Do you remember when headscarves were a fashion statement?
By Fleur
@Fleura (34994)
United Kingdom
October 18, 2015 8:36am CST
When I was growing up headscarves were far more common than they are today, many women would quickly tie a scarf over their hair when they did the housework, or if they popped to the shops on an autumn day. The Queen wore a headscarf to walk her dogs or ride her horse. It was also the norm for women to cover their heads when they went to church or chapel (prescribed by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians as a sign of their submission to their husbands, apparently). And scarves were popular among fashionistas of the 1960s – remember Jackie Kennedy or Grace Kelly wearing sunglasses and a headscarf? Audrey Hepburn even wore one on her wedding day.
Nowadays it seems that only Muslim women wear them; any non-Muslim with her head covered is probably going through chemotherapy. Perhaps Muslim women even feel spurred on to wear a scarf to differentiate themselves from non-Muslims. It has just made me wonder whether the whole ‘headscarf-wearing’ debate would fade away if they became more popular again and everyone started wearing them?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2015.
7 people like this
9 responses
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
18 Oct 15
I have a large collection of Buff tube hats which my husband refers to as my 'chemo hats'. I certainly get some funny looks when I wear them. I think some of the reduction in scarves is due to better hair care products - people used to use them to protect their hair-do or even go out with their curlers covered over. Formal hair styles are much less common these days.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
20 Oct 15
@Fleura I believe women had to cover their heads because hair was their glory and it would distract the men!. When it became fashionable to have short hair this distraction was lost! At least that is how it seems....
2 people like this
@Fleura (34994)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 15
@41CombedaleRoad Apparently it's from Paul's letter to the Corinthians, where he states that a woman should cover her head as a sign of her submission to her husband as head of the family, while men should not cover their heads because they are the image and glory of God - apparently. Personally I've never liked Paul and I don't know who he thinks he is telling the early Christians what to do when he was not one of the disciples and they presumably didn't lay down the same rules (otherwise Paul would not have felt the urge to do so). I could go on...
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
20 Oct 15
The trouble with headscarves is that they flatten the hair, perhaps they went out of fashion when those bouffant hair styles came in?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40845)
• Laguna Woods, California
18 Oct 15
I remember when even Hollywood divas, like Marilyn Monroe, wore headscarves. Times have changed, haven't they?
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
18 Oct 15
My mom is the only person I know who wears one. Of course she grew up when head scarves were popular. Not that it's getting cold out, I will wear a knit hat every day.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
18 Oct 15
I used to have dozens and so did my mother. i haven't warn one in YEARS now and don't miss them either.
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