Have you noticed the new trend of stylish Gele styles ladies now rock to Lagos parties? Have you taken note of the creativity ladies put into their gele styles? Lagos babes no longer tie their gele anyhow, they tie it with style. The African head wrap (Gele) can be traced back to centuries ago; it is a symbol of a woman’s marital status, family and wealth. The African headdress has become a bewildering fashion statement you make once you step out. These days, we are left stunned by the way people tie their Gele to look different and chic. The women are usually who we look up to see at parties as fashion ideas can be gotten from their outstanding chic look. These Gele styles have been embraced by even modern ladies who are not willing to compromise their style for an outing, surely the ‘’Owambe’’ isn’t complete without the Aso Ebi and Gele. The latest Gele styles cannot be ignored due to their popularity among Lagos big ladies; the traditional headwear is at the peak of traditional fashion styles. Asides from makeup, the next big thing a woman thinks about before attending an ‘’Owambe’’ is what her head tie would look like. Some years back the creation of auto-gele has made a big effort in changing how women tie their Gele. The auto-gele is an already made Gele that is not time-consuming and is easy to wear. Either it is made as an instant Gele or the manual Gele, it can be tied in these different styles.
The Pleated Gele came in as the first Gele tying glamour and has managed to remain there. It is popularly tied for the bride of traditional marriage. The amount of steps the Gele can take determines the elegance of the Gele and the professionalism of the artist. This style is best accompanied by long-sleeved Buba (blouse) and Iro (wrapper). This style involves tying the Gele around the head and making Pleats in layers and knotting it to keep the Gele firm on the head. There is also the Side Knot and Side Fan which is another level of glam. The Full Fan can also have few steps of the Pleats before achieving an elegant fan at the crown. The Knotted Gele is also a very easy style to achieve and can be tied to compliment Aso Ebi sewn into a gown, it is very easy to tie and is not time-consuming. Other outstanding Gele styles are the Side Rose, Infinity Peats, Peats Overload, Wide Flower Design, Flowery Umbrella and a Perfect rose; these styles are commonly used by Lagos society women. Ankara Gele, Aso Oke, Avant-garde Gele, Perfect rose, Center rose, Twisted Gele, Sego Gele, Side Twisted Fan, Silk Satin Gele and Ruffles Gele. The Ruffles Gele can also be referred to as Scrunchies headband. It is slowly taking over because it is usually already made and easy to use. Scrunchies headbands can be made with Ankara, Aso Oke or Silk Satin material. There you have the latest Geles rocking Lagos parties.
–Damilola Akande
