Headscarves

**Larke** · January 9th, 2019, 07:07 PM

Just something I'm curious about. I love wearing headscarves. They're warm, comfortable to me, and they keep my hair out of the way. But often times, I feel uncomfortable wearing them out in public, since it's such a loaded religious symbol to many people. Do any of you like wearing headscarves for the sake of your hair? How do you see the whole topic of wearing them outside of a specific religion or culture?

Snoods are fun too. Not religious, but people stare even more. :P

**nycelle** · January 9th, 2019, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Larke

Just something I'm curious about. I love wearing headscarves. They're warm, comfortable to me, and they keep my hair out of the way. But often times, I feel uncomfortable wearing them out in public, since it's such a loaded religious symbol to many people. Do any of you like wearing headscarves for the sake of your hair? How do you see the whole topic of wearing them outside of a specific religion or culture?

Snoods are fun too. Not religious, but people stare even more. :P

See them all the time here so don't give it a second thought. They're not worn by just one specific group either so it's just not a big deal. But I guess that would depend on where you're from.
I won't wear them though as I don't like having my entire head covered, just not comfortable to me.

**HaMalka** · January 9th, 2019, 08:57 PM

I wear headscarves when my hair is wet and I have to go outside or my hair is dirty and I don't want it to be seen. I avoid certain styles of headscarves because in my community only married women usually cover their hair and wearing the styles typically worn by married ladies when I am unmarried can be awkward. I have been mistaken for being married several times starting from when I was fifteen due to injudicious choice of head covering. I also avoid wearing headscarves that are specific to other religions as I do not want to misrepresent myself. I don't really care what other people do with headscarves as they are their own people and can choose to wear what they want.

Snoods even more so than other head coverings seem married lady to me simply because I have never seen anyone who was not married wear one outside of a renaissance festival or similar event.

**blackgothicdoll** · January 9th, 2019, 09:08 PM

Where I'm from, walking outside in a headscarf is considered... a word I don't like to use. But when I was younger and tried to go out in one, my mom would always say 'take that thing of your head! You look like Aunt Jemima!" so today I will not ever wear a scarf that I wear around the house outside. (A satin scarf wrapped around the hair and tucked in).

I may wear a satin scarf under a knit beanie if it is bulky enough, but that's about how far I'll stretch it. A hijab on the other hand, well that's a lot different than a headscarf (unless that's what you were referring to the whole time) and I wouldn't be wearing one unless somewhere it was expected me to wear one, which would be at an embassy here in America. And I suppose certain type of shawl covers are seen as religious too (I was advised to bring one on my trip to Spain), but with those I don't think anyone would look twice at me here in America, there's plenty of people who wear them and many of them are my complexion.

I think it really depends on where you live and what type of religious groups there are in the first place.

**AutobotsAttack** · January 9th, 2019, 09:37 PM

Depends. For my culture, and black women and general, we wear scarves, and headwraps. All the bright colors and intricate designs. As have our African ancestors for thousands of years. There’s different ways you can wear headwraps, so I can see how it may raise brows as to how you wear it, but I really don’t see a problem with it. It’s apart of my culture, and I’ll laugh In someone’s face if they even try to bring up religious reasons for them to scrutinize me, or ask questions that are completely unnecessary.

**Tinyponies** · January 10th, 2019, 01:43 AM

I wear a cotton tube similar shape to a “Buff”, and tie the ends closed over my hair stick bun. Is this what you would call a snood?

I always wear it when I go out. It protects all of my regrowth baby hairs and is warm. It also feels very comfortable and comforting, which is important to me.

The place where I live is a very dirty industrial landscape and the weather is often bad. It helps to keep some of that black dusty air-stuff out of my hair.

If I didn’t wear it, even with my hair bunned I would get a lot of knots in the baby hairs, so for me the practicality outweighs any concern about how I may appear.

I have no idea if I am judged, or how I am judged by doing so. I’ve been wearing it for so long now that I feel quite exposed in a public outdoor place without it.

**Rosy blossom** · January 10th, 2019, 02:02 AM

You can wear a headscarf for reasons besides religion. As others have said it does depend on where you live. It's your choice end of the day, don't worry about what people think.

**Estrid** · January 10th, 2019, 03:11 AM

I avoided putting scarves over my head for the longest time due to it being such a religious symbol and nothing else. I know women used to use them as "hats" back in the days and I've recently started to do that as well since it does keep me a lot warmer (and it does look rather nice).

I let a lot of my hair show in the front and let my braid show in the back (if it's a braid I'm wearing). I probably look far from religious, but the mere thought of it makes me very uncomfortable.

I've never wore them because of my hair, and I don't think I would. It being cold is a "perfect excuse"... it's rather sad that it is this way, but it is what it is.

**lithostoic** · January 10th, 2019, 05:57 AM

Yeah no, where I'm from a headscarf is a religious symbol unless you are black. And I am neither. If you're a biker you can wear a bandana but that's about it.

**Aerya** · January 10th, 2019, 06:25 AM

If I'm wearing a jacket that doesn't have a hood and it's raining or cold, I will pull my scarf over my hair to not get wet. Not in a particular style or anything and I don't care if some hair is showing. My boyfriend jokes that I look like an old woman but other than that I haven't gotten any comments; and if anyone gets offended for some reason then I honestly don't care. It's entirely practical for me and no culture owns the act of having a scarf on your head in itself. Of course I wouldn't deliberately wrap it like a hijab or something, but other than that I say do what you want.