Adorned
Gajra flowers, hair jewellery, beads, combs, pins and the maang tikka. 22 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.
Hair has been adorned with flowers, pins, combs, beads and jewels in almost every culture. In South Asia the gajra, a garland of jasmine, is worn on buns and plaits every day and at weddings. Japan has kanzashi, Korea the binyeo and the daenggi ribbon, West Africa cowrie shells and amber in Fulani braids, and Europe the tiara and the jewelled comb.
Flowers and jewels in South Asia
Jasmine gajras are strung fresh each morning and sold at temple gates, wound around a jooda or along a choti. Brides wear many strands, and South Indian brides and dancers fit a jadanagam, a row of jewelled ornaments, along the plait. In North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the maang tikka hangs on the parting with a pendant on the forehead, and in Punjab a tasselled paranda is woven into the end of the plait.
Pins, combs and beads
In Japan, kanzashi pins and lacquered combs decorated the traditional nihongami; Kyoto's maiko change them with the seasons. Married Korean women fixed their buns with a long binyeo, while unmarried people tied their braids with a daenggi ribbon. In West Africa, beads, cowries, amber and silver coins decorate braids and have shown wealth and status. European tiaras and jewelled combs were signs of rank and are still worn by brides.
Famous adorned hairstyles
Still to be written: Tiara.
Further reading
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGajra
Flower garland worn in the hair or on the wristAdorned · Any hair
🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin
Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaPunjabi paranda
A multicoloured silk braid extension from Punjab.Adorned · Any hair
🇰🇷 South KoreaDaenggi
A traditional Korean ribbon used to tie and decorate braided hair.Adorned
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBuyao
A Chinese hairpin with dangling ornaments that sway when the wearer moves.Adorned · Any hair
🇰🇷 South KoreaBinyeo
A traditional Korean hairpin used to secure chignons and signal social status.Adorned
🇺🇦 UkraineUkrainian wreath
Traditional floral headdress for Ukrainian girls and unmarried womenWrapped · Any hair
🇪🇸 SpainPeineta
Large decorative comb worn under a lace veilAdorned · Any hair · 1800
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 4 moreFulani braids
West African braided style with beads and side strandsBraid · Coily and kinky hair
🇨🇳 ChinaLiangbatou
A tall Manchu headdress featuring two side-parted hair sections and elaborate ornamentation.Wrapped
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreHair extensions
Cosmetic additions of human or synthetic hair attached to natural hair for length and volume.Styled · Any hair · 1950
🇮🇳 IndiaPoola Jada
A floral and jewelled adornment for South Indian bridal braids.Adorned · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaAmbada
Decorated Maharashtrian bridal hair bunUpdo · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaKerala bridal jasmine plait
Long braid wrapped in fresh jasmine garlands for Kerala brides.Braid · Any hair
🇺🇸 United StatesHopi squash blossom whorls
Traditional Hopi hairstyle for unmarried maidensStyled · Straight hair
🇮🇳 IndiaParanda
A colourful woven tassel braided into Punjabi hairAdorned · Any hair
🇲🇱 Mali and 1 moreGoffa
Traditional braided style with metal adornments for married women in Mali and Niger.Braid · Any hair
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Binyeo: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ukrainian wreath: Samuil Dudin (1863-1929), Public domain, source
- Kanzashi: Anonymous ( Japan ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Daenggi: Korean_Folk_Village-Women_in_hanbok-02.jpg : parhessiastes, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Buyao: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Peineta: Hiart, CC0, source
- Liangbatou: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Fulani braids: François-Edmond Fortier (1862-1928), Public domain, source
- Hair extensions: Eunicehair, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chinese hairpin: Augusthaiho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hair stick: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Punjabi paranda: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, source