A Brief About Gele Culture and the Art of Headtie-Tying By Nigerian Women?
Gele, in Nigeria, is a term for head-tie or scarf. While gele scarfs are everyday-wear for older women, the gele headtie is also a fashion accessory that completes any traditional attire look for women, such as wedding guests aso-ebi dresses. Gele head-scarfs are worn with any style of women’s native-wear, like wrapper and blouses (iro and buba or lace blouse and george wrappers, skirt and blouse outfits, ankara aso-ebi gowns and more.
If you’re a woman that is invited to a Nigerian wedding, probably you have bought the themed aso-ebi fabric the couple specified as dress-code. Your Nigerian wedding guests aso-ebi look will not be complete without a gele headtie, or you’ll look out of place. You can pay to have someone tie your gele headwrap for you, or you can learn to tie it yourself – which is what this post is about.
In many parts of Nigeria, women, especially the older and married ones, covered their hair by tying scarfs or head-ties, primarily as a form of modesty. Many still do, but most younger women prefer to wear headtie as a fashion accessory, to complete their look for Nigerian traditional or native attire.
Unlike the scarfs worn by European or English women, fabrics for the Nigerian gele head-scarfs are not soft but rather have some thickness and stiffness to its texture. It is the texture of the fabric that gives the gele headtie the flexibility to be maneuvered into different artsy styles and also gives it the ability to stay up, standing like a hat.
Head-ties or headwraps are called by different names by the people of Nigeria (gele in Yoruba language and Ichafu in Igbo). Depending on the wearer’s preference or size of gele fabric, one can find women wearing small or huge gele head-scarfs.
Generally, small gele head-ties are worn for a casual, everyday look; while big and flamboyant gele head-scarf styles like infinity pleats ankara gele, are special styles for events and weddings (worn by brides and guests too). However, small gele styles still make it to big occasions and weddings, because they also look beautiful.
You can tie a gele with any fabric type and texture, but fabrics with some level of stiffness are better because the most beautiful gele scarfs are those that stand stiff like a hat. Some popular headtie fabrics Nigerian women love to wear during events and occasions include sego gele, aso-oke gele, ankara gele.
In its original form, a gele head-tie is just a rectangular or square piece of fabric, but while tying it on her head, a Nigerian woman makes it into a beautiful, handcrafted hat. Nigerian women put some art into the way they tie their head ties, wraping it into several pleats, layers, and shapes.
Thanks to talented Nigerian gele artists and fashion designers, today, there are uncountable ways of tying gele headties. Since not every Nigerian woman is skilled at tying gele or have the time to do so, we also now have ready-to-wear gele scarfs (also known as auto-geles) that are simply gele hats for busy women who just want to throw on their headtie and go. Those are available in Nigerian markets.
For non-Nigerians, the art of gele-tying would appear impossible to master, laborious and time-consuming. However, it’s ‘a normal’ that most Nigerian women can fix in a few minutes because it’s what they do nearly every day and have done for over 10,000 times in their lifetime. Hence, Nigerian women prefer to tie their gele head-wrap fresh every time they need it and deconstruct it after an outing.
IDEAS TO COMPLETE ANY DRESSING WITH GELE HEADTIE:
- Latest Nigerian Beaded Necklace Designs and Styles
- How to Tie Wrapper Step by Step Video: 3 Styles of Tying the Nigerian Wrapper
- Latest Iro and Buba Styles in Nigeria (100 Styles, including Oleku and Tulip Styles)
- Celebrity Lace Aso-ebi Styles at TV Girl Tomike’s Wedding
Perfecting How to Tie Gele if You’re a Beginner
Styles of gele head-scarfs are the highpoint of women’s fashion at every Nigerian wedding. For any traditional, native-wear look, the slay is not complete without a gele head-toe. Brides wear them, and wedding guests wear them too. When preparing to attend a wedding, after choosing what to sew, next on every woman’s mind is the style of gele to rock.
There are so many styles for tying gele by Nigerian women, each one is uniquely different and all of them look stunning on the wearer. While there are many gele-tying artists around every street in Nigeria, sometimes, one just feels like tying your own gele by yourself (to also save some coins).
That’s all on how to tie gele (with sego, ankara or aso-oke). Did you practice along? Be sure to see our editor’s selection of the reigning, new gele and bead necklace styles in Nigeria.
I’d like to hear from you – what is your favourite material to tie gele headtie with, and what new gele-tying style are you loving at this moment? Another question – have you worn a ready-made auto-gele scarf before? If so, do you prefer them to tying a fresh gele headtie?
wanna view the video but kinda having problems doing it………pls help cus i wanna share my testimonies like others
Hello Adukabe,
I just checked and the gele video tutorial is showing very okay. Please check again and share your ‘testimonies’ with others oo.
Later, check out our other fashion and beauty tutorial videos here (click).
nice tips..very useful n interesting..thnx
Thanks.
All i could say is wow its simpily easy to learn and understand. Great thanks
You’re welcome, Alexandrina. I’m glad you like the ‘ how to tie Gele’ video tutorial. Thanks for visiting us here at NaijaGlamWedding.
It’s really good but would love to learn more
Hi d gele tutorial was amazing, Tnks for sharing with us…pls will I have to sew together two different gele to get dat two different colors of gele tying?tnks
Hi Joy. Yes, you can – I have seen ladies do that, and have even seen some Geles sold ready-made like that. Fashion is all about exploring the creativity that comes to your head – so, rock on, girl!
God bless u for ds tutorial. I feel helples wen I av 2go 4occasions bt cnt tie my gele myslf.I wl always com bk. 2ds post wen am lost.
You’re welcome, Wunmi. You’re not alone – most women suck at tying Gele, some can manage but spend hours doing it. I’m glad that the Gele video tutorial has increased your confidence that you too can get better at tying your Gele yourself. Do come back as many times as you like to re-watch the Gele tutorial.
love u,tnks.God bless u for teaching. Am not really a gele person but I wld start trying it now
Awesome! I’m happy to know that the above Gele tutorial video has inspired you to rethink about wearing Gele headwraps. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks, Temmy.
This is really awesome. I love it die. Please teach us some more. Twoderful.
Thanks, dear. I am glad you like the Gele tutorial.
pls,i cnt view d gele tying tutorial, i exhausted my data plan& could only view d headgear styles. pls,ma kindly direct to d site well as i can view ur other diy.Thanks in anticipation
Hi Aisha, sorry about that. I just checked now and the ‘How to tie Gele’ vidoe tutorial is showing okay. Please try viewing it again, and let me know how it goes. Thanks for visiting NaijaGlamWedding.
After watching the video, all I have to say is thank you and God bless.
Aww! Thank you (too) for your feedback, Ifeoma. More power to your Gele-tyieng skills:)
It’s very helpful, what about people with low cut, will it still work out d same way?
It will work on any type of hair style. If you have plenty of hair, you need to first pack it back-tight before tying your Gele scarf.
Oh my God,this is realy nice and easy to know.have been looking forward to this.Thank you,it realy help
I am glad that this post and above video was of help to you. Thanks for your feedback. Be sure to see our other DIY videos (click here). Also subscribe by email and follow us on Facebook, in order to be the first to know when there’s a new post here.
Thanks 4 d lesson,but pls I need 2 know more on d finishing it’s important
You’re welcome to NaijaGlamWedding, Commy. Don’t worry, your finishing will become perfect with time – just keep practicing with different headties, and the above video.
Thanks so much Stella for making it easy for me,now I can tie my gele perfectly, all thanks to u, love u
You are so welcome, Euphemia. I am glad that you’re now a Gele expert. Let’s see some of your gele pictures – post them on our Facebook page.
i really love the vedio on how to tie gele thanks for teaching me
You are welcome, Adesayo. I’m happy you came around. Be sure to check out our many other video tutorials to learn various beauty and fashion DIYs.
That was a nice one. I have been trying to get the layer style but never did. Thank you for making it simple. Once again thank you.
You’re welcome, Aisha. I am happy to hear that.
Thanks for sending us your feedback. Please keep coming back for more, and invite your friends too.
after watching d video,i think tieing of gele is not dat difficult as it seems.
I know that feeling, Helen. I am sure you’ll become a Gele expert in no time, if you practice along with the video a few times. We have heard many of our readers tell us that. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to check out our other helpful Fashion and Beauty Video tutorials for beginners.
I was unable 2 watch the video on how to tie gele and I would like to watch it
Hi Taiwo. I just rechecked and the ‘Gele Tying’ tutorial video works perfectly. Try using another device (phone, tablet or computer) to browse this page again. I am sure the fault was from your device. Let me know how that goes.
I really love to see dis video but it wasn’t showing on my phone, pls can I buy it on vcd by paying,have waited so long to meet who will teach me how to tie gele.pls will be waiting 4 ur reply.thanks
Hi Yetunde. Sorry about that. The video is free, not for sale. The problem is with your phone – because the video plays on most devices (I just retested it now). I suggest you find a time to use a laptop/ desktop computer or a tablet or another device to look at this post again – that will ensure that you see the video.
You made it so simple and nice even though I know how to
wrap yours is easier to learn.
Thanks
I luv dis.Tnx so much, though I didn’t get d finishing..#covers face# lol
You’re welcome, Dayo. The finishing will become perfect for you if you practice more with the video. Apparently, the backside of Gele is harder to learn, and this video shows it well.
Thank you so much!!! you’re a life saver, although i’d like to see a vid of you doing the same for someone else! thanks. bye!
You’re welcome, Dolapo. Your concerns are noted.
Hello Stella,im so in love with d lesson,am very poor in tying gele,pls how do I save d video?
Hi Sumbo, thanks for your feedback on this Gele tutorial. The video is meant to be watched here, so I suggest you bookmark this page and come back to it as many times as you like. I have no idea how you can save it – sorry dear.