The accountants use their laptop computers to churn out the numbers giving the profits to be made if the look includes a baseball cap . . . if the man could be persuaded to dye his hair . . . or if he could be coaxed into shaving twice a day, instead of only once.

Once the visionary designers have finalized the look, they hire an ad agency to market it. A worldwide blitz is launched. Men with the look are shown with women fawning over them; the man with the look is successful at everything: business, love, sports, gambling. . . .Men/Boys around the world fantasize about the look and soon the designer’s coffers start to overflow. Success!

The Sikh creates his own style through his dastar, or his head-dress. The New York designers are unable to profit from this style. The razor companies are left holding the bag. The Sikh has created his own style. Not even another Sikh can emulate his style—so individual is his look.

The Sikh’s dastar gives him self-confidence and pride. The simplest peasant from the Punjab ties his turban as if he were an Emperor. The dastar is the crown of the Sikh. It brings equality between the millionaire and the pauper.

The Beauty of the Pugree
The most beautiful head-dress for men is the hand-tied pugree or turban. This head-dress, once banned by the Mughal Emperors for the commoner, identifies the Sikh from near and afar. The Sikh cannot hide in the masses! He must stand and be counted. (Click to enlarge the image)

The turban or pugree is made from fine cotton and usually comes in about one meter width. A visit to a pugree shop reveals a multitude of colors. Bright ones for the young at heart! The standard black, maroon, army green, navy blue and steel grey for the mature look! White and saffron for the religious look!

The simpler version of the pugree involves an approximately five meter long piece of cloth. Men, who prefer the fuller look may buy eight meters of cloth, cut it in half and make a four-meter-by-two-meter turban to work with.

The Sikh child begins to learn the art of turban tying around his teens. It may take him several years to master the procedure and develop his own personal style to create a work of art.

The pugree is sometimes starched lightly, especially if it is to be worn again without retying it. Otherwise, one works with the soft, unstarched cloth. The first step is the punee where two people stretch the cloth diagonally. The cloth is then folded, while the pugree is kept stretched along the diagonal. Both people fold (by rolling) with their right hands, keeping the left side stretched. After the folding, turban cloth is gathered.

Before tying the pugree the wearer may wrap a colorful fifty around his head. The front portion of the fifty will be visible on the forehead and adds beauty to the pugree.

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