It's A Wrap !

So for the while, let's forget about wigs. I'm wigged out. I've done the searches, looked on YouTube for videos showing how to cut them, style them, wash them and wear them. I've now got three wigs on my dressing table and none of them faintly resemble my old afro.

So for now, I want to step back into the world of headwraps. I like headwraps. They can look cool or cultural. They keep my head warm in the winter, and experimenting with different lengths of fabric makes me feel very creative indeed. They also seem to hide a multitude of sins (bad hair day, bald head day, patchy alopoecia day...). Headwraps are worn for religious, cultural, fashionable and functional reasons. And depending on who's wearing them, they can look effortlessly chic or deeply spiritual. They're more often than not, worn by more black and asian women than white. I put this down to the fact that in the western world, a woman's hair is seen as big part of her attraction. Millions are spent on celebrities endorsing hair products and western women seem to spend sizeable amounts of their salaries on their hairdressers. Some would argue, so do black women. And it's true. For those who have weaves and relaxers, all that constant tender loving care soon adds up. But the difference is, if a black woman is having a bad hair day, she can sling on a headwrap, step outside and no-one will bat an eyelid. Not so, if your skin is of a lighter hue. A white woman with a headwrap might be mistaken for a white rasta, or a converted muslim. Or maybe even a cancer patient.

In this respect I think i'm lucky. The day after I decided to shave my head, after I noticed big patches of hair were falling out, I found a bit of stretchy jersey fabric, cut a long rectangular piece and after covering my head, wrapped the reminder into a bun at the nape of my neck. I ventured outside feeling self-conscious. Truth is, no-one batted an eyelid. I got a bit more respect from older muslim men but no funny stares. So, while I'm kind of happy with the wigs, I've decided to sign up for a course in head wrapping. I figure that i need to learn a few more ways of making this style work. In the meantime, I have my wig safely packed for the Trevor Sorbie session tomorrow. Can't wait !!