In my mind the only reason is cultural, but I don't know what was in Paul's mind.
A lot of people make this mistake. But when you carefully study what Paul was writing everything is TOTALLY SPIRITUAL.
1. Christians are to be followers of Christ, by following the example of the apostles (v 1)
2. The Corinthian Christians are praised for keeping or observing the ordinances (baptism and the Lord s Supper) although Paul will correct them on what they are failing to do (v 2)
3. The Principle of Headship begins within the Godhead and applies to both Christian men and women (v 3). God the Father is the Head (authority) over His Son (Christ), Christ is the Head (authority) over the Christian man, and the Christian man is the head (authority) over his wife.
4. When Christian men
COVER their heads during worship, they dishonor their Head (Christ) (v 4)
5. When Christian women
UNCOVER their heads during worship, they dishonor their heads (husbands) (v 5)
6. If shearing or shaving her head is shameful for the woman, even more so is it shameful when she uncovers her head. She might as well shave or shear her head (v 6)
7. Since man is the image and glory of God, his head must remain uncovered, But because the woman is the glory of man, her head must be covered (v 7). Why (Q) because man s glory must be hidden when God s glory should be revealed in worship.
8. The first man (Adam) was not born of a woman, but was a direct creation of God. But the woman (Eve) was created out of the body of the man (v 8)
9. The man (Adam) was not created for the woman, but the woman (Eve) was created for the man (v 9). Thus man was given authority (headship) over the woman.
10. For this cause (God instituted headship of man over woman) the woman must display the symbol of authority -- the head covering -- on her head during worship, because the holy angels observe Christian gatherings (v 10)
11. At the same time, the man and the woman need each other in the Lord (within Christian marriage) (v 11)
12. While Eve was from Adam s side, subsequently all men are born of women, and all of this is designed by God (v 12)
13. Christians, make a judgment: is it right, is it proper, that a woman pray during worship with her head uncovered (Q) (v 13)
14. Nature itself teaches that it is a shame for a man to have long hair (v 14)
15. But nature also teaches that long hair on a woman is her glory, and given her for a covering (v 15). But it is because her hair are her glory that God requires her glory to be hidden under a covering, so that only God s glory may be displayed during worship.
16. If any person wants to be contentious about this matter, let him or her know, that neither the apostles, nor the churches of God, have any such custom of UNCOVERING THE HEAD (v 16).