How to care for your gele and headwraps so they last

A good gele is an investment you re-wear for years, if you look after it. Here is how to keep yours sharp.

Store it with its shape, not folded flat

Traditional aso-oke and jacquard gele hold a memory. Roll them loosely or lay them flat rather than creasing them into quarters. For a pre-tied auto gele, keep the sewn shape supported - a hat box, a bowl, or the tissue it came in - so the crown does not collapse.

Spot clean, do not soak

Most gele fabric is stiffened and does not love water. Wipe marks with a barely-damp cloth and let it air dry. If it needs more than that, a dry cleaner who knows African fabric is safer than your washing machine.

Steam, do not crush with a hot iron

If a gele loses its crispness, a light steam brings it back without flattening the texture. Hold the steam an inch away rather than pressing a hot iron straight onto the weave.

Travelling with it

Auto geles travel far better than loose fabric because the shape is already sewn - pack it on top, crown up, with something soft inside to hold the form. It is the main reason people switched to pre-tied for destination weddings.

Keep the trims safe

Beaded and crystal-trim geles can snag. Store them away from zippers and rough fabric, and check the trim before the day rather than at the venue.

Where to start

We stock pre-tied auto geles and headwraps at ARINZE, quality-checked with 30-day returns, shipped anywhere in the US from New York.