Solange Knowles ascended the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a gold halo — the theme of the Met Gala was Catholicism — over a black durag. Ms. Knowles wore the durag with the cape out; it dripped down her back. At the hem, in gold Gothic type , were the words “MY GOD WEARS A DURAG.” Godly, queenly, on theme.

Still, her headwear stood out among the papal hats and crowns, and led to some debates about the spelling (and possible hyphenation) of the word durag. So we figured it was time to clear a few things up.

Who Invented the Durag, and Why?

There is no specific inventor of the durag. That’s like asking who invented the comb. But the use of having a scarf or a rag to keep your hairstyle in place and frizz-free took a great leap forward in the ’70s.

Darren Dowdy, president of So Many Waves, claims his father, William J. Dowdy, invented it as part of a hair grooming kit.