Tag: hat

Yael; our awe-inspiring Lady Wrap Star!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars17 Comments

I almost can’t find the words to introduce this woman… she is just so full of light and love!  What an inspiration!

Hello Wrapunzel Ladies!

My name is Yael, and I am originally from Chicago. My husband Effie and I live in Atlanta where we are involved in an incredible Jewish community and synagogue, The Kehilla (http://thekehilla.org/). My husband and I met there, and it is just a beautiful and supportive group of people from all walks of life committed to Judaism. Professionally, I am a Director of Teaching and Learning for Teach For America in Metro Atlanta, and I absolutely love my job! When I first joined Teach For America back in 2008, I taught third grade in Miami.  I am very passionate about and devoted to working towards educational equity in this country. Through my current role with Teach For America I plan professional development for our elementary teachers and support them in the classroom. I also design many of our large events and some of our diversity and inclusiveness programming. I work in a variety of settings, such as the Teach For America office, coffee shops, and public schools spanning four districts. No matter where my job takes me, I go with a smile and a hair covering.

Covering my hair in many contexts has allowed me to explore and share a totally new part of my Jewish identity with teachers and co-workers. This has been the springboard for deeper conversations with colleagues about my Jewish identity and its relationship to the social justice work that we do. When I wrap my hair I feel elegant, beautiful, creative, and proud. It becomes a medium for me to express who I am. Wrapping gives me a sense of connection to Jewish women throughout history. My tichel is my crown and, in a way, my wedding ring. It signifies my commitment to building a Jewish home. Further, it serves as a way to outwardly show my Judaism and demonstrate the beauty in our Jewish culture.

I have been covering to some extent since I got married just over a year ago in November 2012. Before I got married, I was not quite sure how I was going to cover my hair and if I was going to cover my hair full time.  The day after our wedding I decided to try it out by wearing a hat. That night for sheva brachos, I wore a scarf. I decided after that day that I could do this! I wore mainly hats and some scarves covering my head for the first couple of months. Over time, I transitioned to pretty much covering all of my hair with scarves. And I do have fun mixing it up! I have a fabulous collection of scarves and hats (and of course accessories like headbands!).  I also have worn a sheitel a couple of times, but wrapping is my absolute favorite way of covering. When I wrap my hair, I feel like the best version of myself.

My twin sister Ilana is one of my wrapping role models. She has been covering her hair since she got married in 2010. Being a twin is AWESOME because you share everything, and now we get to share tichels and hair wrapping techniques. We live in different cities, but when we visit each other we always do a mini tichel swap. We also regularly send pictures to one another to share our daily looks. Having a twin along for this hair covering ride has been special for both of us.

My friends and family have been incredibly supportive of my decision to cover my hair. Before getting married, my friends in Atlanta threw me a meaningful tichel party with demonstrations and beautiful divrei torah about the significance of hair covering. A couple of weeks later in Chicago, my friends and family also threw me a tichel party. At this party, everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish, those who cover their hair and those who do not, all tried on hats and tichels with me. Insignificant as this might seem, the participation of my friends and family in this way affirmed their support and gave me the strength that would eventually allow me to cover my hair the way I do today.

Wow!  Check out Yael’s rockin’ tichels!  This girl can wrap!

Wrapunzel Ladies do the “Zig-Zag Criss-Cross”!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Uncategorized17 Comments

Wow!  Hello stunning colour combinations!  Check out all the different looks you can get from this wrap – all created by the ladies of Wrapunzel!  Great technique, girls!!  (Click on the photos to see them up close!)

This is Naomi. When this photo was taken she wasn’t yet covering her hair publicly.

(Yep, I stuck myself in there as well because I wanted to join the party!)
I have to mention that over Shabbat I met a woman for the first time lo and behold she was rocking the zig-zag criss-cross!  What a treat and a bit of a surreal too!  I am so proud of you all!  Thank you everyone for your submissions and keep up the awesome work!  (And yes, you can still send in photos and I will add them to this post.)  Yay wrapping sisterhood solidarity!

Helmet Head (aka Cyclists Solution #2, #3, + #4)

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation, Recommendations6 Comments

You may remember that I bike to work pretty much every day.  Doing this has been a challenge to my scarf wrapping ways, because a helmet does not work well with a volumizer!  Here are some solutions and advice that I have come up with so far:

1) Get to work early and do your scarf in the restroom.  Often I opt for this solution, and just arrive at work early with scarves/volumizer ready in my bag and do myself up in the restroom (which is also essential if face rinse/makeup touch-up/shirt change is needed).  This was always the most obvious option for me, especially in colder months when I need to bike with a hat/warm headband.  However, it is time consuming and can be awkward when you are biking to multiple locations and/or walking out of your workplace with friends (“excuse me while I duck into the restroom to change my scarf!”)

2) Go casual.  This option works very well, especially with a colourful cotton scarf, glasses, and earrings.  It was my go-to option in this post:

It works well… but as you all know, I couldn’t bear wearing single square scarves all the time!

3) Do the braid.  This seems like the easiest solution, and it keeps my wrap from being too boring.  Only issue is the braid sometimes getting stuck under my bag while biking, but so far so good!

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4) Or do a bow!  One of the simplest options I have found is after taking down my elabourate tichel that I wear at work, I just tie the loose ends of the base scarf in a bow and ride on!  It actually looks pretty good with the helmet off as well.

To all you bikers out there, how do you bike with a tichel?  Any pointers/ideas?

Meet Myriam!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars5 Comments

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

wrapunzel lady wrap star miryam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wrapunzel lady wrap star miryam

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

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

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

Snapshot 2013-03-18 15-21-10

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

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

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

The Switcheroo

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation4 Comments

So… I started the day off with a beautiful navy and turquoise wrap:

But someone (*cough) didn’t account for the purse/backpack straps that I would be taking on and off all day, so a switch was needed because the hanging tails kept getting tangled. Luckily I brought along a hat!  So now the rest of the day will be spent in this:

I really like this hat!  It matches so much of my wardrobe and is the perfect size.

Hope you’re all having a lovely day!