Oh, look! It’s Zsa Zsa Gabore!
Chic headscarves and vintage turbans have been making their way down the runway, showing up in both Gucci’s Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear and Resort 2018 collections. Many aspects of the 20’s are coming back into fashion, but we should remember that this look is clearly inspired by Middle Eastern and African influences, and to simply say this is a vintage head wrap is to forget its roots.
Gucci | Resort 2018
Gucci | Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear
I was absolutely in love with this look, and figured that fashioning a piece of fabric into a shape and wrapping it around my head had to be simple.
So chic, so stylish
First, pick your fabric. The velvet head scarves are very in this year, so I chose Mood’s Navy Stretch Velour.
Navy Stretch Velour
You’ll also need a brooch. I was in an Americana mood, so I chose the Red Rhinestone Brooch. What better way to celebrate patriotic summer cookouts than with a vintage head wrap?
Red Rhinestone Brooch
So, after you’ve chosen your fabric, you need to cut a section 32″ wide and 40″ long. Hem the edges. Then, cut a slit in the middle of the width, 20 inches up the length.
It should look something like this:
Velvet Head Wrap
And that’s it! Your head scarf is assembled! Now it just needs to be applied.
So, to wear a turban like a champ, the first thing you need to do is lay the fabric on your head, the right side facing up, the tails in the back.
Fabric on my head
Next, cross the tails over one another, so they are over your shoulder and in front of you.
Tails
Right tail over the left tail
Tails in the front
Take the left side and drape it over your forehead, bringing it to the back. I twisted mine to give it more texture, but you can experiment with yours to give it a unique look every time.
Twisting tail
Draping the tail
Take the right side, again twisting the fabric and draping it over your forehead, and it should reach the other tail in the back.
Tie the tails together, and tuck them under the back of the turban.
From here, simply tuck all of the pieces of fabric that stick out weird, until it is tucked and folded to your satisfaction.
Find the center of the front, and pin your brooch to it, making sure the brooch is leveled.
Fix your hair and put on some lipstick, ’cause now you’re Gucci.
Yes, Gucci, of course I’ll be your newest model!
And that’s it. I definitely didn’t spend hours and hours on this wrap, get frustrated, almost give up, get a second wind only to have it knocked out of me again, and then finally pull through when I thought all was lost. Oh, wait, that is exactly what I did.
I learned many valuable lessons today, and although learning from experience is great, you should probably just learn from my mistakes, which I will detail for you now.
The first thing I did to find inspiration today was look for a legitimate looking tutorial from the 1920’s. I figured if I’m going to emulate 20’s fashion, I should get it right from the horse’s mouth. That was a terrible decision, since I don’t speak horse, and I barely read it.
Photoplay | 1926
Photoplay | 1926
Above is the tutorial I decided to follow, and I learned my first lesson because of it. Always read the directions thoroughly, because I read the first sentence, “36′ wide and a yard an eighth long,” and simply thought I would just need to cut a big rectangle. I ended up hemming all the edges of the fabric before moving onto the second section, which requires more cutting that made no sense to me and I sat at my computer thinking “what in the world does ‘to shirr’ mean?” I finally figured that I might as well just go on intuition, and cut the length to the best of my ability.
I was halfway through the cut when I learned my second lesson: always be 100% sure of what you’re cutting before you cut it. I ended up cutting on the width and totally messing up the fabric. I thought I would have to start over again, but I ended up trying to tie the turban the way it was. One side was too thick, so I simply trimmed it to match the other end, and it worked perfectly!
So, there’s the third lesson: things won’t always come out the way I want or expect, I’m going to make mistakes, but as long as I keep trying, I’ll get where I need to go.
All wrapped up in myself
Now go, learn from my mistakes, wrap your head in luxurious fashion and when you get stopped on the street by strangers, and they ask where you got your turban, tell them you made it and watch as envy and awe spreads on their face. Then, put a candy cigarette in your mouth and walk away, leaving them enamored by your aloof attitude and coquettish style.
Why yes, I am wearing sunglasses over my regular glasses!
