Next Chapter: Identity of Hair - The Loyal Weave Wearer
We talked about the Identity of Hair and going back to our roots on our print issue- it was a vivid description of the journey that black women have embarked on in order to embrace the kinks and curls that they are born with. However, Up has discovered a renegade counter-movement. A group of women that swear by their fake hair and pressed tresses. They’ve heard all the hype, they’ve bought the conditioner and the coconut oil and have the permanent stain on their satin pillowcase to prove it.
These women are empowered and informed and still want their 20 inch Peruvian hair firmly on their head, thank you very much. They call it ‘weave shaming’ - when people directly equate wearing a weave to a lack of self-love. Worse still, people have gone to lengths to describe exactly why women that wear fake hair should stop- roasts that involve names such as ‘horse-hair’, ‘shallowness’ and ‘dead-people hair’. Everyone feels like they need to weigh in on the black hair debate, including people that aren’t involved: i.e non-blacks and men.
- Society contributes to the adoration of eurocentric features as the ideal standard of beauty. They didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to stitch a hair-cap on their heads.
- Wearing a weave or pressing your hair isn’t all about insecurity.
The beauty of living in the 21st century is options. Lots and lots of options. To take advantage of the versatility of black hair and the myriad of hairstyles available to black women is as simple as wanting a change.
You know how Kim Kardashian West decides to change hair hair colour and cut on a whim? (Blonde hair sure doesn’t naturally sprout out of that Persian woman’s head) That’s exactly what happens when a girl goes from cornrows to the fine silky waist length hair that they bought from the hair store.
Hair extensions are nothing new, either. The Geishas and ancient Egyptians played around with wigs- so did the 18th century Victorian dames with the 20 pound structures they carried on their heads that masqueraded as hair. This has all been in the name of trends and fashion.
The same way Britney Spears is able to rock cornrows and cause a positive stir about breaking barriers, should be the way that Sanaa Lathan should be allowed to sport her lovely weaves without judgement. The cultural appropriation debate aside, there shouldn’t be such a big deal when it comes to what style you choose for your hair. Everyone should be responsible for their own hair do’s (and dont’s).
Here’s a video about the black lifestyle in Japan
