It goes from casual to formal, is good for bad hair days, and at last count, Instagram had 82,546 #turbanstyle photos. Three local women, inspired by the Erykah Badu-meets-Alicia Keys-meets-African-vibe movement, show BRYAN GOH how Asians can rockit, too.
It goes from casual to formal, is good for bad hair days, and at last count, Instagram had 82,546 #turbanstyle photos. Three local women, inspired by the Erykah Badu-meets-Alicia Keys-meets-African-vibe movement, show BRYAN GOH how Asians can rockit, too.
Peggy Chang, 32
Director of Hero Holdings, the F&B company behind dessert joint The Tiramisu Hero.
The beauty of turbans
I was transiting at Dubai airport eight years ago when I saw this group of African women with huge, colourful turbans. I have always been fascinated with headdresses, but I’d never been able to find the right fabric to do a good one until I saw a post from Aarika Lee’s Instagram (Aarika is Singapore’s reigning turban queen). I got my first headwrap from the website she recommended (https://thewrap.life), and the rest is history.
Turbans are great for dressing up a simple outfit and making it more outstanding, but my outfits usually take precedence over my headdress. On occasions when an elaborate turban makes no sense – if I’m going to be dancing all night – that’s when I don’t wear one.
In less than 30 seconds
Thanks to all I’ve learnt from online video tutorials, I’m good to go with two knots at the top of my head with the rest of the fabric stuffed in.
I like my turbans big and bold
Slightly stiffer fabrics are better as they hold their shape well.
Length and breadth
A dainty headwrap requires a slim but long piece of flowy fabric. For an outrageous bow, use a wider and stiffer fabric. I usually spend about $30 for each wrap. The most I’ve spent on one is $45.
Advice for first-timers
Don’t be afraid to step out of your house.
Daryl Dee Teo, 41
Co-founder of PR company Bless Inc Asia.
My first turban moment
“Peggy (see previous page) and I have been friends for three years. I didn’t dare to try the turban at first because I thought that unlike her, I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But one day, she took hers off, placed it on my head, and I realised, “hey, not too bad!”. So I started buying mine from thewrap.life, and the next thing I knew, Aarika Lee (see sidebar at bottom right) sent me an instructional video of herself tying it on.
Hair and shoes before the turban
Everything I wear every day is basic, but there are two things I focus on: my hair and shoes, because they have to be on point. When I go to fashion events, I love my hair to be va-va-voom, be it an updo or glammed up, and preferably done at a salon. But as I’m in PR, it’s not always the most time-efficient solution. This is where the turban comes in super handy, providing the fancy updo without the effort.
It’s hard to find an ethnic Chinese person rocking a turban online
When I started experimenting with the turban late last year, I wanted to see if there were any other Chinese girls doing it besides my friends and people in other countries on Pinterest. I wanted to see which turban style and size would suit Chinese faces. It took me longer to find such examples than to get the turban wrapping right.
Thewrap.life is the best for headwraps
I’m a huge fan of this Brooklyn-based e-commerce site. Its fabrics are 100 percent cotton, which makes them especially resilient to whatever style you create and however you work them. They always stay up without budging. Plus, each comes in a perfect-size-for-a-wrap rectangle that doesn’t require any folding. I get all my scarves from there. There’s also something new to buy every couple of months. I always make sure I buy four to five pieces at one go, or I get friends who are returning from New York to bring some back. I already have more than 20.
Advice for first-timers
Expect stares on the streets, but persevere with confidence. There’s really no right or wrong way to do it.
Kae Hana, 30
Designer of the eponymous fashion label for plus-sized women.
A beautiful scarf and social media got me started with turbans
I was travelling in Vietnam five years ago when I chanced upon this lovely scarf and wondered what the best way was to wear it. I’d seen a lot of people on social media wearing turbans beautifully, so I thought, why not?
Random tying works for me
There’s no method to my headwraps. I work the fabric haphazardly, yet it always works for me. I like Youtube gurus like Kilahmazing, Fashion Breed, and The London Curls because they are all women of colour with styles that I can relate to.
Silk works for me, too
I use a lot of silk because it’s easy to tie, holds its shape easily and breathes better in our weather. I don’t recommend satin because it moves a lot.
Outfit first, then turban
I look at what I’m doing for the day, which is usually plenty of running around, so comfort comes first. I mostly wear clothes from my label, Kae Hana Plus, and my turban colour follows.
Local wraps
I have my own fabric supplier who often brings in materials from Japan. The Japanese have such a great eye for quality and prints. I usually just buy whatever looks nice and try to keep an open mind regarding prints or colours.
Advice for first-timers
Research is key. Youtube offers plenty of help. Try different styles in front of a mirror and know your face shape. I have a round face, and I find that a big central bow complements it. A turban is not a one-wrap-fits-all accessory, because it has to suit your face.
PHOTOGRAPHY VEE CHIN
STYLING BRYAN GOH
HAIR WAI CHOONG/CHAPTER 2
MAKEUP AUDREY WEE
