The Evolution of box braids
Box braids didn’t become popular until the early 80′s when the GOAT Patrice Rushen took to the R&B and jazz scene
But at the time, they weren’t really called “box braids.” They were individual braids inspired by North African cultural aesthetics, especially Egyptian. However, box braids have their roots in our home region, West Africa as well.
Early on, you saw a peep of these beautiful, intricate hairstyle in the late 70′s from the female singers in Oddysey and S.O.S. Band
I believe both singers from these bands appeared with these hairstyles in the year 1977. So box braids have been here in African-American culture for a LONG time. It just didn’t really become a fad until the early 90′s because before then, these hairstyles were looked at as “trippy” Afrocentric hairstyles that artists would wear to get in touch with their African roots. The 80′s was a time where a lot of African-American artists’ fashion were inspired by West and North African roots.
At the turn of the decade, you began to see box braids become more mainstream with Janet Jackson, Naomi Campbell’s ethereal ass, rapper Yo-Yo, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Then in the mid 90′s, Stacey Dash makes braids en vogue by sporting the famous look in Clueless.
All the middle to upper-class girl caught on to box braids because of this but who should really get credit is the incomparable, Brandy Norwood!
Ask for “Moesha” at the hair salon, and it was say no more.
Mariah’s white-passing ass tried them on for size in her Thank God I Found You remix video and they looked dope!
And then here comes sexy stemme Alicia Keys bringing back our great-great-great North African ancestry in 2001
She made cornrows cool for all the black girls in grade school!
And I almost forgot! Beyonce really made kinky twists hot in the early ‘00s as well
Always looking like somebody’s cool redbone cousin rollin’ up at the family cookout
Then Christina Aguilera tried to join in on the fun, but we said, “Nah, sweetie. You Latinx but you not afro honey. But you look cute sis”
*fast forward to several years later*
Unfortunately, box braids were no longer as popular as they were in the early ‘00s. Bad, synthetic weaves dyed a tacky brown were in from 2004-2008.
But in early 2013, box braids had a revival!
Thank you, Keri Hilson! You may not be shit, but you did that thing! I always said you was my hair-fashion icon tho. I can’t stunt on you.
We had Zoe Kravitz make braids cool for the edgy, sarcastic and loner black girls like me!
Soon, we saw so many pictures of black girls modeling box braids on Tumblr and Instagram!
Solange soon rocks these braids because she’s hip and poppin’
Then Christina Milan being Afro-Latina, she had to get in on this
Soon, these 90′s R&B girls came back for a reunion with their beautiful, braided locs!
We all saw Ayesha Curry try to butter up to the black female community by taking an adorable selfie with her mama
Now we got Instagram models and actresses making braids en vogue!
(Babyhairs aren’t mandatory and I recommend women with type 4 hair to get these styles. If you are under, I wouldn’t keep these in for very long)
So now box braids are everywhere, and they are the go-to for a black girl’s protective style, especially if they have my hair type! But anyone who is black and of African descent can wear them. You don’t have to have tightly-coiled hair to wear these, but they are what the styles are intended for since the hair is apt for them.
And notice something else; none of these styles were coined or invented by white or non-black women. They were all made and adorned by black women. And Patrice Rushen is the Godmother of protective styles. Don’t whitewash these!
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