Back in the day, you weren’t a real coloured girl until you got your first swirlkous (soolkous). It was a rite of passage, marking your transition into womanhood. As soon as you started styling your hair, your mommy would be ready with the pantyhose.
Almost every Cape Flats coloured girl knows the swirlkous. Your mommy had one, your granny probably still wears one, and you’ve definitely seen the aunties in your neighbourhood chatting by the gate with their swirlkouses on display.
The swirlkous represents the resourcefulness and beauty traditions of coloured women. It started as a practical thing.Â
Made by cutting off the foot of a pair of pantyhose and tying a knot at the end, the swirlkous sits lightly on your hair like a silky turban. Its purpose is to protect styled hair while sleeping. For coloured women, freshly washed, blow dried or straightened hair is serious business. No one wants to wake up with a bird’s nest on their head if they’ve just spent an hour getting their hair on fleek. The swirlkous ensures that the morning after, your hair remains as flawless as the night before.
Wearing a swirlkous in public was seen as common and low class. The visible swirlkous came to represent negative stereotypes about coloured women. But thanks to a new generation of proud coloured women, the soolkous is finally being reclaimed as a cultural symbol. Celebs like Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp have rocked their swirlkouses on social media, showing that coloured culture is nothing to be ashamed of.
Its holey, ragged form has endured for generations. It has witnessed coloured women’s struggles and triumphs. It has stayed up late into the night listening to secrets and skinner stories.
Author: Editorial Team
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