craft stores selling similar ones, but they were so expensive, and the color options made me sad.

I just wished I had a way to give sari scarves to everyone!   But alas…

That first, beloved sari is long gone now.  I don’t know who has it, but I know I gave it to a lucky lady off of my head when she fell in love with it.

What has happened since then?

the Wrapunzel Store's first Saris!
the Wrapunzel Store’s first Saris!

Well, a year later I started the Wrapunzel Blog, and then a year after that, the Wrapunzel store became a reality.  I remember before opening earnestly telling Rivka Malka that we *had* to give the ladies sari scarves.  We both agreed, but the question was… how?

It wasn’t easy.  We contacted seamstresses, who sent us to someone else they knew, who sent us to someone else, and then to another person, and then another.  Finally we ended up getting to know someone very special who could make them for us.  This person was able to collect silk strips from factories in India and upcycle them to make gorgeous sari scarves in infinite colors – true artistry!

They sold out on the first day.  And when we got more, they sold out again.  And again.  And again.  (I think they’re actually sold out right now as I write this!  We’re getting more, don’t worry!)

The demand was so high that other artists were needed, so every woman that covered her hair could have a sari scarf and enjoy the colorful silk magic.  The connections we made were miraculous.  We were (and still are) so happy that we’re able to bring these gorgeous creations to the tichel tying world!  And we are honored to know that we’re supporting artists overseas with these beauties.  Truly a crown in every single way!

Since then, the tichel tying world has exploded, and sari scarves are no exception.  Sadly, we do hear that there are now manufacturers out there making similar scarves involving immoral practices, but the only thing we can do is continue supporting the values we hold dear and praying for the others that aren’t as fortunate.   We hope that one day this changes and the world is a fair and bright place for all that make sari scarves!

The Sari Scarf finally gets the photoshoot it deserves
The Sari Scarf finally gets the photoshoot it deserves

In the Wrapunzel world, we are all about relationships.  On its own, a scarf is just a scarf, but a Wrapunzel tichel is about real connection and a real relationship.  This is the Wrapunzelution!  Our relationship with our community means everything to us, and this means all our contributors.  We know our seamstresses and distributors personally (and often their families too!) and we are so honored that this journey has allowed us to meet so many talented human beings all over the world.

I still can’t believe that crazy colorful jumble of fabric years ago has turned into such a head covering staple.  Who would have thought?  As I sit here with a beautiful new sari sash on my head, I am so humbled that the first sari scarf found me on that cold day, and in turn, found all of you as well.

The sari sash I'm wearing today
The sari sash I’m wearing today

From the lovely saris (and me!) thank you.
Andrea