NIGERIAN WOMEN AND THEIR GELE STYLES

In Nigeria, women of the Western region can often be seen in their traditional attire of “Buba”, an airy type blouse with long sleeve, and “Iro” the wrapper that’s tied on top of the buba. To complete this whole attire, a woman will wear a head wrap (usually in matching fabric). This head wrap is known as ‘Gele‘. Gele is a Yoruba term for a woman’s head wrap. This piece of clothing can be as simple as a scarf-like head-tie and as elaborate as the arched train of a peacock. A very sophisticated gele is usually spurned from a fabric made specifically for that purpose.

Though the wearing of Gele is common-place for women in the Nigerian Culture, the two cultures that’s especially noted for wearing the Gele in both its casual and sophisticated form are the Yoruba and Igbo Culture. These cultural women can always be seen at home, at church, and special occasions, such as, a wedding, birthday, and chieftaincy parties wearing some form of Gele as an accessory with their attire. In the Ibo culture, the Gele is usually worn over George Wrapper and blouse.

Thus, the gele styles has now become a fashion statement. In fact, to wear the traditional wears of these cultures without a gele will be considered a fashion ‘faux pas’ and which why we’ve research these gele styles below for you…