I have noticed this in several major metros recently (DC, B’more & Manhattan)- walk around a bit and you’ll pass by store after store selling wigs. Okay that’s not a big deal, but why are all of them catering to black women? I admit this is a smiple matter of ignorance, but I don’t know anybody personally that I feel like I can walk up to and ask without getting a dirty look or an attitude.
Has something gone terribly wrong with the afro hair style in the past twenty years that it has to be covered up with a wig? It seems like such an easy 'do to take care of- no combing or serious styling involved. Just make sure it’s clipped to the same length all over and persto- you’ve got that Elanor Holmes Norton look!
Now I find myself absent-mindedly looking at the scapls of coworkers & passers-by thinking that everybody’s hairstyle looks like one I saw in the window the other day. Let’s hear it, ladies- is it real or is it Memorex?
I’ve noticed that black women—at least in New York—tend to be more hair-conscious. You see the most inventive styles, colors and add-ons. There’s a black woman at Lincoln Center I’ve befriended over the years, and she always has the most impressively architectural hairdos.
So maybe black women BUY more wigs than white women? Could just be smart product placement.
And for a long time, weren’t most cosmetic products (including hair products) geared towards caucasian women? I know when I go to the supermarket, in several of them I see an “ethnic hair” section, kind of like the ghetto of beauty aids. So maybe it’s easier for someone with hair typical to the black population to get a wig than try to find a hairdresser that can sculpt their hairstyle. Either that, or it might just be that wigs are more accepted amongs african americans. In the same way that young latinos in California don’t dress the same way as middle-aged caucasians.
Black hair is difficult to style and the afro is out. A black woman can spend $50 getting her hair styled, and a sudden rainstorm later she’s back to square one. Many black women keep their hair short and wear wigs because it’s a lot easier. My town, Asheville, NC, has a population of about 60000 and two wig stores on the same block in heart of town. It’s a sign of the times.
I think Lance hit the nail on the head. Currently, the “natural” look is out for black women. What’s in is straighter, stylable hair. So do you spend a fortune and half your time with relaxers, curling irons, and gel (and maybe seriously damage your hair at the same time), or invest in a wig or two?
I think if I were black (which I’m not), I’d either wear my hair very short (ala Halle Berry, whom I can only wish I looked like) or in multiple long braids, like Toni Morrison. Unfortunately, permanent braids aren’t great for your hair, either.
So it’s the same as high heels, because that’s the fashion trend? I didn’t know afro hair was so brittle and expensive to maintain. I guess I would do the same in that case.
I wonder why the afro style is out? Aren’t afro-american women getting into this “authentic african name” trend with their kids recently? I thought they were doing this to try to get back to their roots, so to speak. Wouldn’t the afro hair style just be another good way to help reclaim their african heritage?
Afros, twists and braids are all in style and don’t do the damage to hair that processing does. Most elaborate hairstyles consist of extensions attached to processed or unprocessed hair. Again, processed hair dries out, processing may damage the scalp, etc., and a wig may be chosen. A lot more women are turning to natural styles because they minimize damage and reflect a turning away from trying to match a white ideal ot straightened hair.