STRIPPED

STRIPPED: NECESSITY TO ACCESSORY

The wide-ranging evolution of the headscarf: from religious texts to TikTok.

words by Kate Regan illustrations by Sophia Dyer

The headscarf, which has been seen more recently as a TikTok trend or on your favorite influencer promoting their Parade discount code, hasn’t always been worn as a fun accessory.

Used in the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibit as one of the 111 objects that defined the last century of fashion and popularized by pop culture icons like Audrey Hepburn, Queen Elizabeth, and Jackie O., the headscarf originated way before Hollywood existed. From mentions as early as the Bible to as recent as your spring trend Pinterest board, the headscarf has been a consistent part of fashion worldwide.

Early religious ties

The Bible disgraces women from cutting or shaving their hair and requires them to cover their heads — but lucky for us, things have progressed a little in the 21st century. In the Assyrian Empire, laws required women to practice “veiling” to mark their social standings and marital status. Headscarves were forbidden to prostitutes and lower-class women, who risked public humiliation or arrest if this regulation was broken. The headscarf was additionally born out of necessity to protect the heads of the higher class from the rain and sun and help keep hair cleaner. Throughout history, head coverings have been worn for spiritual beliefs, cultural significance, practicality, and fashion. Whatever the reason, it’s important to note that covering the head is a personal choice.

Certain religions mention the importance of the headscarf in their sacred texts. More conservative groups still uphold these traditions, from Catholic nuns who wear a habit, to married Orthodox Jewish women who wear a tichel — a type of headscarf — or sheitel, a wig. In Islam, the Quran's verses about modesty have been interpreted in different ways, with some regarding head covering as obligatory and others as a choice. Political systems, geography, and ethnicity also play a crucial role in how and if women choose to cover their heads or hair.

France has recently decided to ban any girl under the age of 18 from wearing a Hijab. While some believe that Hijabs are foundationally oppressive, taking away the choice to wear a Hijab is the actual oppression.

The impact of Hermès

Beginning in the 1910s, French fashion houses were dreaming up designs that included colorful,

embellished scarves on the head. Couture designer Paul Poiret popularized the first headscarf in bold patterns, sometimes affixed with a centered jewel. Following the suffrage movement in 1917, silent film star Anna Mae Wong popularized wearing headscarves as a sign of sophistication and freedom. Hermès then released its iconic scarf in 1937, with an elaborate design on imported Chinese silk. The scarves were popularized for their intensely detailed process and traditional use of silk screening technique. Instead of using digital technology to mass produce scarves, Hermès chose tradition over technology. Each of their scarves is still silk-screened by a professional artisan. The headscarf very quickly became a fixture in high society worn by Queen Elizabeth, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and Grace Kelly, who famously used her Hermès to fashionably sling her broken arm. Then, in the 1950s, the headscarf shifted to a symbol of class after being popularized by celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, so much so that Hepburn wore one on her wedding day.

Designers such as Louis Vuitton and Jacquemus have now followed in Hermès’ footsteps and debuted head coverings with modern takes on classic patterns, as seen on Kylie Jenner, Rihanna, and Bella Hadid.

Importance in Black culture

The durag is a head covering that Black people wear to accelerate their wave development, dreadlocks, and braids in the hair. They’re also used to secure wave patterns while sleeping. Created by enslaved Black people, the durag was originally worn by Black women to hold their hair. Following the Black Power Movement in the 1960s, the durag became a leading fashion statement and continues to be worn by everyone from athletes to rappers 60 years later.

By the late 90s, the headscarf pivoted to the bandana, and it became closely associated with hip hop and R&B. The paisley print, which was initially linked to gangs and cowboys, was rebranded and worn by superstars such as Aaliyah, Jennifer Lopez, and Destiny's Child in music videos and on the red carpet.

Cultural appropriation

With headscarves, white people did what they consistently do best: stealing from others and claiming it as their own. While Muslims are constantly being ridiculed, ostracized, and profiled for their Hijabs, it’s easy for others to take advantage of the look and wear it as their own without acknowledging — or even knowing — the gravity and oppression behind it.

The easiest, and probably the only, way to style a headscarf to avoid cultural appropriation is to try a babushka. The babushka, a headscarf designed to be tied under the chin, is typically worn in Russia and Poland. Thanks to A$AP Rocky, there has recently been a resurgence of the style in streetwear culture. While headscarves can be any material, color, or pattern, it’s safest to choose a lightweight, silk, patterned scarf, as it’s the least comparable to the average Hijab. If you have to stop and ask if your look is appropriating one's culture, it probably is. Make sure to research and educate yourself by listening to the voices of those who actually face oppression from wearing headscarves.