One of the most beautiful things about a Black woman is the innate ability she has to switch up her look at the drop of a hat (pun intended). We can wear our hair cropped, curly, braided, or bone straight-- all within the same month. Weaves and wigs have been stowed away in our arsenals for decades, aiding in our trendsetting, sometimes dramatic transformations. But with the emergence of the new "natural hair movement," it seems that Black men in particular are ready to see weaves gone for good.
I stopped relaxing my hair five years ago, when I was a sophomore in high school, and lemme keep it funky-- it was
not "cool" to have natural hair when I started my journey. I was in the salon religiously every two weeks, flat ironing til I could see smoke, terrified of the slightest bit of morning fog or drizzle for fear my hair would revert. I cringed everytime my hairdresser would suggest I stop frying my strands and rock a 'fro. There were no natural hair meetups in my city. Nobody was offering me tips and tricks for the perfect twistout. Eventually, with help from sites like
curlynikki.com and
bglhonline.com, I became comfortable with my new 'do.
Oh, and nobody was particularly feelin my relaxer-less look, by the way. Whenever a guy tried to talk to me, I could see his eyes trail up from my face and land on my fauxhawk like, "
She's pretty, but what's goin on with that HAIR?" Some of 'em were bold enough to tell me I would look better with straight hair. Even after I graduated high school and enrolled in college, it was all about a flawless sew- in. It seemed like men embraced weaves, even encouraged them. They became a status symbol. A good weave could take a plain Jane and transform her into the baddest chick on campus.
Fast- forward to 2011. Now that many Black women are choosing to forgo relaxers and flat irons, natural hair has become much more common. But does that mean that our weaved up sissys are no longer en vogue?? I often hear Black men bad- mouthing weaves. For some odd reason, many of them can't wrap their minds around the idea that a weave is not a sign of insecurity or a desire to look "white." The same guys who turned their noses up at my naps in high school are now preaching about how they love a "natural" woman-- nevermind their obsessions with Beyonce', Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna.
I was (and still am) fascinated by the power of a luscious weave. The longer and more dramatic, the better. Personally, if i could afford 30 inches of virgin hair, I would be gettin my Willow Smith on, too!
Weave is no longer about tricking people into believing your real hair is honey blond and grazing your rear end. For most women, it's simply a new look, like wearing a different shade of lipstick. And as for the tree huggers who want their woman to be "all natural?" Next time a guy says something negative about your weave, do a Beyonce' hair flip and let him know that his opinion is neither required nor desired. #POW!
