You’re going out for the night.  To a wedding, a party, the theater.  You’ve got the perfect dress, awesome shoes, and a new pair of earrings.  But what about your hair?

Sure, you can always just blow it out, straighten it, flip the ends up a little.  Let your curls down for once.  But when the sun beats down during the outdoor ceremony, will you wish you had put it up off your neck?  Will you yearn for the bride’s elegant updo? Or when the dancing starts will you suddenly discover just how sticky your lipstick is – because your hair keeps blowing onto your mouth?  Maybe you’ll realize that a plain black dress (hee hee) looks awesome – but also kind of boring.

There’s an answer to all of these questions.  Elegant hair accessories are easy to find, easy to coordinate with your outfit, and just might make you more comfortable – plus, you’ll look even more put-together than you already do.  Here are some ideas for dressing up your do for special occasions.

• Headbands are probably one of the simplest ways to get fancy – they come in shimmering, bejeweled, velvet, feathered, and dozens of other exciting styles.  If you wear a headband-fall, try one of our satin or studded wraps! (more…)

A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.

Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort’s Grand Californian Hotel after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

She said when she wore the hijab to work Sunday, her supervisors told her to remove it, work where customers couldn’t see her, or go home.

Boudlal, who wore the scarf in observance of Ramadan, chose to go home but reported to work for the next two days and was told the same thing. (more…)

In my last post, I discussed the most important things to know about having very long hair.  This time, I’d like to talk about the flip side of that situation; what to do when your hair is cut short, and you’re waiting for it to grow out again.

Everyone has been through this at some point; you told the hairdresser to take off just an inch and a half to even it out, but when she finally whips the cape off your shoulders, it looks like half a foot is gone and you can’t get it into a ponytail anymore.  Or you chopped bangs, only to find out after the fact that they looked really stupid. And then you spent a couple of months desperately trying to hide the disaster until it grew out enough for you to pretend that it never really happened.

Whatever.  We’ve all been there, and we’ll all be there again at some point.  But next time it happens, you’ll be prepared!

• If your hair was very long and is now significantly shorter, you probably won’t need as much shampoo as you’re used to.   (more…)

The Tudor dynasty reigned in England from 1485 to 1603.  Famous Tudors that you may recall included Henry VIII, who had six wives (of which he divorced two and killed two), and his daughters Mary (aka Bloody Mary) and Elizabeth (who hasn’t heard of Queen Elizabeth?).  This was a time when kings and queens and their hangers-on did their best to show everyone how important they were by dressing the part.  Their clothing was rich and opulent, and involved large quantities of expensive fabrics and trimming.  Big ruffs around the neck, huge skirts, lots of brocade and velvet – and lots of perfume to hide the stench from all the sweat that they rarely washed off. (more…)

Have you ever looked out the window after a long day at work, only to discover that while you were tapping away at the keyboard, a mighty storm is blowing pedestrians up and down the street?  I’ve been caught in sudden wind or rain too many times to count, and had to run screaming into the nearest drugstore for supplies.

Years ago, I got in the habit of keeping a ponytail holder in every purse and toiletry bag and backpack that I own – and in a few coat pockets as well – to protect against the eventuality that I would need to walk up the street with the wind at my back, trying to blow my hair into a Cousin It style over my face.  I try never to leave the house without emergency hair accessories! (more…)

Let’s face it.  There are times when your hair gets dirty, and you don’t have the time or ability to get it clean. You’re camping, and the nearest shower is on the other side of the mountain.  Your kids are sick and the plumber is coming by to fix the stopped-up bathtub drain.  A bird dropped one on your head on the way to work…

What do you do?

Well, in that last example, you run to the bathroom and scrub with hand soap and a handful of paper towels.  But if that’s not an option, here are some other ways to deal with dirty hair that won’t leave you looking like a hobo.

1. Baby powder works wonders on greasy hair – just sprinkle it on your roots, rub it in, and brush it out.   (more…)

No matter how many hair coverings and accessories you have, you always need more.  A new color, a new style, something on sale, something because you’re hungry and trying to avoid the Ben and Jerry’s in the freezer.  I can come up with any excuse for needing a new accessory, even though my tichel drawer is overflowing and I keep knocking over my hat and headband box and making a mess in my closet.  So I got it in my head recently to count up how many tichels, headbands, etc., I have.  And here are my results!

• 5 pre-tieds (more…)

I realized recently that I throw around certain terms all the time, assuming that everyone who reads my posts knows what I’m talking about.  But you all know what happens when you assume…so, I decided to post a handy-dandy list of hat and hair covering words that everyone should know, and I’ll also refer you to our ongoing glossary project as a reference.  If I ever use a word that is unfamiliar, comment and I’ll explain!

• Bandana – a square or triangular piece of cloth.  Comes from the Hindi bandhana, which means “to tie.”  Used around the head, around the neck, and wherever else you can think to put one!
• Beret – a soft, round, brimless cap with a flat crown.  Often made of wool.
• Bucket hat – a soft hat (usually heavy cotton) with a wide, downward sloping brim.  Bucket hats often have eyelets to let air circulate around the head when it’s hot. (more…)

Sometimes it seems as though covering up and keeping cool are mutually exclusive.  When summer hits and most people seem to be out in as little as possible, it just seems logical that whatever you’re covering up will have to be hot in comparison.  But that’s not true!  You don’t need to bare it all in order to be comfortable when the temperature rises.  Heck, people in the hottest places are often the most covered up, because clothing provides sun protection.

So for those of you who are already feeling the heat – or those who are planning their summer wardrobes! – here’s a list of things to look out for to help you make the most comfortable choices at this time of year.  Some of these apply to the rest of your clothing, too.

1. Lightweight – hair coverings should be made in thin, airy fabrics, like our printed and striped lurex tichels. (more…)