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The Gelé or Skintolo (headdress) is a headgear that has an identity of its own.
Since African ladies adopted the headscarf as an item of their cultural identity, the Nigerian woman has turned that humble head tie which in retrospect seemed like an object of male-submission , and given it a dimension of such glamorous importance, it is no longer a head gear that showcases the modesty of the African woman. |
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| There's a certain perception of Nigerian dress sense which holds that there is absolutely nothing to be gained from “understated class.” Those who subscribe to this notion also affirm that the essence of what constitutes sartorial elegance falls within a whole new category unique to the Nigerian culture—in my humble opinion, it falls within a realm more akin to the surreal than the ordinary. To an unaccustomed foreigner, it is a visual culture shock or the suggestion of a carnival. However for the Nigerian Lady there is just no question of dressing any differently for that specila ocassion, and her gele must play a big part. Suffice it to say that this is an all-important piece of item never to be trifled with. |  |
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 | Nothing is too superfluous, too exaggerated or too ostentatious. If you find the conspicuous display of opulence tasteless and tacky, you will find it to cloying levels with this. Only superlative adjectives are suitable to describe it—most flamboyant, loaded with razzmatazz, the wow factor, excessive, humongous, it must be spread out like the proud plumage of the most colorful peacock in full mating display. It is brilliantly embroidered, over-the-top and in your face—or as it often turns out to be, a pompous visual statement literally shoved in each others’ faces as an outstanding sartorial sculpture! |
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| Well, meet the Nigerian lady’s famous headgear; the quintessential garment of eminence, and a cultural sartorial phenomenon, traditionally called the Gelé. No self-respecting Nigerian Grand Madame’s wardrobe is without an array of this elaborate head covering. She usually has them in an assortment of colours that take in the swath of the spectrum of the rainbow—for the gele is a headdress won for the sole purpose of self-ornamentation which understates her feminism! Normally as a Nigerian lady’s garment for social occasions, the gele has to be nothing if not over-the-top. |  |
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 | It is a cultural thing. For in such matters, small is uninspiring and not good enough for the typical Nigerian Lady. As an essential element that underscores her trendiness, it comes in different styles and names which depict the size, price, quality and style. We hear names like Satellite dish, Unicycle, Amina Aminu, Kite, Parachute, Kintele, The London Eye, Eiffel Tower, Gbenuesoun, Hollywood, Fan, Global Warning etc.
In boiling temperatures that could scald smaller creatures to death, heat is no impediment to don the gele. A profusion of sweating is the inconvenient result of this heavy decking, but a bearable discomfort that women are willing to undertake to look good |
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