African folklore attributes the wearing of waist beads to the definition of the waist, meaning that it helped a female to hold their figure or shape.
The biggest misconception I constantly hear about wearing waist beads is that you have to be a size 0 with a flat stomach. Which is the farthest from the truth. Women of all ages and sizes wear waist beads!
The History:
Traditionally worn under clothes by African women, waist beads have several different meanings. Ranging from rites of passage, to enticing your husband to healing and rejuvenation. The art of adorning ones self has been practiced since the beginning of time. In Egypt, waist beads were called girdles. All the women wore them and it was a uniform for pre-pubescent girls with out any sexual connotation. But usually servants or dancers wore them and are shown in wall relief's wearing them and nothing else!
In West Africa, waist beads have several names.; Jel-Jelli, Jigeda, Giri-Giri, Djalay Djalay or Yomba. They re always worn under clothes. In Ghana women knew that waist beads helped form their body into a particular shape and adult women wear beads to sexually stimulate the male. In other parts of West Africa, women would wear waist beads with bells on them, and when they walked it would make a jingling noise. Dipping them in oil scented the beads.