There’s definitely a few trends that have not received their due credit. The Black dollar holds so much value in American culture, and African trendsetters have yet to cease in their innovation of new afro hair looks, and cultural design pieces!
Take a peek at some important fads you probably didn’t know had so much afro influence!
Protest Attire
Sadly we are living in a current wave of the world where so much change is still needed in the fight towards racial equality and the dismantling of systematic oppression. The Black Lives Matter T-shirts and ‘I Can’t Breathe’ shirts are all staples of the growing movement against all these racial injustices being committed worldwide.
Wearing such clothing and buying from black owned sellers, supporting black artists and giving free product to lower income communities that are down for the cause, are all attributes that surround protest attire.
In the 60s we had the Black Panthers in their all black, leather jackets, berets and flowing natural fros, fist high in the air!
And today, we emulate some of those same warrior poses, in our shirts with the names of countless victims of police brutality and racial discrimination. Black Lives Matter and the clothes to match the message ring loud and clear!
African Print Pants and Two Pieces
African style print should be no stranger to the Black and African community. Sometimes in vibrant gold thread patterns and other times in red, green, and black, this style has managed to resurface in recent years.
It’s popularity stems from a dedication to reconnecting with Black and African culture all while embracing the skin you’re in and rejecting mainstream European standards of beauty and hipness!
Black and Brown people have held so much sway in what is in and what is fresh, and these wonderful two piece set outfits are great for any family cookout, birthday party or night time outing!
Glorious and Divine Head Wraps
Headwraps have never truly left the scene, but its context and appreciation has dramatically changed throughout history.
In most African cultures the head wrap can signify status, wealth or relevant power within the local community. During times of slavery, since many slave owners wives were extremely jealous of African American women that their white husbands kept glancing at, the Tignon Law of 1786 made in place for African American women to wear head wraps or scarves.
And even when such laws were passed, the juice never stopped flowing for Black and African American women found ways to spice up their style with various colored pieces, adding different twists or lengths to some scarves. Those bitter slave owners wives were probably stil sulky in their boots.
Headwraps as we all know are meant to protect afro hair as well and that resurgence in afro hair care has also become privitol.
Punk Rock Chic
Punk was already a growing dirty underground music scene filled with angst and adolescent rebellion. Popular in place in Great Britain, English Black punk rock artists like Poly Styrene paved the way for the look, increased popularity and raspy voice feel of the culture.
Arguably, Sis set the whole tone for punk rock! Google her asap!
Showcasing brilliantly wild hairstyles, berets, bucket hats, black felt, hard hats, anti war wear, rough cuts, scraps and cuts, Poly Styrene was just one dazzling icon alongside alter stars like Solange Knowles, or Kimya Dawson, to do justice to the genre and brought it to the world map!
If you like some of these looks, continue to dive deep and let us know what you think about them in the comments! Until next time, check out some other cool fads you should watch for in 2020!