Waist beads have been a part of African culture for centuries. Sometimes known as belly beads, waist beads are strings of beads worn around a woman’s waist.

They are worn as a symbolic expression for: womanhood, femininity, fertility, spirituality, protection, seduction, confidence, sexuality, intimacy, celebration and so much more! There are so many traditions and reasons waist beads are worn and they are a reminder every time a woman sees or feels her beads around her waist.

• Adornment- Waist Beads help women embrace and honor their sexuality. They make women feel beautiful and help with a positive body image, self-love and acceptance.Wearing them is a personal reflection and appreciation of your God-given beauty.

• Weight Management- The practice of wearing several waist beads over time will help to keep the waist small and accentuate the hips. They can be a good tool to measure weight gain and loss. The tie-on beads do not stretch, so if/when the waist beads start to feel a little tight, it’s a sign that there was some weight gain, and vice versa. When they begin to drop/hang, that is a sign of weight loss.​

• Celebration- In African tradition, the maturity of girls to women was symbolized in many ways including by wearing waist beads. Traditionally, mothers adorned their daughters during their first menstruation as a rite of passage to womanhood.​

Don’t be fooled by photos of only slender women wearing waist beads. Women of all shapes and sizes can confidently adorn themselves with waist beads as well.