According to halacha (Jewish religious law), married Jewish women are expected to cover their hair when in the presence of men other than their husband or close family members. Such covering is common practice among Orthodox Jewish women.
Different kinds of hair coverings are used, among them the mitpachat (Hebrew: מטפחת) or tichel (Yiddish: טיכל) (headscarf), shpitzel, snood, hat, beret, fall, bonnet, veil, headscarf, bandana, and sheitel (Yiddish: שייטל, wig). The most common head coverings in the Haredi community are headscarves in the form of the tichel and snood, though some wear hats, berets, or sheitels; the tichel and snood remain the historic and universally accepted rabbinical standard for observant Jewish women. The headscarves can be tied in a number of ways, depending on how casually the wearer is dressed.