Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Turban Fashions Through The Times

By Cathy Mercer


In many cultures and religions throughout the Middle East, Asia and Africa, some style of turban has been used as the accepted form of head covering for centuries. In many cases, an individual's social standing or field of employment can be told by the color and design of their headdress. The Western world seems to have adopted this covering as a fashion trend.

Traditionally, this garment is made by taking a long cotton, silk or linen scarf and winding it in a particular way around the head in order to form a covering of a designated design. As time has passed, the term has broadened to include almost any close fitting cap without a brim that may be worn by anyone. Some are even being sold as solid form hats that simply slip on.

It was the later part of the 17th century when this type of fashion was first debuted in the Western world, though at that time it was it was still worn mainly only by those who belonged to specific cultures or faiths. In the early years of the 20th century, the beautiful female stars of the silent movies began to sport these exotic head pieces. As the 1930's rolled in, every socialite wore them as a symbol of her prime breeding, exclusive education and worldly experience.

Turbans became one of the leading symbols of high glamor and began to take on a more embellished look with the addition of precious stones or being made from more elaborate fabrics. It added an air of mystery and an exotic beauty. Movie stars were wearing them to premiers with so much adornment that they often resembled the elaborate crowns of royalty.

This stylish head gear was not exclusively for the rich and famous. The housewives and working class ladies of the 50's and 60's started wearing plainer versions in cotton or linen as a way to be fashionable and keep their hair controlled all while carrying on with their daily duties. Terry cloth versions soon replaced the towel as a more attractive and acceptable way to dry one's hair after swimming or showering.

The style gurus in the 70's transformed the wrap into a new type of hat. They were manufactured as ready made pieces that could simply be slipped on and hair was allowed to flow loosely out from beneath the covering. The adornments became larger, though a little less lavish, as was the trend of the era.

The style lost a bit of its popularity and steam over the next thirty years. During the new millennium, however, there has been a renewed interest in this type of fashion head wear. Women have come up with so many different variations on the base design that the possibilities are virtually endless and have so many practical applications for daily use and for those who suffer from loss of their hair or are taking chemotherapy.

Still used as cultural and religious standards, the turban is also a major fashion statement of the Western world. People have come up with new and creative ways to wind a scarf that makes the covering not only beautiful, but practical as well. They have become the covering of choice for many, especially since they can be purchased in the no fuss, ready made hat format.




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