How to Bump without Showing Hair

Hi Chavi,
I read your post about the "Band Fall Bump Phenomenom".
I am wondering, what falls are you able to do that with so that you dont have the net/cap in front?
I am looking to purchase my first fall.
I cant afford a hat fall and band fall, so I am trying to find one that I can use for both.
When I use the band fall, I am not sure if I will have the band all the way in the front or I will have bangs added on. So I am looking for one that I can do that also.
However, while (at first) most of the time I will not be showing any hair at all, but as time goes by (and depending on the situation), I want to be able to have my hair like you describe in your post as I think it looks much more natural. I am also looking the it should be longer (some where between 18 - 20 inches). I have ash brown hair.
Are there any sheitels that you can point me to that will be able to worn as follows (while still looking good):
1) Hat Fall
2) Band Fall - Band all the way to hair line
3) Band Fall - with sheitel bangs added in front
4) With a "Band Fall Bump"
-N

Readers, it took me a long time to think about this and then I realized I had a piece that I had not touched in years that was actually suitable to demo as a bump-fall without showing hair.  It obviously does not look as natural as integrating hair in the front, but I think it can actually be worn to look natural and trendy.  So I happened to have a Chinese haired processed Yaffa fall called "superfall" that I bought for about $200 before I knew ANYTHING about sheitels back in 2007.  It was a thick "horse-hair" type sheitel that had wayyyy too much height on top, which made it virtually impossible to wear with a headband, also it was extremely heavy and uncomfortable so I basically thought I had wasted my money.  HOWEVER, after playing around with it today, such a piece could be the answer to ladies who do not show any of their own hair and want to wear the trendy "bump" style.    I had some hesitations at first.  For example, falls are cut STRAIGHT across the forehead and therefore do not look natural since real hairlines have peaks and valleys, some women having larger widows peaks than others, but regardless no one's hair line is cut straight across like a wig.  Here are the pictures from the initial styling, looking quite WIGGY.

Improvised without washing and setting

Side View - gotta love the hairline

Then I thought of another idea, that if a little hair was taken from the bump in the front and instead integrated as a sweeping side bang, it could camouflage the straight hairline, thus making the wig look more "natural"

Lastly, I played around by inserting a foam roller under the bump to make it dramatic and more "Lady Gaga" like with ponytail bun. 

To answer your question, yes, you would need a fall that did not have the tape in front in order to bump without showing hair.  However, its a complex situation in that you want the fall the serve as a hat fall, headband fall AND bump fall.  This type of fall with a lot of volume on top would be terrible as a hat fall.  The falls with the rim in the front actually lay much flatter when putting a headband over them and be superior for use with a headband and would also work nicely with added wig bangs in front of the headband.  I am currently doing research into producing a realistic looking fall/sheitel that will cover all the hair and properly bump and be versatile.

Additionally, even though my Freeda fall does not have cap in front, the hair sewn in front is a very thin layer and does not allow for enough height because the hair behind it is wefted and thus going downward and not "upward" as we would need in order to bump.  A hand sewn multi-directional fall cap would be ideal to move in all directions necessary.  Also, I think its a much better idea to get a headband fall instead of a hat fall because a hat fall does not have that  many uses, whereas the right fall with a hat or scarf over it can look fine as a "hat fall"

The sheitel tag says: Yaffa, 100% Human Hair, Made in Korea.  Style: "Super Fall", Color: 16/8

Frizz Test

I get a lot of emails during summer from women complaining about their "pouffy", "frizzy" wigs.  As it turns out, wigs that seem nice and beautiful in the salon can become huge and frizzy as soon as humid summer rolls around.  I heard a story of a particular sheitel shop where the woman runs a dehumidifier in the studio to keep the wigs smooth looking.  That is so deceptive!  As soon as that girl steps outside the wig could become frizzy.

Products can help, but sometimes its the particular hair type that is more prone to frizz than others.  Wavy hair that was blowdried straight will gradually get wavier as the humidity goes on.  I thought of this recently.  I took me and my Milano Bandfall to Florida in February (yes, it was fabulous).  Anyway, I wore my bandfall bump style, as it turns out my real hair was really frizzing up, but my processed Milano pretty much stayed the same.

Maybe it was the perfect combination of hair sprayed curling-iron-curls mixed with dirt and grime.   Either way, it worked out fabulously.

Then this morning the frizz test occurred to me.  I was running my shower on just hot for 10 minutes as I wasn't able to get into it as soon as I would have liked, and when I came back the windows and mirror were completely fogged and there was a thick layer of steam in there.  People should ask their sheitel machers if they can take it home for a night, uncut before they commit to buying it so they can test whether it will frizz in humidity.  You can create that humid environment in your very own bathroom!

Please note how much my real hair frizzed (without any product in it) contrasted with the Milano made of processed "European Hair'" and with some hairspray stayed flat. 

Replacing Wig Snap Clips

Most wig wearers have probably experienced the following scenario: After a year of wearing your favorite wigs one of the snap clips breaks or sometimes comes loose. Usually a wig wearer will bring the wig to their sheitel macher who probably charged $10-$20 to replace the clip, when in actuality the clips are available for less than $1.00 and all it takes is a little sewing skill.  My recent situation was that I bought a wig over the internet that did not come with side snap clips, only a center comb which I found basically useless for keeping it secure on my head.

Step 1: Obtain Snap Clips
I found a set of tree snap clips from Sally's Beauty for $1.99. 
Hair Extension ClipsThey had this light color pictured right, and black.  I bought the light one since the wig is blond. 

Step 2: Needle and Thread

First you must thread the needle.  I like to use about 4 feet of thread at a time because I was always taught to double up my thread and I had threading needles so I'd rather deal with a thread tangling then having to re-thread 3 times during the process.  I loop the thread through the eye of the needle, then make the 2 ends meet, I tie a knot by wrapping both ends around my finger a few times and then rolling tightly towards the end of the finger, it usually produces a little string that you can then pull on and the threads knot.  Or you can just knot the ends manually, but do not do a slip knot.

Step 3: Find Proper Clip Placement

It is very important to have the combs facing into the wig.  Once I spent 10 minutes sewing in a clip and I sewed them in facing out, which was incorrect, I then had to start over.  Secondly, I like to have my clips closer to the ears and father from the top of the temples, because when I used to have them by the temples (especially on falls) I would get terrible headaches.  Keep in mind that I do not even clip my clips, I just clip them to my head while open.

Step 4: Sew

For sewing the clips, I use the four holes on the clip and basically anchor each one to the wig.  Figure out which part of the wig will hold the first hole and loop the needle and thread through the wig cap, I usually make a little knot by looping my needle through the two attached threads and pulling to the end which the end knot will be against wig cap.  I then loop around the edge of the clip hole, into the cap, back up through the hole, about 3 or 4 times until it seems secure.  I then tie a knot on the tread to secure it.  I repeat the process for the three other corners of the clip.  I find it helpful to place the wig on a wig head inside out.  If you see the picture above you can see my white thread and how there are tiny knots securing each corner.

It is also a good idea to move your clips around every few months if you are having thinning hair or balding as a result of wearing your wig frequently.  Moving the clips should give the section of hair that has thinned time to regrow.  If you have a handtied cap please be very careful about not ripping your cap, it is best to sew the clips in the ear area, which is usually reinforced, they very edge of the wig should be stronger and serve as a good mounting point.  Additionally clips could be sewn into the bottom of the wig to allow the wearer to wear a more natural ponytail.

Amazon Mom - Best Price for Diapers

One of the most shocking things about becoming a mom is realizing how many diapers a baby goes through each day. Diapers really end up adding up! After scurrying from drug stores and Target and Walmart trying to find the best deals on diapers and clipping coupons I discovered how amazing and convenient it was to order diapers online from Amazon, not to mention cheaper.

For example, I buy Pampers Baby Dry diapers in size 3 right now. Amazon sells them for $40. But thanks to two Amazon programs, Amazon Mom and Subscribe and Save the diapers come out to a total of $28 with free shipping to my doorstep!  Amazon reduces the price of diapers by 15% for members of Amazon Mom AND you get free 2-day shipping!  If you order them with Subscribe & Save you get another 15% off and free shipping on items you routinely use and keeps them coming every one, two, three, or six months. You can change your delivery schedule or cancel at any time. 

For example, I recently ordered the diapers shown above, and I specified subscribe and save.  I wasn't sure when I would need new ones, or if my baby would grow out of size 3 so I specified delivery every 3 months.  It turned out that a month later I needed a new shipment of the same size so I simply went to my Subscription page within Amazon.com and clicked on "send me more now" and in a few days the diapers arrived at my doorstep.  I also made sure that the next scheduled delivery would be postponed. 

Thanks to these incredible programs I get the name-brand Pampers diapers that I love, shipped to my door, tax free for a great price!  I highly recommend the program and am considering trying out Amazon's Subscribe and Save program on household products such as toilet paper and paper towels.  I still need to do a little research to see whether Costco, Target or Amazon is cheapest.

Video: Dying a Wig at Home

Here is a video I made of my most recent dye project. The wig was a human hair Milano Collection Wigs fall.  It was originally 12/14 but it oxidized.  I used Clairol professional hair color in shade 5AA lightest very ash brown with equal parts level 20 creme developer in hopes to dye it to a light ash brown shade. 

The project was not entirely successful, as the dye was not equally distributed throughout the hair.  I should have used twice as much dye and developer and spread the mixture throughout the hair while wearing gloves.  I believe the 20 minutes process time was correct. 

I found a great blog post in which the author (a professional colorist) explains how hair color works here.  

Wig Review: Paris Hilton Bandit Fall

When I was at Sally's Beauty a few weeks ago picking up wig clips I saw that they had synthetic Paris Hilton wigs on sale for $15.  I decided to buy one.  It came with three patterned headbands and one plain black headband.  The wigs came in eight colors and in three lengths.  The fiber is supposedly heat safe to around 200 fahrenheit, but I have not tested styling with heat yet.  I would say that the wig is somewhere between a 3/4 and 1/2 cap in terms of size.  I like that the front has a large comb, which helps to keep it securely in place.  As for the bands, they have velcro on them which allows them to attach to the front of the Paris Hilton Bandit.  If I decide to not use them with the Bandit, I will probably remove the velcro from them and then they will be like normal headbands.  As I state in the video, $15 is not a terrible price for four headbands, so since it was on sale I decided it was a worthwhile purchase.  The retail price seemed to be $40, and I would not spend that much on this product, but perhaps a normal synthetic wearer would like it.

Cute Video about buying Custom Wigs

The point of the video is to distinguish between the two types of "custom wigs" that exist in today's industry. One is the true custom, which is made to order with a custom made cap created to fit the customer's head exactly and made to specification including hair color, texture and thickness.

The out of box custom, or "semi-custom" is used to describe pre-made wigs which mimic the high end features of a true custom wig, but are not actually made to order. Often wig salons will add highlights or low-lights, adjust the cap size either through sewing or stretching and make other modifications. Unfortunately many of these pre-made wigs cost $2000-$4000.  I suspect that throwing in the word "custom" justifies wig shops and sheitel machers to sell these wigs at such a high price tag. 

The Band Fall Bump Phenomenom

Lately there has been a lot of buzz in the Orthodox Jewish world over the band fall bump phenomenon.  You may ask, what is this phenomenon she speaks of?  Well to be more clear, integrating ones bangs (or fringe) with a band fall to create a more natural look.  The reason that clipping bangs over a wig is so risque is because in the "mainstream" orthodox world (think typical Brooklyn yeshivish) it is seen as unacceptable to show any hair.  Therefore, full sheitels have become the preferred hair covering because they cover ALL of the hair, they are more secure than a hat or scarf and less likely to blow off, and the women will feel more comfortable covering their hair in a society where most women go bareheaded. Wigs are often associated with only being worn by hasidic or ultra orthodox Jews, however this concept has certainly changed in America in the past 20 years.  However, in Israel, wigs are almost exclusively associated with haredim (ultra-orthodox Jews).


Back to the point...  Now we have a group of married Jewish women, covering their hair with wigs but purposely leaving out a few inches in the front.   A generation ago very few Modern Orthodox women covered their hair at all.  If they did, they most likely covered partially with either a hat or a half scarf.  But the new generation of modern Orthodox women is rediscovering the laws of hair covering AND working in professional careers that require a polished look.  Showing the bangs, or the front two inches of the hairline is justified under the idea that a woman is allowed to show a square tefach (hand breadth) of hair. (some rabbis allow, ask your LOR)  Thus we get the bump fall look! or the styled forward bangs with headband look.

The second interesting trend is the appearance of toppers or kippah falls in the Jewish world.  Since toppers are worn over ones hair when down, they certainly reveal more than a tefach of hair.  BUT, there are a whole group of religious women who cover their head in such a fashion. They always have a hat or scarf on but the rest of their hair will be showing.  (some rabbis allow, ask your LOR).  Thus, the topper allows them to have a head covering on, but look "normal" if needing to attend a wedding or go to work without being stared at. 

Alright, so lets see some pictures!!!  The blond in this picture is doing the bump.  A bunch of the wigs in this picture are actually placed a few millimeters behind the hairline for a more natural look....  And here is my lovely "perfect match" bump. 

My Lovely Bump

Raffaele Mollica Wig Video

Raffaele Mollica, aka owner of Ralph Wigs has a very interesting video posted on his site about his custom wigs. To watch it go to http://raffaelemollica.com and then click on the video link which is the bottom link on the bottom left of his site.

He talks about blending colors to create a natural look, creating a realistic skin top, and why the finer European hair is so desirable and hard to get. After watching the video I realized how much time and detail it must take to individually knot each hair onto the caps. Wow its impressive. His wigs are known for being in the extremely high end and expensive.

He was mentioned in a 1997 NY Times Article which can be read here.

I have never actually known anyone who actually owns a Ralph and would be interested to hear if any of my readers own or have ever owned one and whether it was worth all that money.  I was definitely impressed by his artistic approach to wig making shown in the video.  Seeing his custom work gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside that a machine sewn wefted wig just doesn't provide...

Wefted versus Handtied Wigs

Hi Chavi,

thank you for your wonderful website!

could you please tell me how to determine if the construction of a shaitel is well made? i recently saw a shaitel that looked nice on but felt a little bit too light to me. i have a lot of hair, so some wigs that are thinner feel cheap to me, but the shaitel macher was trying to convince me this is a good thing. so the construction of her wigs was basically a horizontal line of hair, an inch-or two of space and another line of hair. is that normal?? my shevy is not like that at all, it seems to be just hair coming from every point of the cap, there aren't any "lines" or "spaces"

is that the reason shevy is so expensive? more hair?

is that the reason my shevy knots so much?

what should i do, im afraid of buying a shaitel that doesn't feel full, it makes me doubt how long it will last..

your insight will be greatly appreciated !

-Y

Dear Y,

Thank you for your questions. First, let me explain about the two types of cap construction. It sounds like your Shevy is "handtied" which means the hairs are not sewn into rows (or wefts) but rather individually weaved throughout the holes of the cap. This cap construction is usually considered "better" because these caps are stretchier and more comfortable and the hairs can be placed in individual directions. Here is a picture of a handtied wig from a Shevy review I wrote earlier this year.  They are also usually custom sewn to fit your exact head shape. 

Wefts of Hair

The sheitel she was showing you was "wefted" which means its construction consists of various wefts of hair (pictured on left) that are sewn in rows usually a few centimeters apart.  The tops of these wigs usually have a "hand tied" section that allows the sheitel to have a multidirectional skin top.  There are two types of wefts: open and closed.  I have owned both types (my Milanos were open wefts and my Freeda and JAP fall had closed wefts.  Both have their advantages (I was able to itch my head in between an open weft before).  However, it is possible that if a open wefted sheitel is thin enough that ones real hair could actually show through.  This would only happen in rare cases though. 

Closed Wefts

Wefted does not necessarily mean thinner.  I have owned very thick wefted wigs.  It sounds like the particular piece you were shown is thin.  My JAP fall was wefted and very thin( please refer to my JAP Review).  The advantage to the thinness was that the wig was light and therefore more comfortable (I could barely feel it on my head).  However if you like the look of really thick hair, then a thicker, heavier sheitel would be more appropriate for you.

Open Wefts

Another disadvantage to wefted wigs is that the hairs have to be sewn in one direction (which is usually down).  The problem is that since the hair is headed downward it would look less natural if one tried to pull it into a low pony and could actually be hard to pull into a twist or high pony.  Pony Sheitels are actually made so that the wefts on the bottom of the sheitel are heading upward so it would make a more natural pony.  I have some friends who wear their pony sheitels down without problems.  Also, when a sheitel macher washes an open wefted wig they often have to flip sections of wefted hair that may have become twisted through normal wear.  One who is not careful about untwisting sections could cause more problems.

The reason your Shevy was so expensive is because it was handsewn, versus wefted wigs which are machine sewn.  Secondly, you were paying for Shevy customer service, which usually means that they will fix any problems that arise naturally within a reasonable amount of time.  Also, Shevy supposedly uses unprocessed European Hair (this is not confirmed) but they at least have more quality assurance in terms of picking "good hair" that is shiny, soft and silky. They have a reputation to uphold in a very competitive market.

I think there are great wefted wigs available that are good quality.  For example, even the Shuly wig reviewed on my site is made of closed wefts, as is my Freeda.  Since wefted wigs are machine sewn, they are arguably more durable in the long run.  Also, a handtied wig requires much more care and attention when being washed.  It is absolutely vital that it is washed by a trained professional or that the owner receives guidance from the manufacturer on how to properly wash and set it.  If the wefts of hair are sewn in properly (cuticle in the same direction) there should be minimal knotting.  It is possible that the hand tied cap could be causing the Shevy knotting, as knotting is the most common complaint with Shevys, but it could also attributed to some other cause perhaps the hair texture.  Keep in mind that custom handtied wigs are usually $3000-4000 and a "out of box" machine sewn "custom" usually runs for about $1500-2500 if it is made of European Hair. 

My advice, look for a thicker wefted sheitel (they do exist!).  Also, make sure there is some kind of guarantee in case the wig you buy ends up being defective.  In terms of hand tied wigs lasting longer... usually its the skin tops that thin first, necessitating the need for a new wig, not the back part that is wefted.  Handtied vs. machine shouldn't affect the life of the sheitel since they both have multiirectional skin tops.  FYI hair can be added to a thinning skin top to extend its life.

Short Movie about Buying a European Wig

In this video our wig consumer gets no direct answers to her questions about the wig she is trying on...

Car Seat Recommendation

I bought a basic Graco Snugride when my baby was born with the base and it worked great.  My only complaint with it was that it did not have the tightening strap, though most Graco models now come with that feature.  My Snugride weight limit is 29 inches and the weight limit is 22 pounds.  The manual also says to make sure that there is 2 inches of spare space between the top of your baby's head and the top of the seat.  This became a problem when I happened to have a tall baby.  By her four month appointment she was nearly 26 inches tall and I knew it was time to start researching a stage two car seat. 

I decided to go with the Britax Roundabout 55.  I am sure there are plenty of other wonderful car seats but I didn't have a lot of patience to learn about them all.  Britax has a great reputation and the seat has 3 seat recline position, one of which allows the seat to go rear facing.  The Roundabout is the basic Britax car seat, and retails for $199.99, but I found it online for $159.99  They also make the Marathon, Boulevard and Advocate, which have higher weight limits and more padding including their advertised "true side impact protection" but are also much pricier.



I love that the Roundabout has pads on the shoulder straps and the convenient tightening strap which easily lets you loosen the slack to unload your baby and tightens after securing your baby.  After watching some online videos of proper car seat fitting on the internet I realized how important it is to have no slack in the child harness and am happy that I can tighten each time she rides.  The Roundabout also has a rubbery material on the bottom of the seat which prevents sliding.  I test the seat with a lot of force and the seat does not slide around.  It is pretty simple to change the strap height, but it does require re-weaving the harnesses.  The Roundabout can be installed with latch or seat belt.


The only downsides of moving my child out of her infant car seat is that I can no longer "snap and go" with her.  Every time we go on an errand I have to open her harness, remove her and then put her back afterward.  Sometimes it gets annoying.  Also, if she is sleeping I have to wake her up whereas babies can stay sleeping in their infant car seats and moved without trouble.  The third problem is that stage 2 car seats do not have the convenient sunshade so I had to get window shades for my back windows.  Depending on the time of day and angle of the sun, the light can still shine in her eyes.  However, once she got to 15 pounds it became really heavy to lug her and her car seat out of the car.  So its debatable which was more annoying to deal with.  The good news is that this seat will turn to forward facing and has a forward facing limit of 55 pounds which should last her a long time.  Additionally, the rear facing limit is 40 pounds.  A lot of states are recommending leaving babies rear facing past 1 year old (they are suggesting until 2!) and this high weight limit would allow me to do that.

If I had bought a larger infant car seat initially like the Snugride 35 I could have kept her in an infant carrier longer, since its height limit is 35 pounds and 32 inches.  BUT the car seat itself is 16.7 pounds.  That means if I had a 20 pound baby I would be lugging almost 40 pounds if I attempted to "snap and go" with it.  So ultimately, The Roundabout should last my child for a long time and work nicely in forward facing mode when we get there...

Synthetic Wigs?

What is the deal with synthetic wigs? Why are they so cheap? How do they compare to human hair?? In the video below I discuss a $30 synthetic that I bought on Ebay.

The color of the wig turned out to be very different from how it appeared in the listing. However, I still enjoyed trying it on and I may wear it some night soon. 

Original Listing

I think synthetics are a great way to try out a new color, hairstyle, length or texture.  So many of us spend a lot of money on a wig only to realize later that we hate how we look in it.  More information in my 8 minute video... LOL i get carried away!

Anyway, I bought the wig from Ebay seller fashion1658.  It shipped immediately after payment and arrived promptly.  

What are your thoughts on synthetics?? 

Good Sheitel - Gone Bad

I am sure many of you have been frustrated with the following scenario:  You find a gorgeous looking piece in a wig shop, you try it on and decide to  buy it.  You get a fantastic cut and the sheitel macher styles it beautifully.  Then a few months later you realize it has lost its lusther, that it is literally falling apart.  Here are some pictures from my own experience.

My Milano was purchased in 2007.  It became necessary to buy a new sheitel when it started looking like the second picture just a year later.  I paid $1100 for the sheitel which is a lot considering how quickly its quality deteriorated. Full review can be viewed here.

I purchased the Yaffa Human Hair (probably contains a lot of Chinese) in 2007 off of Ebay from the Yaffa Wigs Outlet for under $100.  When styled it looked pretty good as seen in the picture on the right.  However, the wig was extremely knotty, thick and heavy and uncomfortable and did not even have a skin top. Upon getting it wet myself I saw what its natural texture was: tangly waves and the pic below shows how it looks today. 

So there you have it ladies... buyer beware.  Just because a wig looks good in the picture or in the wig studio does not mean that it is good quality or that it will last for a long time.  If the hair is treated eventually the silky luster will wear off and you will be left with dry, brittle processed hair.  If the cap is not good, you will be left with wefts that are coming apart.

I would love to hear your own stories in the comments below.
-Chavi

Wig Review: Milano Freedom Cap Wig

I was fortunate enough to receive an email from one of my readers offering to review their new Milano Collection Freedom Cap, which is designed to work without clips or combs for a more comfortable fit. I really enjoyed her thorough review and I am sure you will too.


-Chavi

=========
DKG:

Like a lot of sheitel junkies, I was very interested in Milano's new "Freedom Cap." Revolutionary! Patent pending! No more headaches! No clips! No combs! No bald spots! But also like a lot of sheitel junkies, I was much less interested in Milano sheitels themselves, having seen the poor-quality hair, the incorrectly-sewn patches, the overall "cheap" vibe that I got from them.

But you know, a sale is a sale...

While I wouldn't travel from Monsey to Brooklyn (an hour and a half) just to see what the fuss was about, 10 minutes to the local sale was reasonable. I looked, I felt, I inspected for sewing errors and then ... I tried it on. And believe it or not, the Milano Freedom Cap is everything it's cracked up to be. I want to tell you about the cap, the quality of current Milanos, and my later experience at their Brooklyn salon.

Inside of Freedom Cap

The best advice on buying sheitels I ever got was, "Try it on with your eyes closed." Or at the very least, away from the mirror, because we concentrate on the image and tend to either ignore or excuse an uncomfortable, ill-fitting, heavy or scratchy cap. But let's face it, it's the cap that really matters for the 99% of our day that we are not in front of the mirror. If it fits poorly, gives you a headache, or annoys you around the edges, it can be the most expensive, gorgeous hair in the world, and you'll still be miserable. When Milano does an out-of-town sale, they bring in boxes and boxes of sheitels that are "arranged" (barely) on tables by color. They bring mirrors, but there's a good chance you're not in front of one the entire time you're shopping. So the first time I tried on my shaitel-to-be, I went purely on feeling. I chose a closed stretch cap, but I'm told most of them are made with the open wefted cap. (They can be special-ordered with the stretch as well, which is a $50 upcharge.) In the picture, you can see that the multi-directional skin top area is lined with a velveteen fabric, similar to the material a lot of Shabbos robes are made with, but thinner. The nape of the neck also had a thick band of the same material, and the cap is tightened with a pull tab, as opposed to some sheitels which tighten with little bikini top-style hooks. The stretch material is comparable in quality & stretchy-ness to other companies. I found no defects in it. The ear tabs are especially reinforced with boning that gives them a more rigid feeling. And as you can see, no clips, no combs.

My concerns (and maybe yours too) were: Will the extra layer of velveteen be hot? Will the cap be too tight? Will the boned eartabs press so hard I get a headache, even without clips? Will that thick band at the nape drive me crazy (and sweaty)? My honest answers are no, no, no and no! I tried on three or four similar sheitels, and the one I chose felt as though they had literally used my measurements -- I'm entirely unaware of the eartabs, the nape comes down just far enough, the forehead fits flat and the skin part is both a natural color for me and wide enough that I can make a deeper part (I always part to the left) and have room to work with. The velveteen is very soft, comfortable and most importantly, breathable.

But does it STAY? As a mother of KA"H active kids, I need to know that my sheitel will not fly all over the place, and can't be easily whisked off my head by a baby reaching up and randomly grabbing it. Well, girlfriend, I can attest that I can turn my head upside down and the thing DOESN'T BUDGE. I don't mean flip over and flip back so the sides will feather. I mean turn upside down and stay there. Not a millimeter! Amazing, really! The first thing I thought of was, Wow this would be great to dance in at a chassuneh!

In speaking to one of the saleswomen, I mentioned that the caps and hair seem to be of a much higher quality than they were even a few years ago. She said that, in fact, a year ago, Milano switched to a different factory. It shows. Could be that they're buying their hair elsewhere as well.

Color before lowlighting

As to the hair, while it is not the super-fine quality of virgin European (of which I've owned several over the years), it is European, although almost certainly treated. (As always, expect more evidence of this in lighter colors than darker.) The hair is soft, silky, shiny, and washes beautifully. I always wash my sheitels myself and air dry them, and the sheitel (and the second one I subsequently bought) dries straight & true, with absolutely no frizz or wave, but not the telltale stick-straight of Asian hair. It adapts well to round-brush blowing or hot rollers. There is no knotting whatsoever at the nape, as some companies (like Shevy) are known for. It was a 12 color, but I added lowlights myself so I guess I'd call it a 12/8 now, and the color did nothing to damage either the hair or the cap. The velveteen inside got a bit of dye on it, but this washed right out, as did any dye that got on the skin part material. The photo of the inside of the cap is post-color.

Milano, originally a 12, with
lowlights added at home

My cost was $900 including the $50 email coupon. There is a $50 upcharge each for the stretch cap (open wefting is standard) and the Freedom Cap. I took advantage of the payment plan, in which you pay 25% upfront, then the rest over 6 months on the credit card. You can choose to be billed at the beginning or end of the month. There is an additional $5/month added as a service charge for going through a credit card. Not everything comes in with the Freedom Cap, and I don't know if Milano plans to eventually make everything with it or not. At the sale, I would say about a third of the pieces were Freedom Caps, and maybe a quarter of those had the stretch cap as well. The pony sheitels are not available with the Freedom Cap on the website, but a call to the salon may get you a different answer (perhaps a custom order).

Finally, my experience at Milano's MacDonald Avenue salon in Brooklyn. Having fallen hard for my first Freedom Cap, I decided I needed another, shorter model for everyday. (Cue my husband sighing in the background.) I had another coupon and the kids are all in school full-day, so it was now worth it to travel in. The fact that they do payment plans was the only thing that made this possible -- I haven't bought two sheitels in close succession since my kallah days (when an orthodox Jewish woman prepares for her change in married status by buying hair coverings)! I wish more companies did this; it would make good sheitels more within reach to families that are trying to get their daughter introduced to kisui rosh with the best possible experience, while also paying so many chassuneh expenses. I don't know how parents do it sometimes!

After lowlighting and overall coloring to medium ash brown

The salon is a tiny shoebox of a place, located next door to ShopRite and Amazing Savings, so I was able to park in the large lot behind the store and go thru ShopRite. They have a very large number of precuts on display, in blondes and brunettes, very little in redheads however, like most sheitel companies. I was used to salons with neat stacks of sheitels in labeled boxes arranged on walls or in a back room. Not here. At Milano, the standard (non-precut) pieces are piled together in drawers labeled by shade range. I knew exactly what I was looking for, but because of this lack of organization, the saleswoman and I had to go through a few drawers' worth of sheitels, turning each inside out for evidence of a stretch cap and Freedom Cap. Not the most efficient way to do things. What I did like about this, however, was that I had the chance to literally get my hands on every piece they had in my shade range. I was able to put aside whatever looked and felt good, and try on several. Personally, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and because I have some experience, I'm not overwhelmed by it. If I were a kallah or simply an inexperienced shaitel-buyer shopping alone, however, it would be a bit of sensory overload. I strongly recommend anyone who matches that description go with a friend who knows sheitels well, whether shopping at their salon or one of their out-of-town sales. The saleswoman was helpful and did not pressure me in any way, and was pleasant throughout, even though my requirements meant so much digging. Although they wouldn't wash the sheitel for me on the spot so that I could see how it behaved wet (I know, I know...) they let me spray it with water and play around with the part to get a better sense of it. There were a couple of stylists, but I didn't get the sheitel styled or cut there.

The piece I purchased on that visit was a 14 color, a dirty blonde, which I chose knowing that I would lowlight it to the ashy medium brown I wanted (but can rarely find because the brunettes are usually quite red). It is almost shoulder-length, with some very long layers, and has not required any cutting. (I had the first sheitel, which was about a yard long, cut by my usual sheitel macher.) I wash it, air dry it, and put in several hot rollers for body. It takes and maintains a curl quite well, and the hair is shiny, strong, and in good condition. I use Moroccan Oil products on my sheitels are sulfate- and paraben-free. My cost for the second piece was $800, including the coupon and the upgrades for stretch & Freedom Cap.

Summary: Two terrifically comfortable and well-made sheitels with lovely hair, purchased on payment plans, total cost together equivalent to or less than what I normally pay for one virgin European of lesser comfort and requiring combs. Even if their lifespan is no more than a few years [and for hashkafic (Jewish custom & outlook which varies from family to family) reasons I wear my sheitels from the time I drop the kids off at school until I get ready for bed, I never leave the house without wearing a sheitel -- yes I cook in them too!], to enjoy and be comfortable in a sheitel for the time it's in good shape, the price looks that much better. But from initial inspection, my hunch is that, with proper maintenance, they will last. If you're wondering what the big deal is about the Milano Freedom Cap, I think you should try it for yourself and see!