I've been headcovering since late 2009, and yes, I still do. The reason I cover my head is simple - the Bible says to. 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 is very clear. A study through the Bible, shows that it was custom for women to headcover in the Old Testament, but it wasn't a command. Under the new Covenant, we see in 1 Corinthians 11 there is no new custom, to replace the old custom of women covering their heads; Therefore there is no new church custom of women not covering. Women are still to cover, but now it's a command. In fact, it's an ordinance.
What is an ordinance? It is a symbol that teaches a spiritual truth. The ordinance of baptism symbolizes our being washed from our sins, the ordinance of communion symbolizes our receiving Christ's sacrifice for us, the ordinance of marriage symbolizes Christ's relationship with the church (see Ephesians chapter 5), and the ordinance of the Christian woman's headcovering symbolizes that she is under her husband's headship.
The Christian woman covers her head - scripturally (1 Corinthians 11:1-16), because:
1) She covers her head, to show she is under her husband's headship. This dovetails with the marriage ordinance of symbolizing Christ and the church. The husband symbolizes Christ, and the wife symbolizes the church. The wife physically covers her head, to give an outward symbol of her submission to her husband, as a reminder that the church is to submit to Christ. This headship symbolism is briefly mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11, and is mentioned in much more detail in Ephesians chapter 5.
2) Because of the angels - the good angels seek to observe and learn more about the mystery of the Gospel, and they watch us. Meanwhile, the fallen angels lust after us, and wish to do us harm, and separate us from God. A headcovered Christian woman has an extra measure of spiritual protection when she head covers.
3) For praying and prophesying. This reason actually goes along with reason number one. 1 Corinthians 14 says the woman is to be silent during the learning time at church, and to remain under obedience to her husband. 1 Timothy 2 also says the wife is to remain silent in church during the learning time, and not to teach or usurp authority over her husband. The wife can teach her husband something she thinks he may find interesting, for example, but not with authority over him. We know this from 1 Peter 3:1-2. The wife is to pray and prophesy only when her head is covered, to show that she is still under the headship of her husband, even while exercising spiritual gifts, and is not usurping his authority as the head of his family, just as Christ is the head of the church, and the church is not to usurp Christ's authority.
The above are simple and clear reasons why Christian women are supposed to cover their heads. Yet, through the years, I've seen many Christian women cover, when "it feels right," and then stop, when "they feel led to stop." I've seen Christian women cover, but then stop for vanity, or because a family member didn't like it. I've seen Christian women stop covering, because they read or heard teachings from other people against the covering, and decided to go with that teaching - abandoning the simple truths of the Scriptures.
I've also seen women who used to cover full time, but then went to covering just at church. I used to have several good friends who covered, but only for church. One day, their teen daughter asked me why I cover all the time. She said I only need to cover when at church. I, in return, asked her a question:
Am I only under my husband's headship at church? And here's another question: Is Christ the head of the church only at church gatherings?
She rightly answered that I'm under my husband's headship, all the time, not just during church services. Also, friends, Christ is the head of the church always, not just during services. Remember, we ARE the church. The church is not a building, it's a people. It's the universal body of Christ - it's the familyhood and fellowship of all Christians, world-wide. We are the church. Church services are just specific times we gather together at specified places to worship and learn together.
As you can see, headcovering must not be just for during church services, but all the time. Just as Christ is always the head of the church, and I am under my husband's headship all day, not just when at a church gathering. Another reason, is that verse 17 of 1 Corinthians 11 says "...that ye come together..." and verse 18 says "...when ye come together in the church..." These two instances are the first time a church gathering is mentioned in this chapter, and the verses following these give instructions on the communion ordinance. This chapter says nothing about headcovering being only during church, but it does specifically mention church gathering when it comes to taking communion. BTW, this doesn't mean you can't take communion outside of your official church gathering. Scripturally, a church gathering is where "two or more" are gathered together in Christ's name. This can occur anywhere, at any time. Also, ordinances are not just for "church practice." Baptism can take place by any Christian baptizing a believer in any usable body of water - even a public swimming pool, or a large bathtub. Communion can be taken where two or more are gathered together in Christ's name. A marriage ceremony can be done in a church building, a back yard, or any other reasonable place. Headcovering is not just for in church. You are under your husband's headship outside of the church building, as well.
Headcovering is a public profession of Christ being the head of the church. When the Christian woman is in her night clothes, for example, she's not making a public profession, she is dressed to go to sleep. Since she is not dressed for the day at this time, a headcovering is not necessary. When the woman is dressed for the day, a headcovering should be part of her ensemble, because even if she's not planning on leaving the house, she may end up finding she needs to run to the store,or get the mail, or may receive an unexpected knock at the door. Further, if she has children, it's a profession to them during the day.
Here's where things get hairy. Some Christian women think they have to cover all of their hair. They often cite "modesty" as the reason. While this is fine as a personal preference, and if the husband likes it, it is not commanded anywhere in the Scriptures. Recall this is a HEADcovering, to show that the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. It is not necessarily a hair covering. When it comes to modesty and hair, in both 1 Timothy 2, and 1 Peter 3, modesty and hair are mentioned. Christian women are told to wear their hair in a modest fashion. The broiding of hair doesn't mean a simple braid, it means we are not to braid jewels into our hair, to make outrageous hairstyles.
If Christian women are to cover all their hair, then modest hairstyles would not need to be mentioned, since no one would see their hair.
In conclusion, the Scriptures are very clear that Christian women are to cover their heads, and not just during church services. Also, the type of covering, or how much hair shows is up to the woman, and her husband. Never wear a covering type or style that your husband doesn't like, or that you can't stand.