Gele (head tie)

The gele is a traditional head tie native to the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.[1] The gele comes in specific shapes and designs. It is worn with other Yoruba women's outfits, like Iro ati buba, Komole, and Asoebi.

It is a tied or wrapped piece of clothing styled around Yoruba women’s heads and is used for fashion and special occasions.[2] It has also been acculturated by some other Nigerian and African ethnicities through popular culture. Geles may nowadays also be designed in ready-to-wear styles called Auto-Gele, invented by Funmi Olurinola, which can be purchased to avoid having to tie the gele each time it is worn.

Gele include many designs: some long and flared out, some layered, some fanned out, and some wrapped up and bunched. Gele are made from many types of fabrics, including Aso-oke, Adire, Aso-olona, Damask, Sego, Senghosen, and Jawu.[3] Other types of cloth head coverings in Yoruba culture that are not Gele include Ibori, which is head scarf, and Iborun, which is a shawl; these are all distinct from the gele.

  • Yoruba woman in Gele
  • Yoruba woman in a Gele style
  • Yoruba woman in Gele

References

  1. ^ Iwalaiye, Temi (2021-11-17). "The significance of a gele in traditional attires". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  2. ^ Akinde, Toyin; Tijani, Aminat O.; Akintonde, Moses A.; Eyinade, Adedapo S. (2022-12-21). "Yoruba Contemporary Gele: A Stylistic Appraisal". International Journal of Humanities, Management and Social Science. 5 (2): 79–88. doi:10.36079/lamintang.ij-humass-0502.430. ISSN 2685-2322.
  3. ^ David (2016-12-19). "Yoruba Head Wrap (Gele)". IleOduduwa.com the Source. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
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