A matter of styles
Without any doubt this is the most popular headwrap today. With its many variations (peasant, gypsy, pirate and so on) it was a little hard to give it a name, so I decided to use the umbrella term "Rear Tie".
A "Rear Tie" has the scarf wrapped around the head and tied behind, without going under the chin (otherwise the Kelly would also be a "rear tie" since it's knotted behind the head). The tail end can be left loose, tucked in or caught under the knot, and the scarf can be tied under the hair or over, in a lot of different possibilities. In some, the knot is to the side but since they're variations of the Rear Tie, they're featured here as well.
The Rear Tie is mainly worn for practicality, since it keeps and protects the hair while adorning the head in a way no other headdress can. Although it doesn't have the glamorous allure of the Kelly or the timeless charm of the Classic, the picture here shows just how gorgeous a woman can look in a rear-tied headscarf.
The Rear Tie as disguise (with or without sunglasses) is not
quite as effecti
ve
as a Classic or a Kelly, because the scarf only covers the top of the head, and
leaves the face exposed. However, properly wrapped, it can hide the hair and
give some measure of anonymity.
A Rear Tie also goes less noticed than either a Kelly or a Classic, having become vastly popular with women of all age groups, teenage girls included. Below you can see actress Marion Cotillard from the TV movie Une Femme Piegée.
Marion's headscarf conceals her hair while not making her look too conspicuous. The story is set in Nice where she would probably not be the only young woman headscarved that way, but having her wear it gives her a femme fatale look totally in theme with the plot. She also looks very cute, and wears her scarf for a quite big part of the movie.
Variants
There are many versions of the Rear Tie, far more than of the Kelly and the Classic, and all have their distinctive look.
The Peasant Tie is the simplest rear-tied headscarf, tied at the nape of the neck with the tail end loose. The name is a little odd because peasant women have been wearing all styles of headscarves (Rear Ties, Classics and even Kellys) for ages, but it's the accepted name for the style anyway.
This style is mainly worn to tie the hair behind and cover them.
The Peasant Tie can be worn with scarves of all dimensions, with the smaller ones giving a simple and cute look and large scarves making for proud and elegant wraps.
To the right, Jennifer
Love Hewitt with a oh-so-cute plain white peasant headscarf from the TV
movie The Audrey Hepburn Story. Modest as that scarf is, it gives
Jennifer an endearing, girlish and demure look.
In the Xena: Warrior Princess episode Old Ares had a farm, Renée O'Connor completes her peasant girl outfit with a nice peasant headscarf.
Her look is meant mainly for laughs, as she is made to be the stereotypical country girl, but she's very pretty. Who said peasant outfits aren't sexy?
Here to the right and below, Smallville star Kristin Kreuk in a Peasant Tie from a photoshoot. Her headscarf is worn low on the forehead, making her stunning eyes stand out.
Larger scarves make for full and elegant wraps, as worn here to the left by actress Lee Grant in Shampoo and below by Heidi Brühl in Die Zwillinge vom Immenhof.
A large scarf means longer ends and a larger tail, and the way to properly drape them becomes an exercise in style. Heidi's headscarf is worn low on the forehead, with the knot slightly to one side so that the ends are draped over the shoulder.
Some may object to her wrap being called a Peasant Tie, since it has sometimes been referred to as a Turban, but more of that later.
The tail end can be tucked in under the knot to keep it from flying around, like in the pictures below, and the wrap can cover the ears or leave them out.
The Peasant Tie is a pretty and easy to wear headscarf, and it seems to never go out of fashion with women of all ages.
It can be worn with any outfit, and almost in any occasion to protect the hair, to give an extra touch of color or simply to draw a little attention without looking too conspicuous.
The
Pirate Tie is easily the most worn headscarf
style today. It's tied at the back of the head like the Peasant, but the tail is
either caught under the knot or tied together with the ends.
This wrap is slightly more difficult to tie than the Peasant, but with some practice it becomes second nature. It gives a casual and modern look, popular with young women and teenage girls, that can be worn with a wide range of outfits from coats to swimsuits.
The Pirate Tie is widely seen on beaches and sea resorts, because it protects the head and hair from the sun, the sand and the salt while drawing attention to the face.
With or without sunglasses or earrings, it's a beautiful and proud look, especially if worn with the ends left long and draped across the back or over the shoulders.
This wrap can be worn in formal occasions too as an elegant head
covering, as an alternative to an elaborate hairstyle, and it can be left on
indoors.
A charming way to deal with those bad hair days and still look stunning.
This style has become very popular after having been adopted by many a female celebrity, thus making it an easy fashion statement for many young women who would have probably been a bit reluctant to wear a headscarf.
Rhythm'n
Blues princess Alicia Keys is one of the
greatest headscarf wearers around, showing
off her lovingly wrapped head in song videos, magazines, live performances and
public appearances. Her Pirate Tie (although she has worn Kelly wraps too) is
one of her trademark looks.
Pop princess Christina Aguilera is another known wearer, proudly showing off her scarved head in many occasions.
Latina pop queen Jennifer Lopez, to the left, has adopted the
look as well,
and so has young R&B star Rihanna, although not to the same degree (yet) as
Alicia or Christina.
Besides music stars, the Pirate Tie has been worn by young actresses like Claire Danes, below, for the Ford Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.
Lovely Claire's stunning eyes and face are well complemented by the colourful scarf.
You would be a great Scarf Lady, Claire, get some headscarf scenes over your hair! Rear Tie, Classic, Kelly... The choice is yours although we'd like to see you wearing all of them!
To the right, actress Maureen Flannigan wears her own Pirate Tie in National Lampoon's Last Resort.
The movie deals, ironically, with a pirates' treasure and Maureen's headscarf scenes are unfortunately the only real good reason to watch it!
The Gypsy Tie is named this way mainly because the headscarf worn by gypsy fortune-tellers in popular imagery.
It's similar enough to the Pirate Tie to be easily confused, but
there are some differences: in the
Gypsy headwrap, the scarf is not tied at the nape of the
neck but right behind the head, and sometimes with the
knot to the side.
The Gypsy Tie needs particular care in dealing with the tail end of the scarf, which must be tied into the knot or wrapped in a way as to not make it fall or drape unchecked.
Unlike the Peasant and Pirate headscarves, the Gypsy can't be tied on quickly and almost without looking. It's an elegant wrap with an exotic quality to it, but class comes at a price!
The Gypsy headscarf is also the most difficult to keep on. All headscarves need some adjusting from time to time, but the Gypsy more than the others because of the knot's position and its greater complexity. While you can re-tie a Pirate or Peasant quickly, you can't do it with a Gypsy unless you're really, really experienced with it. This is why it must be tied on with care.
Difficulties aside, the Gypsy Tie is really worth the extra effort. It's every bit as fashionable as the Pirate Tie but with a little extra flair.
To the left, Dutch actress and TV presenter Sylvie Van der Vaart in a nice Gypsy headscarf, with the ends draped over her shoulders, elegant and casual-looking at the same time.
Of course Sylvie is not the only female celebrity in a Gypsy scarf...
Here to the right, German actress Claudelle Deckert wearing a side-tied Gypsy scarf. Claudelle's headscarf in this picture is part of a bold, sexy look which the wrap complements perfectly.
The Gypsy headscarf can, like the Pirate, be worn for formal
occasions or indoors. Tied behind or to the side, with earring or without,
covering the ears or not, it's a modern yet timeless look.
Whether you're looking for a fashionable and elegant headdress, or want to stand out, or simply would like to play gypsy princess, this wrap is something to try out.
And you can simply wear it to do a fortune-teller impersonation at the next Renaissance Fair!
More variants...
A
Turban is not exactly a Rear Tie but some Rear Ties are
Turbans. The exact
definition of a Turban Wrap, as done with a square scarf, is a bit fuzzy. We've
already seen that even some Peasant Ties can be considered Turbans.
In the picture to the left the model is wearing a Turban Wrap which cannot be mistaken for anything else! To the right, a differently tied turban, casual and elegant. It's a beautiful and very classy look, and one that can't escape being noticed.
A headscarf can also be tied with the knot forward instead of behind the head, a very retro look today but some girls may find it attractive for its unconventional look.
In
another variation yet, the ends of the headscarf can be crossed behind the head
like a regular Peasant Tie, then pulled forward and knotted, keeping the ends
from flying around and tightening the wrap, so that it doesn't slide off too
easily. Kim Basinger, to the left,
wore this style in the movie The Real McCoy.
The ends can also be twisted and rolled onto themselves and be
wrapped around the headscarf
itself, like in the picture to the right. This
holds the scarf in place better and results in a very eye-catching look, if a
bit challenging to tie on.
The Christian Lacroix Spring 2006 collection has featured some colourful and oddly-tied headscarves which may be an inspiration for some women seeking a bold new look.
Not quite Pirate, not quite Gypsy, a little Turban-like, those headwraps look just stunning even if a little complicated to wear and tie.
Those models at least had some help tying on their headscarves, girls at home will need practice to achieve the same results!
... And accessories
Rear-tied
headscarves can make use of some accessories as well, either to further enhance
the look or to make the wrap easier to keep tight and from sliding. Some women
can keep their headscarves on, any style, without them ever sliding off and some
have trouble having their wraps staying on. Silk also has a tendency to slide by
itself and while Kelly wraps (with their being tightened around the throat
besides the knot) and Classic headscarves (either with the "headband" variation
or not, the knot under the chin is more accessible for re-tying) are a little
more secure, Rear Ties only have the knot to keep them in place.
If a Kelly loosens, it becomes a cowl-like wrap. If a Classic slides, it turns into a neck scarf. But if a Rear-Tie unwraps, it must be tied back on. So, how do we keep it firmly around the head?
Muslim women have perfected the art of keeping a headscarf firmly in place for long times, with the use of hairpins and bobby pins.
Bobby pins keep the scarf secured to the hair, so you have to worry less about the knot being tight enough. They also allow some more freedom in tying your scarf, which results in elegant and original wraps.
Specially made brooches of various shapes may be used to further
improve your look, and to give it that extra exotic flair.
Take a look at the models in those pictures and their rich, colourful, beautifully tied and draped heascarves.
Definitely something to try out if you want more out of your Rear Tie: you can be Peasant Maid, Pirate Lady and Gypsy Girl... Why not Arabian Nights' Princess?
Elastic bands can be useful too, by keeping the knot secure so you don't have to worry too much about it untying by itself.
As an alternative, check out Lindsay Lohan's wrap to the left, from the movie Confessions of a teenage drama queen.
Lindsay's headscarf is held in place by multiple strings, in tone with her "hippy" look. She needs them, since she plans to keep the scarf on all day long!
Pins and brooches can also be used simply to decorate the headscarf, like Hilary Duff does with her wrap from the Lizzie McGuire episode Gordo and the Dwarves.
Every bit the fashion-conscious teenager, Hilary's character Lizzie has an ornate pin adorning her scarf. Apparently, she likes the look so much that she wears the headscarf both outdoors and indoor.
Although the dress is casual and modern, Hilary's headwrap is an eye-turner. A perfect look for teenage girls who want to get into headscarf wearing.
Accessories or not, the Rear Tie headscarf is a great and versatile wrap for all occasions and ages.
Girls and young women may feel a little intimidated by the thought of wearing the romantic Classic or the glamorous Kelly, while a quickly-tied Peasant or Pirate scarf can be worn with some more confidence, especially given its current popularity.
Casual and stylish, fashionable and timeless, versatile and elegant, always popular. This is the Rear Tie headscarf, and here are the instructions to tie two variations of it.
To the left, a way to tie a Peasant, to the right one to wear a Pirate Tie. Get your scarves out and try!