They were never worn on the heads of little girls or young girls; but the moment a girl became a woman, wearing them became the rule. On the hair of the youngest, the colors were bright and bold, a clear message to signal openness to courtship. Softer, more muted colors indicated that the girl was still young but her status had changed: courtship had been successful, and she was married.

As the years went by, the colors became darker, just as the hair beneath the cotton lost its shine and the first gray strands appeared. A black headscarf over equally dark clothing signaled widowhood, but things could change. After the period of strict mourning, a woman could “streak” her scarf with touches of gray, and even this carried a message.

The disappearance of the headscarves coincides with social and political changes; patterns and colors survive in the accessories created by Dezen Dezen—no coincidence, as he comes from an artistic family—but they take on new forms and speak new languages. Bandanas, like scarves and t-shirts, are chosen based on personal taste and styling; a centuries-old tradition endures, but the headscarves no longer speak of love.