Gele (head tie)
{{Short description|Traditional head tie native to Yoruba women}}
Gele is a traditional head tie native to Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin and Togo .{{Cite web |last=Iwalaiye |first=Temi |date=2021-11-17 |title=The significance of a gele in traditional attires |url=https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/fashion/the-significance-of-a-gele-in-traditional-attires/pwef9pw |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=Pulse Nigeria}} The gele comes in specific shapes and designs. Gele is worn with other Yoruba women's outfits, like Iro ati buba, Komole and Asoebi.
File:Funmia.JPG wearing Gele]]
File:IMG-20230221-WA0012.jpg]]
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.{{Cite journal |last=Akinde |first=Toyin |last2=Tijani |first2=Aminat O. |last3=Akintonde |first3=Moses A. |last4=Eyinade |first4=Adedapo S. |date=2022-12-21 |title=Yoruba Contemporary Gele: A Stylistic Appraisal |url=https://lamintang.org/journal/index.php/ij-humass/article/view/430 |journal=International Journal of Humanities, Management and Social Science |language=en |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=79–88 |doi=10.36079/lamintang.ij-humass-0502.430 |issn=2685-2322|doi-access=free }} 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.{{Cite web |last=David |date=2016-12-19 |title=Yoruba Head Wrap (Gele) |url=https://www.ileoduduwa.com/yoruba-head-wrap-gele/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=IleOduduwa.com the Source |language=en-US}} Another type of headtie in Yoruba culture is Iborun, which is a regular headscarf, different from the gele.