5 Irish headpieces Lucy White is loving for bad hair days (and video conferencing)
By Lucy White
30th Apr 2020
30th Apr 2020
Lucy White headwear collage BeFunky
From frizzy fringes to two-inch long roots, Lucy White has got them covered. Literally.
The day that hair salons reopen won’t come quick enough for many of us. Whether it’s split ends, overgrown fringes or creeping roots, our crowning glory has become anything but during the lockdown – which is too bad when we’re taking video calls now more than ever.
Only you can know if it’s time to reach for the home dye… but, for me, it’s the perfect excuse to get creative with patterned scarves and brightly coloured turbans. They’re an easy way to gussy up any dubious outfit, as well as disguise a barnet that probably should’ve have been washed yesterday, making them the ideal solution for your next Zoom meeting.
1. Bernie Murphy’s ‘Cabin Fever’ Flexible Hairband, €20
Donegal designer Bernie Murphy is best known for her sculptural woollen scarves and structured separates, but during the lockdown she has taken to crafting hairbands made from Donegal tweed in an array of hues and textures, whose ends twist together to secure around your bonce. Moreover, €2 of every purchase goes to ISPCC Childline, for style and substance.
2. A Little Idea Turbans, sale price €10
?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkYou’ll have to be quick to snap up Ali Lowndes’ end of the line turbans – once they’re gone, they’re gone. One size fits all, they cover a multitude of sins and in a rainbow of colours, including glittering lamé options. For me, these headpieces scream old school glam, bringing to mind Marlene Dietrich, and Swinging Sixties-era Liz Taylor and Barbra Streisand. My boyfriend, however, calls me Zoltar… But sure, what does he know.
3. Susannagh Grogan scarves, from €65
Grogan’s colourful silk twill scarves are most commonly worn around the neck but can be easily fashioned into a sassy headpiece. No one will know what horrors lie beneath thanks to a plethora of vivid shades and busy patterns, not least the bilingual ‘Empowerement’ line (60cm x 60cm), which come emblazoned with slogans as Gaeilge – Grá (love), Duine ar Láidir (extraordinary), Éifeachtach (empowered) – and in so many colour ways you’ll struggle to single out just one.
4. Emerald & Wax head ties, €14
Based in Barna, Galway, designer Virtue Shine has a sustainable approach to her head ties, which are made from off-cuts from her clothing collections. These bold African prints can cheer up any dreary outfit, as well as detract fellow video-callers from a greasy crown or rogue greys. They’re versatile too, being worn with either a bow at the front or at the nape.
5. Ciara Silke scarves, from €130
Also in Galway is Ciara Silke, who uses Italian silk for her luxurious scarves, which come in Matisse-like graphic shapes and contrasting colours, mostly with a floral bias. Again, these 100 per cent twill beauties are commonly worn at the neck but they look considerably avant-garde when wrapped around the crown in a suitably bohemian fashion (even though it might actually have taken you 15 minutes to tie into submission).
Header image: Lucy White is wearing turbans by A Little Idea; middle pic, gifted by a friend, designer unknown!
Read more: Tom Ford on the art of looking good on Zoom
Read more: How I got my naturally curly hair back in my late twenties (and you can too)
Read more: An utterly honest review of the infamous €100 UGG slippers
