Gele (head tie)

Gele is a traditional head tie native to Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin and Togo .^[1] The gele comes in specific shapes and designs. Gele is worn with other Yoruba women's outfits, like Iro ati buba, Komole and Asoebi.

Yoruba Nigerian politician Funmilayo Olayinka wearing Gele

Yoruba woman in Gele

Yoruba woman in a Gele style

Yoruba woman in Gele

It is a tied or wrapped around and styled piece of clothing around Yoruba women’s heads, which are used for fashion and special occasions.^[2] It has also been acculturated by some other Nigerian and African ethnicities through popular culture. Geles may also nowadays be designed in ready-to-wear styles called Auto-Gele, invented by Funmi Olurinola, which are purchased to avoid the need to tie the gele every time it is worn.

Gele include many designs, some long, flared out, some layered, some fanned out, some wrapped up and bunched. Gele are made of many clothing materials, including Aso-oke, Adire, Aso-olona, Damask, Sego, Senghosen, Jawu, etc.^[3] Another type of headtie in Yoruba culture is Iborun, which is a regular headscarf, different from the gele.