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It looks like another major haircare company has realized that women of color have special needs.
Pantene is the latest company to launch a line of products for relaxed and natural hair for women of color. According to Pantene, 95 percent of women of color say their hair is different from most caucasian and Asian hair, and 85 percent report it is important for their haircare brand to be designed for their hair.
‘Women of color have distinct set of hair care needs, and Pantene has spent years of reserach and development creating a colletion specially designed to deliver the optimal moisturization and strength benefits they need and want,’ said Scott Rogers, marketing director for Pantene.
The company’s Relaxed & Natural line contains the brand’s traditional Pro-Vitamin technology along with essential oils and moisturizing conditioners to help keep African-American and Caribbean-American hair strong and healthy. The line includes Intensive Moistuzing Shampoo, Intensive Moisturizing Conditioner, Conditioning Wrap & Set Lotion and Intensive Oil Sheen Spray. The products retail for around $4.50.
A child with silky fine hair may have a head full of kinky curls when puberty hits. Another baby may start out with fine ringlets only to have them turn stick straight when she gets older.
As our body ages, we see changes in our hair texture. The hair of a newborn is very soft and very fine. The diameter of the hair thickens as we enter childhood or early adolescence. As we move into adulthood and then older, the hair again changes, becoming finer again in our 40s and 50s. All of these changes are genetically programmed.
“Hair changes every five to seven years,” said Christo of the Christo Fifth Avenue Salon and creator of the Curlisto line of hair products.
But even though we might know what affects hair texture, it is still unclear exactly how and why this happens. People with curly hair have a flatter follicle. Straight hairs tend to have a rounder follicle. But how a flat follicle turns round, and vice versa, is a mystery.
“What adds to the curl or takes away from the curl is a fascinating issue scientifically,” says Tom Dawson, a principle scientist at P&G Beauty. “You’d think with something as fundamental as human hair, and the amount of time and money we put into our hair, that we’d know more than we do. But it’s a tough nut to crack.
“What is known is that hormones have a major effect on hair texture. Hormones influence the hair in several different ways since they are regulators of the body’s metabolism,” Christo says. “Hormones tell our body how to perform, therefore increasing or decreasing specific hormones can directly affect the way our body functions.”
Hormones and your hair
He cites three major hormones that affect the hair:
Thyroxine and triiodothyronine
Thyroxine and triiodothyronine are produced by the thyroid gland and influence the way the body uses the food we eat. An under-active thyroid can cause brittle hair and hair loss.
Androgen
Androgen is produced in the adrenal glands and is responsible for hair growth. In women, an increase in the production of androgen causes thinning of the hair and excessive facial hair.
Insulin
Insulin is produced in the pancreas and is responsible for the adaptation of glucose in the blood. Under-production of insulin can cause hyperglycemia and over-production can cause hypoglycemia, which can both cause hair loss and change the way the hair looks and feels.
Hair after chemo
Cancer patients often find that after chemotherapy, their once-straight hair grows in curly. Chemo affects rapidly growing cells more than slowly growing ones, and hair follicles in the scalp grow rapidly. They are jolted by the chemo, and when they go back to work, they may have a new job description, says Dr. Jennifer Griggs. Over time, the hair follicle tends to return to its normal shape.
With little scientific evidence available about how hormones and genetics cause these texture changes, Jonathan Torch, creator of Curly Hair Solutions and founder of Toronto’s Curly Hair Institute, has come up with his own theory.
He believes changes in the muscles at the base of every follicle are the key to the changes in hair texture that take place over time. These muscular changes, he says, often come during puberty, chemotherapy or menopause, when hormones and medications may affect the muscle tone.
Sometimes these changes can be extreme, says Torch, who has witnessed many a client go from curly to straight and straight to curly.”I can’t prove anything medically,” he says. “But I have a philosophy that genetically, the muscles are changing. And this changes the shape of the follicle.”
Much like the changes we experience with our skin as children through puberty and into adulthood, hormonal changes in hair texture are a normal and natural process throughout the course of a woman’s life.
Have you seen a drastic change in your hair? Did it grow curlier or less curly with age?
This article was originally published in December 2007 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.
Patria Diaz’s curls have dominated her entire life. Bald until she was 3 years old, she sprouted a mane of tight ringlets that her straight-haired mother had no idea what to do with. She spent years being dragged to the Dominican salon to have it straightened.
“I hated everything about it,” Diaz recalls. “I didn’t want to be a salon girl.”
In addition to fighting her curls, she developed trichotillomania, also known as hair pulling disorder. The disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body, despite trying to stop.
“It was my dirty secret,” Diaz says. “Every single strand of my hair has been pulled out at one time. I had actual bald spots.”
To hide the bald spots, she wore a weave, actually gluing it to her scalp in some areas. For 10 years, she spent years gluing hair to different parts of her scalp.
When she turned 30 last year, she was finally ready to see what her natural texture looked like, doing a Big Chop in September 2016. She hadn’t seen her natural curl since she was a little girl. She’s still getting used to her short curls – the unpredictability, the shrinkage, her lack of confidence without straight hair.
“I want to be in love with it,” she says. “I want to enjoy it. Right now I’m just dealing with it.”
Like many curly women, Diaz’s hair has been a defining part of her life, helping shape who she is. Every curly woman has a story, a unique journey that involves their hair.
For New York producer Jonathan Pillot, those stories are pure gold. He has woven them into The Curly Monologues – a project he has brought to cities from coast to coast, with sold-out shows. He begins a 3-night run in New York Sept. 16 at the JCC Harlem followed by shows at the 14th Street on Sept. 27th and 28th. Diaz will be one of the women sharing her story.
“What happens when a melting pot of women assemble onstage, performing passionate, self-written monologues that get to the essence of who they are, who they’ve become?” Pillot says. “You get the extraordinary magic of The Curly Monologues.
The Curly Monologues has a similar format to the much-celebrated Vagina Monologues, a play written by Eve Ensler in 1996 that delves into sexual experiences, body image, reproduction and other topics through the eyes of women of various ages, races and sexualities.
Pillot stresses that The Curly Monologues is about much more than hair. The personal stories are authentic performances “by regular people that touch on everything that makes us human, celebrating our unique, individual experiences and the larger connective tissue that binds and connects us together.”
The shows also illustrate how the topic of curls and coils spans age, ethnicity, gender and geography.
“Life isn’t a straight line; It’s curly,” Pillot says.
In our safe NaturallyCurly world, where we celebrate coils and kinks on a daily basis, we can lose sight of how society, as a whole, views natural hair. Facebook posts of naturalistas are greeted with thousands of likes and dozens of positive comments. Women are empowered and supported as they transition from relaxers to their natural texture.
So it was a bit of a shock to see the findings of the Perception Institute’s “Good Hair” Study, the first study to examine implicit and explicit attitudes related to black women’s hair. In conjunction with a creative team at SheaMoisture. The study included 4,163 participants: a national sample of 3,475 men and women, and a sample of 688 “naturalista” women from an online natural hair community.
The study assessed women’s explicit attitudes toward black women’s hair, hair anxiety, and experiences related to their own hair and implicit attitudes toward black women’s hair: Is natural hair viewed as professional in the workplace? Is it viewed as attractive by the opposity sex? Is there bias against natural hair? And can the science offer any solutions that can help reduce bias and promote positive perceptions of natural hair both for women themselves and among others who see them?
Among the findings:
- On average, white women show explicit bias toward black women’s textured hair. They rate it as less beautiful, less sexy/attractive, and less professional than smooth hair.
- White women in the natural hair community are three times more likely to be neutral than white women in the national sample, though the majority still show preference for smooth hair.
- The majority of participants, regardless of race, show implicit bias against black women’s textured hair.
- Black women in the natural hair community have significantly more positive attitudes toward textured hair than other women, including black women in the national sample.
- Black women who are part of an online natural hair community are more likely to show a preference for black women’s textured hair.
- Millennial naturalistas have more positive attitudes toward textured hair than all other women.
- Black women perceive a level of social stigma against textured hair, and this perception is substantiated by white women’s devaluation of natural hairstyles.
- One in three black women report that their hair is the reason they haven’t exercised, compared to one in ten white women.
- One in five black women feel social pressure to straighten their hair for work — twice as many as white women.
- Black women are more likely to report spending more time on their hair than white women.
- Black women are more likely to report having professional styling appointments more often than white women.
- Black women are more likely to report spending more money on products for their hair than white women.
The “Good Hair” study was conducted by the Perception Institute, a consortium of researchers, advocates, and strategists who translate cutting edge mind science research on race, gender, ethnic, and other identities into solutions that reduce bias and discrimination, and promote belonging. The study found that tightly coiled hair texture is distinctly tied to blackness and has been a marker of black racial identity and beauty norms for centuries. While women of other races and ethnicities with curly or textured hair may experience significant pressure to conform to these beauty standards – I know I have felt that pressure throughout my life – black women experience a unique kind of pressure. Black women are often pitted against each other – those who are natural and those who chemically relax their hair. There are certain value judgments placed on how black women choose to wear their hair, according to the study.
There are certain value judgments placed on how black women choose to wear their hair, according to the study.
“Powered by editorial, advertising, fashion, Hollywood, and social media, the beauty industry drives our visual intake daily,” said the study’s authors. “Our perceptions stem largely from implicit visual processes, and as a result, our brains’ repeated exposure to smooth and silky hair linked to beauty, popularity, and wealth creates associations that smooth and silky hair is the beauty default. Naturally textured hair of black women, by comparison, is notably absent within dominant cultural representation which automatically ‘otherizes’ those natural images we do see – at best they are exotic, counter-cultural, or trendy; more often than not, they are marginal.”
Since launching NaturallyCurly 19 years ago, it can be easy to focus on all of the progress that’s been made. Whether it’s attending a natural hair event or looking at the growing number of models who wear their hair natural, you can get the sense that everybody celebrates and embraces kinks and coils. But the 2016 study by the Perception Institute provided a sobering look at how much there is left to do to help women of color accept their hair, no matter how they choose to wear it.
Last week, the natural hair community was rocked by the news that Sundial Brands, best known for SheaMoisture – the superstar brand that has taken the industry by storm, had brought Bain Capital in as a minority, non-controlling investor in the company.
Social media went crazy!
Did Mitt Romney – former Chairman and President of Bain Capital – buy the company?
Will the product formulations change?
Will the prices go up?
Was SheaMoisture going to abandon its African-American customers?
“WHY?????!!!!! ” – posted one SheaMoisture fan on Lipstickalley.com in response to the news.
We thought it best to take these questions directly to Sundial Brands CEO and founder, Richelieu Dennis. He candidly discussed the partnership with us – what it means for the company and for its customers. And perhaps more importantly, what it doesn’t mean.
Richelieu shared with NaturallyCurly that the Bain investment was driven by the company’s desire to stay competitive, providing it with the resources necessary to provide additional infrastructure to further expand. He said the partnership would enhance Sundial’s social entrepreneurship model, support its multi-brand strategy and enable it to invest in like-minded brands and entrepreneurs.
“Quite simply, we want to be better so that we can serve our communities better, period,” said Richelieu.
Watch the interview
Here are several key take-aways from our conversation with Rich:
1. Bain Capital did not acquire Sundial Brands.
Bain Capital did not acquire Sundial Brands. Bain is a minority investor. Richelieu will continue to provide the vision and leadership for the company, and Sundial will remain majority, family owned and operated, including its board, management and day-to-day operations. “The family remains truly the majority and truly in control of the business. For us, that is important because our consumers are the most important things to us – always have been.”
Richelieu said the reason they chose to partner with Bain was because of their social mission platform. Bain’s other investments include TOMS shoes, which provides shoes, water, medical treatment and bullying prevention services to people in need.
“We wanted to make sure we had a partner that knew our social mission was part of our business model and that has a proven track record of supporting mission driven businesses over and beyond just it as a marketing tool, but really as a business model,” he says.
As for Mitt Romney’s involvement in Bain, he left the investment firm 16 years ago.
2. Formulas and prices won’t change.
SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage’s product formulations and prices won’t change. In fact, Richelieu stressed that it was key to him that any investment, regardless of the partner, not impact “the integrity of the company’s products, formulations or vision.”
SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage’s product formulations and prices won’t change.
3. Sundial is not abandoning its core African-American customer base.
The company has been criticized by some customers for expanding its marketing to address a diverse range of customers. Richelieu stresses, “we recognize that African-American women have long been at the forefront of the natural hair and body movement that has created the dynamic cultural shift that we see today. It is exciting for us to see how Naturalistas have now empowered women from all backgrounds to embrace their natural beauty.”With Bain’s support, Richelieu said Sundial is committed to elevating and growing the “New General Market,” which he defines as a consolidation of cultures, ethnicities and demographics aligned with commonalities, needs and lifestyles. “I’ve always said that the only place in America where segregation is still legal is in the beauty aisle,” he says. “I’ve worked to change that with our introduction of the New General Market concept to beauty and retail.”
4. Sundial plans to be the acquirer – not the acquired.
Part of the company’s strategy is to invest in other minority-owned or under-resourced businesses. “We are thrilled to now be positioned to continue our identification, support and development – whether via acquisition or other investments – of other entrepreneurial brands that share our vision and values,” he says.
Richelieu started Sundial Brands in 1992 with his college roommate, Nyema Tubman, and his mother, Mary Dennis, shortly after graduating from college and being unable to return to his home country of Liberia because of civil war. From its humble beginnings of selling products on the streets of New York City to distribution and co-creation of its flagship brands – including SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage – Sundial Brands has become a major household name. Most recently, Sundial Brands was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The company celebrates its 25th year in business next year.
The investment in Sundial Brands by Bain Capital is the latest in a series of newsworthy deals in the hair care category.
As fellow pioneers in this industry we look forward to seeing what the next chapter brings for Richelieu and the Sundial team.
I’m always looking for great new books that help inspire and empower curly kids. I believe our self image is formed early, and any positive messages we receive as children help us accept and embrace what makes us unique. I recently came across author Tiana Bunnell-Mumford, who recently published her debut novel “I Will Not Change My Hair At All.” The book details the story of four friends working through self-image issues. The accompanying journal has quotes, scriptures, and activities to help pre-teens and teens work through similar issues. She is currently in the process of releasing her upcoming ebook entitled “Boys Just Want to Have Fun” geared towards early and beginner readers.
Bunnell-Mumford is the creator of Beauty Beyond the Eyes Mentoring Program, interactive workshops designed to equip young children and teens to believe they can succeed, believe in themselves, be bright in their thinking and be bold in their creativity. She is a freelance writer, teacher and mentor who has worked with children of all ages for the last ten years. She believes empowering children to be their best selves will lead them to success in their future. In addition to her novel, she wrote “Kool Minds Journal for Girls.”
I had the chance to talk to Bunnell-Mumford:
What inspired you to write the book?
I was inspired to write the book myself by tapping into the little girl in me. Growing up all the way until I was an adult I have always been obsessed with my hair to the point I remember not wanting to go to my deceased aunt funeral at the age of 17 years old. Why? Because of my hair.
Reflecting back to starting the journey of writing the book I came up with the conclusion I let my hair shape my character. I wanted my 4 year old daughter and other girls around the world to not allow their hair starting at a young age to shape their character. I wanted the girls to know they can love their hair the way God created it in whatever state it is in whether its curly, french braids, or an afro and not wait until they are well into their 30’s to embrace and love their hair .
How long have you been writing?
I started writing around 15 years ago with life changes such as marriage, school, babies, and a full-time career I put my future writing career on hold until literally a couple years ago. I ended at the time a fulltime job making good money and I had enough time on my hands to pick my writing back up. By doing so I was able to birth out my books which I am so grateful of that decision I made.
What prompted you make a multi-cultural book?
I was prompted to make “ I Will Not Change My Hair At All” a multicultural book for two main reasons. The first reason growing up as a little girl I always had friends who were of different cultural backgrounds. Second I think is important for children to learn about different cultural backgrounds to expand on their knowledge.
How did you come up with the title “I Will Not Change My Hair At All”?
The title actually came from my son who was 5 years old at the time. When I first pitched the book to him his initial response was, ”Mommy you writing a book about God.” My answer was yes however he didn’t get the full take home message of the book.
I didn’t have a title when I approached him so I asked him late at night it was. He burst out “I Will Not Change My Hair At All”. I loved it I thought it went with the story and it was very catchy and I went with it.
The title actually came from my son who was 5 years old at the time.
Where would readers purchase a copy of the book?
Readers could purchase the books several places. Online at Amazon, Bookpatch, Barnes& Nobles, Createsapace, and my online bookstore creativemindswork/bookstore. If the readers ever visit Indianapolis, IN books can be purchased at Indy Reads Books, Overcoming Church, Shodah Spalon, Changes Total Hair Salon, Etc Skin &Body Salon, The Wild bookstore, coming soon to Half Price Books and Eskenazi Health Hospital giftshop. Also “ I Will Not Change My Hair At All” is available at Peyton Manning Hospital for children who are ill to read while staying there or visiting.
Also there is a journal “Kool Minds for Girls” that is available online and at the locations as well.
What could readers expect from you as a children’s author next?
Bunnell-Mumford: Readers could expect more I am currently finishing up on my Ebook coming soon.
April of 2016 look for Chapter book “ Barber Shop Talk” & Kool Minds for Boys Journal
How could readers follow you or get in touch with you as a Children’s Author?
Readers could follow me on Instagram @CreativeMindsWorkPub, Twitter @CreativeMindz01
When it comes to Oprah’s hair, nobody knows it better than stylist Andre Walker.
Over the years, he has created some of her iconic styles. He knew she planned to go natural years before she grew out her relaxer. “As long as I’ve known Oprah, she’d always said ‘When I turn 50, I’m cutting my relaxer off and going natural,'” Walker says. “I didn’t believe it.” She loved the way her looked after they would cornrow her hair and take it out. “She said she wanted to look like that and she wanted to encourage people to embrace their natural texture at some point,” Walker says. “She always thought that way, but never did it because it’s a hard thing for people to accept. Twenty years ago, it just wasn’t as easy to wear natural hair.”
Walker met her more than three decades ago when she was hosting “AM Chicago” – before she was a household name who went by one name. Oprah would go up to people whose hair she liked and ask who did their hair. Walker’s name kept coming up. At the same time, Walker had noticed Oprah on TV and thought he could improve her look. He sent her a note saying “I’m just dying to get my hands on your hair” along with a bouquet of flowers. Oprah recognized his name and thought the partnership must be “meant to be,” Walker recalls. The rest is history.
Some of Walker’s hair creations for Oprah will be on display in May when O Magazine celebrates its 15th Anniversary with a retrospective of Oprah’s cover styles – from pixies to up do’s to the infamous afro, with insight from Walker on how to achieve these looks at home. NaturallyCurly had the chance to talk with Walker about his his philosophy about texture, his haircare line and what its like to be Oprah’s stylist.
NaturallyCurly owes a debt of gratitude to Walker for creating the foundation for our Texture Typing system in your 1998 book “Andre Talks Hair.” What prompted you to create your Texture Typing System?
For so many years, there was a perception that if you were black or white, your hair is a certain way. What I tried to do with my hair typing system was to say that regardless of what race you are, we share qualities in the hair we have. It’s for everybody.
I have to ask. What’s it like working so closely with Oprah?
It’s been an amazing partnership. She’s been fantastic person to work with over the years. She’s totally changed my life and my view on life.
Do you do Oprah’s hair for all of her magazine covers?
Yes. It’s a collaboration with the creative director, Adam Glassman. He’ll come up with the idea and then we’ll meet and talk about how to create the look. I’m never in a situation where he says, this is how it’s going to be.
Do you have a favorite cover?
The afro cover was the favorite of everyone. They came to me and said “What can we do to create a huge afro – something really big.” I had a month to think about it. I had a friend who was a wig maker and she said she had the perfect wig for me. It was so much hair. I wanted it to dry naturally and wanted to style it afterward,a nd I wanted it to have a lot of texture. I had it hanging in my bathroom, upside down, over a bathtub for three days. I really tried to tease it and make it as big as it could possibly be.
Did you get any flack because you used a wig?
I never tried to get people to think she was wearing her own hair. In this industry, wigs and hair pieces can be a positive thing.
Some would say that you’re not truly natural if you use wigs or straighten your hair. What are your thoughts?
There are definitely people who are purists when it comes to natural hair. I think that takes the fun out of hair styling. Let’s face it. We live in the 21st century. There is so much available to us. Having options is really the most important thing. If you want to wear a wig, wear it! If you want extensions, wear those too! If you want to be completely natural, be natural! But don’t judge someone else for their choices.
Tell me about the cover for the anniversary issue:
For this cover (which was shot in black and white”>, her hair is swept dramatically over her shoulder.
What are some of the challenges you have on the set when it comes to hair?
If we’re shooting in the studio, there aren’t many challenges because it’s climate controlled. But when you’re doing a shoot on location, weather poses challenges. I try to avoid doing styles that the weather can affect. I remember trying to shoot a straight style in a rain forest and thinking, this is not going to work. It’s best to go with a more natural look.
Why did you decide to create your own haircare line, The Gold System?
I always had to cocktail products to get the look I wanted. I was always mixing a little of this and a little of that – some cream, some gel, some oil. When I created my line, I wanted it to be easy to use and also healthy for the hair. Beautiful Kinks was developed to create a moist, controlled, defined textured look with one product. (Beautiful Kinks is a favorite of Oprah and Beyonce”> My motto for The Gold System is “Make Peace with Your Hair.” Everyone has beautiful hair. Do what it does naturally. Let’s embrace it!
After so many years and so many styles, do you and Oprah feel a need to constantly recreate and refresh her style or is she more interested in finding a signature look?
Her life is so interesting. She may be doing a movie one month and shooting a magazine cover the next. Those things – as well as current trends – influence what her look is. These days, she’s all over the place. She’s natural most of the time, but she may straighten her hair occasionally for a cover. Ease is the most important thing to her now. She likes to do stuff that’s simple. She likes to be able to handle her hair on her own without a stylist all the time.
How has the world changed when it comes to texture?
It used to be that people looked at natural hair as unattractive or militant. It had all of these negative connotations. People wanted straight hair – the straighter the better. If you had kinky hair, that was bad hair. Today, kinky hair is considered beautiful. It’s something to be embraced.
When we launched NaturallyCurly 17 years ago, it was a bleak landscape for women with curls and coils. You had to search to find products designed specifically for our needs.
So when we started hearing the buzz building about a Brooklyn Salon that had created a line of products especially for natural texture, we had to know more. The salon was Curve, and the products were called Miss Jessie’s. Women on CurlTalk wanted to get their hands on this amazing Curly Pudding and Curly Meringue they were hearing about. I called the salon and talked to Titi Branch, one of the creators of the line. Soon we were selling it on CurlMart, and it became one of the hottest sellers.
Over the years, I got to know both Titi and Miko Branch and watched as the Miss Jessie’s brand became a household name for curly girls worldwide. As a fellow entrepreneur, I am thrilled at the success of the Branch sisters. Their passion and perseverance are a key reason why texture is now one of the hottest categories in haircare.
“Miss Jessie’s: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch – Naturally” is part memoir, part business guide, written by Miss Jessie’s’ CEO Miko Branch with Titi Branch. It is a story even more poignant because of the death last year of Titi Branch, to whom the book is dedicated.
When Miko and Titi were children, their grandmother, Miss Jessie, showed them the value of being “do it yourself” women, all while whipping up homemade hair concoctions at her kitchen table. As co-founders of Miss Jessie’s, Miko reveals how she and Titi applied those lessons to create a successful business from scratch.
“We’ve helped transform an industry as well as a culture, changing the way women around the globe embrace their natural hair texture,” Miko writes. “This it the story of how we did it and a blueprint for how you too can become an entrepreneur and make waves in any industry you choose.”
Miko says “there’s a message here for every individual who doesn’t feel that he or she has an opportunity to be successful, whether that person is young, a single mother, working class and coming up without advantages, or an aspiring hairdresser who wants to dream big. We did it; so can you.”
The Branch sisters exemplify what I love most about being a part of this curl revolution – a truly grass-roots revolution started by entrepreneurs who were tired of waiting for others to create the products they needed. Through hard work, sacrifice and not taking no for an answer, they helped shape a world where women now have amazing options. It’s a world I couldn’t have imagined 17 years ago.
And it’s a lesson that transcends curly hair.
Giveaway
We’re giving away signed copies of “Miss Jessie’s: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch – Naturally” to 5 lucky winners.
How to enter
Tell us why you want to win this book, do you have a dream of starting your own business? Let us know in the comments!
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, as per our Terms and Conditions.
*Please make sure you have liked us on Facebook, so that when we can notify you if you’ve won.
This giveaway ends Monday, April 20.
No, I’m not hating on the short bob she rocked at the “I Heart Radio Music Awards” Sunday night. The cut was sassy and stylish. But it seems like years since we’ve caught a glimpse of the 3a/3b ringlets that made her a curly icon when she hit the scene as a country-singing teenager. Those curls inspired an entire generation of teens to give their flatirons a rest – at least for a day or two.
Her hairstyles have evolved along with her musical journey. Early on, as a young teenager, she rarely changed her curly style. It made big news in 2009 when she straightened her long curls for her 20th birthday.
Over the last few years, she began testing out shorter hairstyles, and made the big cut in February 2014. She actually uploaded a video to Instagram taken during her latest haircut in London. In the clip, she is surrounded by a huge group of cheering people.
“This is how many people are watching me get a haircut right now,” she says. “We don’t do anything without an audience, do we?”
As you know, NaturallyCurly has always been about styling options. If people want to straighten their curls, we provide them with the information and tips they need to do it with as little damage as possible. But what bothers me is the impact – and reaction – to her straighter look.
When Swift cut her hair last year, ET published an article titled Taylor Swift’s ‘Hair-Story’: From Curly to Chic. Teen Vogue called her transition from long, flowing curls to her “chic lob” on trend. Some have said the new look is more grown up, as if you can’t be a curly adult.
Some have said the new look is more grown up, as if you can’t be a curly adult.
It’s as if the word curly and chic are oxymorons, which they aren’t. Looking through her transformation galleries, my reaction was that Swift can look beautiful, stylish and yes, chic, with her hair curly, straight, wavy, up, down, etc.
We’ve seen similar transformations on a regular basis on such reality shows as American Idol, with contestants getting straighter makeovers the further they advance in the competition. It’s troubling that there still seems to be a perception that in order to be successful, you have to change something so central to your identity.
I’m not the only one who misses Swift’s curls. There have been numerous discussion board threads dominated by this topic.
“The sundress and curly hair Taylor is the one I want,” lamented one poster.
“Taylor was interesting to me because she was the only one curly in a world where straight is the ideal of hair beauty. But she made me feel like curly can be beautiful too, and it’s also unique and cool.
When she straightened it I got disappointed because for me, it was just like she became like everyone else. And lost that thing that made her look so special.”
What I worry about now is that Swift is trapped with this new look and curls aren’t even an option. The precision cut with bangs doesn’t really lend itself to a wash and wear look. As someone who rocked bangs and layers in the ‘80s, I was a slave to my blowdryer and curlers.
On one site, a fellow curly provides a step-by-step tutorial on achieving Swift’s new lob. It had 8 steps, involving a blowdryer, flatiron and curling iron as well as a number of products.
I fear that Swift has gone the way of other famed curly like Juliana Margulies, Debra Messing, Julia Roberts and Keri Russell who now wear their hair straight as a bone all the time. It’s almost as if the more “acceptable” curly has become, the less you see it among celebrities.
I don’t begrudge Swift her right to change up her look. I just miss her curls.
What do you think about Taylor Swift’s “hair transformation?”
Colin Walsh is just a little excited about what’s in store for DevaCurl.
“We’re going to blow some minds this year,” says Walsh, who took over as CEO of the 13-year-old hair product company in November 2013.
For a company that has helped pioneer the curl category – creating new words in our curlipedia like No-Poo and CG – that’s quite a promise.
The company’s plans – Deva 2.0 – include product additions designed specifically for different textures, the opening of a second training academy in New York and a certification program for stylists (with a physical test before certification is granted”>. The company already launched its new website in early February.
Last week, I visited DevaCurl’s new SoHo corporate headquarters, which brings together its 25 corporate employees under one roof for the first time. Walsh left Matrix USA – the second-largest professional haircare brand in the United States – to take the position with DevaCurl. Walsh, who always brims with energy, is giddy as he plays tour guide of the new digs.
The space was designed to encourage communication, trust and creativity. The all-glass conference room sits in the middle so that all meetings are out in the open.
“We’ve taken a team that was spread around the country and moved it to our Curl Campus,” Walsh says, referring to the corporate headquarters, the original SoHo salon and the new 4,300-square-foot Academy.
DevaCurl has made a major mark in the curly world, getting its start in a salon 19 years ago founded by Denis DaSilva and Lorraine Massey. It was one of the first salons to focus on curly hair.
Out of the salon grew the DevaCurl product line, starting with Mist-er Right and followed by No-Poo. No-Poo ignited a shampoo revolution by changing the way we think about cleansing our hair and the importance (or rather unimportance”> of the lather in that process. DevaCurl basically created the cleansing conditioner category.
Walsh knows he took the helm of a company that is an institution in the curly world. And he also knows the curly category is much more crowded than it was when the company got its start. Women with curls and coils now have hundreds of brands to choose from for their curl products.
“We are reestablishing and reaffirming our leadership position,” Walsh says. “We want to listen, support and celebrate.”
The new web site, Devacurl.com, is a major part of that strategy.
“We have the expertise and authority to be at the center of the curl conversation,” Walsh says. “The new web site symbolizes that.”
Walsh says the new site now serves as a hub where people can find a stylist and watch videos about how to use products to get different wavy, curly and coily looks.
The company’s changes go well beyond a new website. DevaCurl customers can expect some exciting new launches in the second half of 2015. “We have a unique understanding of what the right products are for people from the thousands we care for in our salons every year,” Walsh says.
While the 3-Step regime (No-Poo, One Condition and Light Defining Gel“> have been at DevaCurl’s core, Walsh says DevaCurl will be better addressing how product use is influenced by lifestyle and texture. The products and techniques line will now cater to three specific hair types: wavy, curly and coily.
One of the most important initiatives for Devacurl will take place behind the chair.
While there are currently thousands of stylists who have taken either the 1-day class to become Deva-Inspired or the 3-day Advanced class, these credentials have been granted based on attendance in the program versus demonstration of technical skill. To change that, Deva is introducing a new certification program. Stylists will be required to do a physical test to show they have mastered the skills to earn certification.
“We have a responsibility to the client to help stylists develop a true expertise,” Walsh says.
This training will take place at Deva’s Culver City Academy as well as a new 4,300-square-foot SoHo Academy that will open March 1st. The New York academy will feature 22 stations, 12 Deva “bed sinks” and a media wall to bring to life the training.
Even as the company grows, Walsh says DevaCurl will stay true to its mission statement: “Ask a curly girl about her hair and she’ll tell you about her life. She’ll tell you about her childhood, her family, her friends, and the way she sees herself in the mirror. We’ve spent two decades at the center of this conversation. It’s curly, it’s complicated, it’s fun, and we get it.”
“We won’t be losing the authenticity of what this company is about,” Walsh says.
This article is sponsored by DevaCurl.
“Tracee Ellis Ross is Big on Big Hair”
That was the headline of the one-page interview about Ross in the Sunday, Jan. 25th issue of the New York Times Magazine section. It would be one thing if it was an interview about style or fashion. But this was supposed to be an interview about Ross and her role on “Black-ish” (her new hit show on ABC”>, her social media presence and her childhood as a daughter of the legendary singer Diana Ross. How many interviews have you read lately with Meryl Streep or Reese Witherspoon where their hair has become the main topic of conversation? “Tell me how your long blonde locks have shaped you as an actress.” “Do you feel like your new bob will limit the number of good roles you’re offered?” With curly/coily girls, our hair always takes center stage.
A sampling of questions in the Ross article included:
Q: You seem very comfortable wearing your hair natural on TV. Is that a new phenomenon for someone who has been in the business for a while, doing both film and TV?
Q: It feels like a very transformative moment for television, to have Viola Davis in “How to Get Away with Murder” removing her wig in one scene, Olivia Pope going natural in “Scandal” in another, and even in movies, like “Beyond the Lights.”
Q: There is a very deep, deep, deep Internet rabbit hole you can go down for natural hair routines and regimens and styles. It’s so incredible.
At one point, Ross says: “Oh, my God, our entire conversation has been about hair, this is hilarious.” Don’t get me wrong. I think Ross has been a very positive, vocal role model when it comes to embracing one’s natural hair texture. She shared the impact of social media to change perceptions of beauty and to help women feel more comfortable about their natural texture. My favorite comment came at the end of the interview, when she talked about the issue of hair not being an ethnic issue. “I don’t think that this is necessarily a mixed-girl or a black-girl conversation. I think it’s a curly-girl conversation.”
I was shocked and deeply saddened today when I heard that Titi Branch died. I have known Titi, who co-founded the Miss Jessie’s line with her sister Miko, since the early days of NaturallyCurly. She was an incredible woman and a spirited, passionate entrepreneur. Over the years, over many cups of coffee and glasses of wine, we forged a friendship. I can vividly remember the first time we met in person. She was hard to miss, walking into the restaurant with her amazing head of caramel curls and her gorgeous smile. I have such respect for what she and Miko built. Together, they were key pioneers that helped create the natural hair industry.
Titi and Miko opened their salon 17 years ago in Brooklyn with one thing in mind: to respond to the need for experts in texture in all of its forms. Originally named Curve Salon, they used their savings and did the renovation themselves, right down to stripping the floors.
The salon quickly got people’s attention, with customers flocking from around the country for expertise from Miko, the head stylist. With the new SoHo salon, the sisters recreated the feel of their original salon in a brownstone Brooklyn, with its high ceilings, chandeliers and wood floors. The focus is on elegant comfort. Even the bathrooms feature chandeliers.
Born to a Japanese mother and an African-American father, Titi and Miko spent their early years fighting full heads of textured hair. With the help of their grandmother “Miss Jessie”— a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners woman who created homemade concoctions to help her granddaughters control their crazy curls. Titi and Miko would watch their grandmother create mixtures using ingredients found in the kitchen, such as eggs and castor oil. Those nourishing treatments evolved into the Miss Jessie’s product line for wavy, curly and kinky hair—Holy Grail products such as Curly Pudding and Baby Buttercreme.
In 2004, after a year of testing and tweaking, the sisters proudly launched the Miss Jessie’s collection. The first product to hit the shelves was Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding. Six months later, they launched Curly Meringue, followed by Curly Buttercreme and Baby Butttercreme. Today, the Miss Jessie’s line, which includes a full range of shampoos, conditioners, treatments and styling products, is available at a wide range of locations, including CurlMart and Target.
Titi, you will be deeply missed. You left us too young.
Watch this touching tribute to Titi on Miss Jessie’s YouTube channel:
Written by NaturallyCurly Co-Founder Michelle Breyer for her blog, The Curly Connection
PHOTO: MIT RESEARCHERS JAMES MILLER AND PEDRO REIS
Growing up, I always envied the silky-haired girls with ponytails that swished. Darcy Waterman, a girl on my high school track team, had a long sleak sun-streaked ponytail that cascaded down her back, swinging from side to side as she jogged effortlessly in front of me. That ponytail mocked me. My puff of a ponytail was immobile – like a bonsai tree on top of my head.
Little did I know that the difference in our two ponytails was something being studied by scientists around the world who were trying to tease out the physics of curly hair.
Curly girls know first hand how challenging their coils and ringlets can be. The complexities of curls, coils and waves also challenged the film and computer animators who tried to recreate them.
Most of the heroes and villains in animated films had hair that was extremely rigid straight hair, swinging to and fro. It was rare to see an animated character with bouncy, curly hair, since computer animators didn’t have a simple mathematical means for describing it.S o it was was big news when scientists last month announced they had created the first detailed model of a 3D strand of curly hair was recently created – something that had vexed film animators for decades.
Researchers at MIT, in Cambridge, Mass., and the Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie (UPMC”> built their model using flexible rods to examine varying degrees of curliness.
“Our work doesn’t deal with the collisions of all the hairs on a head, which is a very important effect for animators to control a hairstyle,” study co-author Pedro Reis, an assistant professor in MIT’s department of civil and environmental engineering, said in a statement. “But it characterizes all the different degrees of curliness of a hair and describes mathematically how the properties of the curl change along the arc length of a hair.”
Using lab experimentation, computer simulation, and theory, the team identified the main parameters for curly hair and simplified them into two dimensionless parameters for curvature (relating to the ratio of curvature and length”> and weight (relating to the ratio of weight and stiffness”>. Given curvature, length, weight, and stiffness, their model will predict the shape of a hair, steel pipe, or Internet cable suspended under its own weight.
As a strand of hair curls up from the bottom, its 2-D hook grows larger until it reaches a point where it becomes unstable under its own weight and falls out of plane to become a 3-D helix. Reis and co-authors describe the 3-D curl as a localized helix, where only a portion of the strand is curled, or a global helix, if the curliness extends the entire length up to the head.
A curl can change phase — from 2-D to 3-D local helix to 3-D global helix, and back again — if its parameters change. Because a strand of hair is weighted from the bottom by gravity, the top of the strand has more weight under it than the tip, which has none. Thus, if the weight on a hair is too great for its innate curliness, the curl will fail and become either straight or helical, depending on the strand’s length and stiffness.
For the curvature study, Miller created flexible, thin rods using molds as small as a bottle of Tabasco sauce and as large as the columns in MIT’s Lobby 7 (about a meter in diameter”>. He injected a rubber-like material inside hollow flexible tubing wrapped around these molds. Once the rubber material cured and the tubing was cut away, Miller and Reis had flexible polyvinyl thin rods whose natural curvature was based on the size of the object around which they had been wrapped.
“One of the key issues was how to handle the distribution of intrinsic curliness found in real hair,” reis said.
They were able to focus in detail on the properties of a single curly hair under gravity.
“The fact that I am bald and worked on this problem for several years became a nice running joke in our lab,” Reis says. “But joking aside, for me the importance of the work is being able to take the intrinsic natural curvature of rods into account for this class of problems, which can dramatically affect their mechanical behavior. Curvature can delay undesirable instability that happens at higher loads or torsion, and this is an effect that engineers need to be able to understand and predict.”
In addition to helping animators create more realistic curls, this technology also also could be used by engineers to predict the curve that long steel pipes, tubing, and cable develop after being coiled around a spool for transport. In the field, these materials often act like a stubborn garden hose whose intrinsic curves make it behave in unpredictable ways. In engineering terminology, these items — and hair — are all examples of a slender, flexible rod.
This work was funded by the National Science Foundation, Schlumberger, the MIT-France Program, and a Battelle-MIT postdoctoral fellowship.
SheaMoisture, a curly staple for his haircare products, has expanded into makeup.
Momolu, a “Project Runway” All-Star who was awarded as “fan favorite” and finished the Bravo hit show’s fifth season as first runner-up, will debut her sophisticated and military-inspired “Urban Coup” collection at Fashion Week. The collection pays tribute to the increasing strength and precision of women’s wear in the fashion industry, and will present a parade of fresh cuts and silhouettes to compliment the modern woman’s lifestyle.
“A Better Way to Beautiful” launches this spring exclusively at Target stores. The makeup is shea butter-based with certified organic and natural ingredients, and features palettes in two sizes that may be customized. The paraben-free collection includes cc cream, lip stain, lip gloss, wet/dry eye shadow, mineral blush and other offerings, with a range of on-trend vibrant, classic and nude shades that suit all skin tones.
“I can’t think of a more authentic brand to help bring about my vision for the fall/winter 2014 collection. SheaMoisture’s celebration of community, culture and dedication to global beauty and wellness inspires me tremendously as an artist, as a woman and as a Liberian. I am honored to have their continued support,” says designer Momolu.
NaturallyCurly’s Co-Founder Michelle Breyer feels that “with enormous brand equity among consumers (they won numerous Editor’s Choice and Best of the BestAwards on TextureMedia”> it’s brilliant to launch a makeup line now.”
Breyer blogged that “at this rate, expect the SheaMoisture empire to continue to grow and confound the largest players in the beauty industry, giving the Goliaths a run for their money.”
PHOTO BY @STYLENBEAUTYDOC
PHOTO BY RICHARD BURBRIDGE
Makeup artist Sonia Kashuk says she was blessed with the “craziest, kookiest curly hair.”
Because my hair was so daunting I didn’t really know what to do with it, I began tying it up on top of my head,” Kashuk says.
Her wild curly bun has become the signature look she’s worn for 30 years.
“As I get a little older, and I pull my hair a little tighter,” Kashuk says “it’s an instant face lift. It is what it is.”
Kashuk’s no-nonsense approach to her hair can also be seen in the makeup line she created for Target – a line that celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. She wanted to bring high-end cosmetics and accessories directly from manufacturer to store – a luxury product at an affordable price.
Kashuk took time away from her busy schedule to talk with NaturallyCurly about her hair, her makeup and makeup tips for curly girls.
NaturallyCurly: As a curly girl, have you always loved your curls or has it taken time?
Kashuk: As a kid, my mother couldn’t deal with it. I always had my hair short. My mom had five children, so it was one less thing for her to worry about. I’m definitely the curliest of all my siblings. I got the crazy, curly corkscrew hair. It was not until my late teens that I finally grew out my hair. I’d never had long hair. It became a whole different ballgame.
People have always said “You have the coolest hair.” I’m glad I’ve got hair on my head, but you always want what you don’t have. I see these girls with pretty, silky hair and I think that would be amazing. But my hair takes approximately three minutes. I don’t wear it differently if I’m wearing sweats or going to a black-tie affair.
NC: Do you ever straighten it?
Kashuk: I think that when I see myself blown out, it’s like ‘Who is that person?’ I’m so used to volume and bigness. I’m one of those curly haired girls that goes crazy when my hair is smooth. I want to be more natural. I just think if you’re born with this crazy, curly hair, it all looks better the way it’s supposed to. It’s about finding that comfort zone”
NC: What are your favorite hair products?
Kashuk: I’m a huge Oribe fan, especially the Supershine Moisturizing Cream and the Signature Moisture Masque. I wash my hair once a week and condition it once a day. My hair also loves the Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil. It’s hard to find products that aren’t drying. I can’t stand if anything makes it feel crunchy. It has to appear totally natural.
NC: Do you ever wear your hair down?
Kashuk: Not too often. It’s like a whole other living being.
NC: How often do you get it cut?
Kashuk: My last haircut was in July. You have to cut it like it’s a piece of sculpture.
As soon as someone comes to give me a blunt end, I know they don’t understand curly hair. It’s very low maintenance for me. My deal is I don’t deal.
NC: Tell me about your bun.
Kashuk: I don’t like it if looks too perfect. I like it to look free form and sculptural. I actually prefer when there are a lot of layers so different pieces come out differently. It’s like a giant spider on top of my head.
NC: What are some tips you have for curly girls when it comes to makeup?
Kashuk: It so depends. If you wear your hair curly and it’s covering your face, you may want to have a stronger eye or a stronger lip so a feature stands out. Other than that, when I pull my hair up I feel it makes my face more taut and pulls my eyes up. That’s a very good thing. I can either wear makeup. Or if you’re exposing your whole face, you can go for a strong smokey eye, with a soft and neutral lip color.
We used to always say do one feature. But now there’s that old classic showgirl face with a strong eye and strong lip. It’s a lot more of a makeup statement. If you want to be a little softer look, you can do that if the eye or lip is the focus. We can each look at our face and know what our strongest feature is. It’s all about being in your comfort zone.
NC: Are there things girls should girls should be doing differently than straight-haired women when it comes to makeup?
Kashuk: Not really. It’s no different. The only difference is that curly hair can be so big and overwhelming that you can get lost in it all.
NC: What are your makeup must haves?
Kashuk: I always have some foundation. I love our Perfecting Foundation. We just released a Stick Foundation. I also love bronzer, like our Illuminating Bronzer. I also like to have a great blush and lip color. My whole line is about wearable color. I always say we’re on trend, but not trendy.
PICTURED: MICHELLE BREYER (LEFT”> AND HER STRAIGHT-HAIRED SISTER (RIGHT”>
Erica:
Hi NaturallyCurly,
I am a Jewish young woman who has been using your website NaturallyCurly.com for some time. My hair is mixed texture and definitely has a few types of kink. It’s been very interesting to discover that my hair type is not included in the current texture typing system. I think that talking about Jewish hair and its related issues and history could be a valuable contribution to the natural hair conversation.
Because NaturallyCurly.com has been such a valuable resource for me on this journey I wanted to touch base with TextureMedia first. Perhaps you could give me some guidance on how to start talking about Jewish hair? Or perhaps we can figure out how to work on the conversation together?
Any and all thoughts are appreciated and I thank you for your time.
Best,
Erica
NaturallyCurly:
Hi Erica,
Thank you so much for your message. Love this topic, I actually started the site 15 years ago because growing up curly I was similarly frustrated by the dearth of information on curly hair, the lack of conversations happening around curls and the scarcity of curl-specific products and stylists who understood how to work with curls and kinks. After 15 years in the industry my insight would be that there’s no such thing as Jewish hair. Some Jews, depending upon their background, have kinky or curly hair. Some have straight hair.
I think there are definitely issues related to how some Jewish women feel about their hair. I know when I went away to Jewish camp in the summer, I was so envious of the girls who had the long, silky hair. Some of us did have Jew ‘Fros. There are Jews from Eastern Europen and Jews from Spain. I have an Orthodox Jewish cousin with stick straight blonde hair. My own sister has totally straight hair, and I always envied her feathered Farrah Fawcett hair growing up.
Because two siblings with the same parents, in the same immediate family can have completely different curl patterns and hair textures (much less porosity, density, width etc”>, we found other ways to describe our hair besides ethnicity or race.
We’ve found that the most comprehensive way of identifying curl pattern is to use the Texture Typing system, but I get that you feel your hair type isn’t included in the Texture Typing system. More often than not, curlies have multiple curl patterns and hair textures on their head, so while your hair is not likely to fall entirely under one curl pattern, it is at least a jumping off point to understanding the products and regimen that’ll work best for you.
We’d love to open up the conversation to our readers in the comment section too. Curly community, weigh in!
Best,
Michelle
MORE: WHAT IS YOUR TEXTURE TYPE? TAKE THE QUIZ
Musician Valerie June may rock a head of dreadlocks. But her music is more “organic moonshine roots” than Reggae – something that often surprises people who hear her perform.
Born Valerie June Hockett, the Tennesee native said her sound combines such genres as gospel, country, folk, bluegrass and the blues. On her new album Pushin’ Against a Stone, June is making a name for herself with music fans around the world. The album, her fourth, was inspired by her struggles to make it in life.
She says “Some days it’s a good thing to have, like a best friend, and sometimes it’s your worst enemy. In the case of this record, I had so many friends helping me move the stone.” Those friends include such legendary producers as Dan Auerbach and fellow musicians like Booker T. Jones.
NaturallyCurly caught up with June during her recent trip through Austin for ACL Fest. We talked to her about her music, and of course her trademark hair.
NC: How did you come up with “organic moonshine roots music” to describe your music?
June: It’s a whimsical name for my music. I want people to come in with a question in their mind. I want them to say ‘What is that?’ Then when you come in, they can be open to what I do. It’s the way to keep their mind open.
NC: It sounds like it’s been a busy year for you. I just heard an interview with on NPR and read an article about you in the New York Times Magazine.
June: It has been a busy year. I’ve been in Europe most of the year, and at home for five weeks – five minutes here, two minutes there. A lot has changed in that sense. I’m on the road all the time. It’s all good. I work hard to play hard, I guess.
NC: How do people react when you first started performing? With your dreadlocks, do they expect the voice they hear?
June: When people see me, they have a misconception of who I am. I do it all the time myself. It’s just human. Even when I walk down the street. A lot of brothers will look at me and say “rasta.” (On stage”>, I can’t really see their reaction because I usually sing with my eyes closed. I get into the moment and let it go and don’t even think about that.
NC: So let’s talk about your hair. Tell us about your dreads.
June: I did my hair this way because I don’t want to spend a lot of time on my hair, and I don’t want to use a lot of things on my hair. I used to perm my hair every two weeks=. I burned my scalp off. I would spend hours on my hair. I was ready to do something where I could just wake up and go. I decided to get dreads. I just wanted an easy lifestyle.
NC: How do you care for your dreads?
June: When I’m on the road, I wash it very little. I usually wash it when I have a day off and I’m going to be in the hotel. I love to use Pantene Truly Natural Shampoo. I’ve tried a lot of shampoos and this is the best. Other shampoos make my hair sticky and rough. I also use basic oils on my scalp. I’ll pick up some coconut or olive oil, drench my hair before I wash it and let it sit there. When I wash out the oil, it leaves in enough that it’s not greasy but it’s still moisturized.
Photos Courtesy Of Instagram
A Derby reveler shows his style.
This Kentucky Derby attendee is a vision in pink.
A stunning Derby hat stands out in the crowd.
Earl Spencer’s daughters show a variety of hat styles at William and Kate’s wedding.
Queen Elizabeth wore a lovely yellow hat to her grandson’s wedding..
Justine Thornton, partner of Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband sports a lively hat.
If you didn’t get the hint from the Royal Wedding, than Sunday’s Kentucky Derby left no question. The hottest accessory of the moment is the hat—the bigger and more flamboyant, the better.
This year’s Kentucky Derby hats showcased America’s talent for taking something another country is doing and trying to do it bigger and better. Feathers? Of course! A brim that flops down to the ground? Why not? Strange shape? The stranger the better!
Hats and Curls?
Although hats may not seem curl friendly, curls actually are perfectly suited for hats if you choose the right hat styles and follow a few simple steps.
“Curly hair is actually better suited for hats than straight hair,” says Jonathan Torch of Toronto’s Curly Hair Institute and creator of the Curly Hair Solutions line of products. “One of the greatest joys of curly hair is you can get away with a greater variety of hats.”
Curls provide ideal support for a hat, Torch says. “You can tilt it any way, and it stays. The hat becomes an accessory rather than covering the head.”
Lorraine Massey, author of “Curly Girl” and co-founder of DevaConcepts, loves hats of all kinds — “some with crown space, some close to the head.”
Find the Right Fit
Look for hats that fit the proportion of your hair. If it’s too tight on top, the hair can look clownish (think Bozo!”>. In some cases, it may mean buying a larger hat than your head size in order to accommodate the volume of your hair.
Christo of curl salon Christo Fifth Avenue suggests opting for soft fabrics that are breathable and easy to remove, without changing the shape of the curl. Some women with curls and kinks like looser-fitting hats such as berets, tams and sock hats.
Quick Tips
When wearing a hat, make sure your hair is completely dry. Otherwise, it will leave a strong demarcation line that is hard to correct.
To make a hat look its best, put your head upside down to get as much lift and support at the root area as possible. Then put the hat lightly on your hair.
“Gravity will allow the hat to settle on its own,” Torch says.
When Massey does wear hats, she makes sure to keep clips in her curls at the crown to keep it lifted. “It actually aids in frizz prevention because the frizz can’t rise up,” she says.
Torch stresses that the hair exposed should be frizz-free and defined. “Otherwise, tuck it underneath.”
Hat Head Fixes
On the days you wear hats, carry along some pomade or a curl rejuvenator to combat “hat head.” Some good ones to try include Curly Hair Solutions Tweek and Jessicurl Awe Inspiraling Spray.
“When you want to fix hat head, it’s about fixing from the roots,” Torch says. “Take some Tweek and start rubbing it around the crown. It creates volume. The more you play with the demarcation area, the more you can correct the indentation.”
