Head Scarves and Spring Cleaning!

The month of March brings back memories of 3rd grade when my teacher taught us “March comes in like a Lion and leaves like a Lamb.” I find warmth in the cold beginnings of March knowing that spring is just around the corner. And once spring arrives, all I want to do is just get out of the house and revel in the delicious spring weather. But there’s work for me at home, too. Being cooped up all winter has taken its toll on the house. The window need to be washed, the curtains and comforters aired and the dust attacked. Time to roll up my sleeves, turn on the music, get out the cleansers and scrub!

So first thing I’ll do is tie up my hair and reach for my favorite head covering. I hate the feeling of sticky hair on my neck, and trust me, we’re gonna be workin up a sweat. My favorite head covering is a pre-tied bandana headscarf made of cotton fabric. It is stretchy, breathable, keeps the hair away from my neck and is a fabulous floral print – just what I feel like wearing in this spring cleaning season!

I like to clean with natural ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar. Lemon juice I definitely want to keep outta my hair – I’m just fine with the color, thank you… And vinegar – I don’t even want to think about what would happen if that got in my hair! Plus, when I’m dusting where do you think most of the dust ends up? On me…Thank you pre-tied bandana!

Like I mentioned earlier, I do work up a sweat cleaning away on those beautiful first days of spring so I have other replacement head covers to change into when the need arises. There is my comfy cotton beret, cotton paisley headscarves and other assorted hats and caps I’ve picked up over the years. So this spring when you reach for the cleansers, take my advice and reach for a head scarf as well!

The French Legend of the Beret

Where did the Beret originate?

It’s been around so long that it’s not really clear where the beret was first invented. In fact French legend gives credit to Noah for its creation. According to the legend Noah used wool to insulate the the ark. With all the animals trampling on it for 40 days and 40 nights it very rough and turned into a tough material or fabric. That fabric, according to the legend was felt. Noah then used that felt to make himself a cap – or the first felt beret!

There is another opinion that it was shepherds who first created the beret. Why shepherds? Because they wore these knitted wool hats outside every day and due to the weather conditions it swelled and became solid felt. And thus, they had a beret.

Most probably though, the beret originated in Greece 2,500 years ago. The Romans then adopted the beret and thought very highly of it. It became the style for man, woman and child. Berets were seen everywhere in Rome. So, therefore the beret is known as a Greek – Roman hat.

From 2,500 years ago the beret has definitely come a long way, here are some of the more popular uses berets have been put to since the 1900’s.

- In the early 1900’s berets were mostly worn by the French (in France). Of course, Belgians also wore them for France set the trend for them. In France and Belgium, berets were worn only by men, either for uniform or style. It was also worn by younger boys for style.

- In the 1920’s the womens beret became very popular in America for women and girls. It was designed and decorated in a more feminine manner and was a very fashionable head covering.

- In the 1930’s the beret was mostly worn by men and boys in France and Belgium. In America, it was now little boys who wore berets for style.

- In the 1940’s, the beret was adopted by many military groups and forces.

- In the1950’s, scouts outside of France decided to adopt the beret as a uniform hat. The beret made a great uniform hat for a scout for it was comfortable and sat on the head in any position. They also got the idea from the military. Since the military had adopted this hat for their uniform it was more of a prestigious hat. However, once the military and the scouts started wearing these in France, men and little boys were rarely seen wearing berets for style anymore.

So there you have it. The concise history of the beret. The beret continues to be a fashionable head covering for women to this day and Spring Trends 2012 will definately feature this versatile little womens hat!

Women’s Hats Protect Hairdos

You do not need to sacrifice fun hairstyles to winter hat head. Certain styles of women‘s hats that will accommodate both your ‘do and the wintery weather. If you have the luxury, using a large hat to cover your hair and styling it when you reach your destination is a great way to present a flawless hairstyle. 

The first step to this process is to choose a hat that is a bit large and gives enough room for you head, even when you do not wear your hair down. Large fedora-type hats are best suited for this purpose. If you have longer hair, you will need it to also have some extra head room above your scalp.

You may apply mousse, but otherwise do not apply any hair products that stay sticky to dry, styled hair. Instead, carry with you small containers of the hair products and any other relevant hair accessories. Pull back your front hair and secure it away from your face with a loose headband or bobby pins. Doing this ensures that your hat will fit securely and that the hair will not end up plastered against your cheek bones.

Check back next week for the rest of the steps. And, buy headbands and other hair accessories for women at MyHeadCoverings.com.

Winter Tips and Hair Accessories for Women

Hair is more brittle during the winter months, due to its exposure to the harsh weather elements and its contact with damaging heat-based hair products, such as hair dryers. After your mid-autumn trim, maintain your hair’s health by using a deep conditioning treatment to restore moisture; repeat this process once or twice a month throughout the season.  

In order to combat seasonal dryness, you should alternate between using your regular shampoo and conditioner and a shampoo and conditioner with moisture-rich formulas. Since you are more likely to blow dry your hair during the winter, you should apply a heat-protectant spray to your hair before using the hair dryer, and try to keep it on a low setting. Additionally, using a lower setting or the cool button on your hair dryer will help you set your hairstyle.
Although winter is an ideal season to experiment with different women’s hats and head scarves, these accessories may leave you with flat hair. To avoid the hair faux pas, use mousse in your hair to give it added volume, before you don any head accessories. You may reactivate the mousse by flipping your head over and lifting your hair roots with moist fingertips. A leave-in conditioner will reduce the hair static headwear may cause. To use this product, towel-dry freshly shampooed hair and then evenly distribute a dollop of the leave-in conditioner before you style it.

And, a scalp massage offers multiple benefits. You may give yourself one as a way to keep oxygenated blood moving to your hair roots. This action both relaxes you and promotes hair growth.

New Haircut and New Hair Accessories for Women

A new haircut warrants new hair accessories! A new hair cut or hair style is a perfect opportunity to update your collection of head scarves and other hair accessories for women. 

Just like each new season spawns new trends in women’s hats, it also launches new trends in hair styles. Generally different hair lengths require different tools and accessories; if you are planning to get a haircut you may need to update the products you use. For example, certain hair brushes are designed for certain hair lengths and textures.  Research what type of products your anticipated new hairdo will need, before you actually get it cut. If you plan on cutting your hair very short, find out what pomades, mousses, etc., best suit your hair texture. When you go for your appointment, consult with your hair dresser to find out what he or she recommends.

A new hairstyle is a great opportunity to redefine your look and personal style. Use it as a chance to explore new hair accessory trends such as colorful feathers and festive head wraps. Just as you update your wardrobe to keep it fresh, you should update not only your hair style, but hair products and accessories as well.