Waist beads are an African tradition that can be found all across the continent and throughout the diaspora. One of the earliest documented uses of waist beads was in ancient Kemet, now Egypt, where women wore layers of beads called girdles. They have been used in various ways and have taken on a multitude of meanings including body shaping and awareness, lingerie/sensual adornment, coming of age initiations, wedding gifts/bride price, to indicate societal status, and to connect with your feminine essence.