African Headdresses, today, are produced all over the world, but the most authentic can be found in West Africa, particularly Nigeria. Since the Ancient Nubians the Headdress has developed and progressed through time. The headdress has been around for thousands of years, and its first appearances occur around 3500-3200 B.C. At this time Priests, kings, and queens wore headdresses that were made of papyrus and copper, but commoners often wore headdresses or wigs that were made from vegetable based products. These headdresses were often used for ceremonial purposes.
In West Africa the headdress is made from different types of textiles such as Dumas, Gele fabric and the Ahoskie. The fabrics are then starched in order to make the fabric stiff. This allows the wearer to manipulate the fabric in order to create shapes and sizes. In West Africa, men and women wore headdresses to portray what status and power they had. As time progressed, the headdress became a symbol of beauty for African women drawing the eyes up toward the neck and face and accentuating the features of the face. Often, West Africans wore the head wrap in order to protect themselves from the heat, but the different styles and quality of the head wrap distinguished each African. Those who had wealth and power were seen sporting larger wraps that had red colors. Commoners wore head wraps that were subdued and tied closed to the head, usually brown in color. Slaves were not allowed or afforded the opportunity to wear these garments.
In America, slaves often made the headdresses from old fabric such as cotton. Since there was not much made available to the slave often their headdresses were makeshift. Yet, this makeshift design would soon empower these women to create a style uniquely their own. The meaning of the head wraps changes in America for the African American. It is no longer an indication of status and wealth, but it identifies all African American women as slaves. By 1735, all African American women were forced to wear the head wraps, and they were primarily used for identification, cover-up, lice prevention and heat protection. Men in West Africa would adorn themselves in beautiful Gele’s, but in America black men wore hats made from straw, which served as a form of heat protection from the sun.