TIPS ON HOW TO TIE NIGERIAN SEGO GELE - VIDEO

Have you heard of a sego (gele)? Do you know how to tie it? what is the history behind Stunning, piece of fashion and why do ladies go nuts about it? In this article, you get to learn a thing or two about it

HOW TO TIE THE NIGERIAN SEGO GELE- STEP BY STEP

Nigerian ladies love to look fabulous, stylish, looking like a rare diamond no matter the occasion. and the gele is what brings the beauty in a Nigerian woman. But first what is a gele?

WHAT IS A GELE?

Gele is a cultural attribute or attire worn around the head of a woman during festivals, holidays or when a joyful occasion comes up. It often comes together with other pieces of accessories like a skirt you wrap around your waist and a special shirt you wear on the top of it. as you can see from the pictures below  

The fabric uses for the head wrap are very stiff, They are chosen specifically to remain still even while dancing or spending the whole day celebrating. Most GELE are often Imported from nearby countries because of its special fabric while some are made in Nigeria. All thanks to the Yoruba people, gele can now be made out of a special fabric they weave by hand. It's called " ASO-OKE," and they come in different shape, size, and color.

The fabric is heavy, as it is woven out of cotton with adding silk at the time. This is optional, how ever given the price of the fabric, it is mostly used for special occasions.

TYPES OF MATERIALS USED FOR GELE.

There are other fabric used for this piece of clothing like Aso Oke ( jean like fabric), Brocade (Starched cotton Fabric), African Print, Paper like Fabric with Plain or bold Patterns( Sego, Jubilee ) Here are some brand names of the paper like Fabric: Damask (Heavily Patterned Paper-like, Velvet-like Fabric) and so on.

USED TO IDENTIFY MARITAL STATUS

Nigerians live in a Patriarchal society. They Praise men and let them be the leaders but however, some say when they wear Gele, it makes them feel like a queen. Women wear head tie demostrating their marital status in the society. They do not look like an actual crown but they do carry the same meaning.

The tradition of wearing gele came from the Yoruba tribe, and it is still connected to their lifestyle.

It is said that gele is supposed to be worn by a married woman as a sign of her status. however , it was not always so thanks to the creativity of people who wrap gele around different women's heads today. Gele can be worn in different ways but when the gele is wrapped in such a way that it is to the right, then everyone knows that she is marriedm while when it is to the left, people realize that she is single.

 GELE WORN ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Today several woman around the world wear gele even though it was originated from the Yoruba culture. Ladies from all over the world loves gele so much that they even adopt the cultural thing as well and every one of them cant wait to try one. Alot of women from different part of the world wear the head-tie to event and also show there respect to the culture looking stunning in it.

THE PARAMETERS OF THE GELE

Tying a gele is not as easy as it look/think. It takes a lot of practice and skills in order to tie a gele. However, you can practise how to tie head wrap given the fact that you have enough fabric to work with.

The parameter of the gele differ a lot. Gele's length can range from 34" wide and 72"long (Gele Paper-like Head-tie), 8" wide and 54" long (African Print), 20" wide and 80" long (Aso-Oke) and much more.

HOW TO TIE THE SEGO GELE ( STEP BY STEP).

 

• Start with a piece of cloth with the parameters we mentioned above. Make sure your gele if the proper measurement. You dont want it to be too small or too big,
• Start by folding the cloth in two with one side slightly bigger than the other. Put the fabric on your head. You can use a special hair-net on your head to prevent your hair from sticking out. Put it on your hair and het back to fold the gele.
• Take bothe ends of the cloth to the back, and then take one end and wrap it around your head while leaving the other one at the back. Wrap it around your head once  and take the second end.
• Turn it the same way you did the previous one (wrap it around your headonce). Before you take another step, Make sure that when you wrap your piece of cloth around your head it is tight. Do not let any part sag down, once you have checked this, Tie a knot using one end of each of the parts which you left in the back.
• You can make two or three ties depending on how much cloth you still have left . All the knots must be very tight.
• The only thing left now is the actual arrangement of the gele which might not be the easiest task to deal with. In fact, This is when some women seek the help of their friends. your hands might get tired when trying to make the gele. so, take a break.
• Do not let the gele move to the front too much or move to the back. It has to start right where your hair starts growing on your forehead and the back of the head.
• Now, as you arrange the gele the same way woman did on the pictures we have showed you here, you can start putting on the makeup as well as the jewelry you want to wear for the special occasion.
 

Here is a video on how to tie gele

 

If you have any suggestion/ corrections for this article. Kindly send me an email: oyetayoolamideblog@gmail.com. I hope you find this information very useful.