hair

Ribbon Hard Hairband

tina — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:00:00 +0000

For twenty years now I’ve been going back and forth between growing my bangs out and having them cut. Needless to say, I love hairbands and need them at different phases of this cut and grow cycle. The Ribbon Hard Hairband from CoverYourHair.com is something that I will use to keep my now-longish bangs out of my eyes. It’s simple, cute, and unobtrusive. Plus, for a hard hairband it’s surprisingly comfortable both on my scalp and behind my ears.

That said, the white Ribbon Hard Hairband is a little boring. Also, while not exactly cheaply made, the process of making a ribbon hairband like this is so simple that even non-crafters like myself could easily do it by following easy online instructions.

Yes, the Ribbon Hard Hairband is “simple and elegant” as the website says, but it’s not the most exciting piece of hairware I’ve ever owned. Some of the other products on the CoverYourHair.com are more compelling. With a wide range of hats, bandanas (both tied and untied), hairbands with tails, turbans, and snoods, the site is worth exploring if you’re an inveterate bangs victim; if you just crave some variety when dealing with weather-related hair issues and wispy strands; or if for some godforsaken reason you want to copy Paris Hilton’s hairband look. The site also links to the company’s YouTube station, which features short videos illustrating how to wear a snood. Admittedly, this is something I would have felt too awkward to try without first seeing an example. At six minutes, the video “Five Secret Tricks for Wearing a Bandana” runs a bit long, but it’s informative and fun.

I recommend trying some Bust Magazine-style DIY fashion if you just want a ribbon hairband. At $4.99 the Ribbon Hard Hairband is cheap and easy, but not worth the shipping and handling fees. If, on the other hand, you want to stock up on hairbands and other hair accessories, CoverYourHair.com is a cool, reasonably-priced site.

Written by: Emily Bowles, November 22nd 2010

Beauty Shop Politics: African American Women’s Activism in the Beauty Industry

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Tiffany M. Gill

University of Illinois Press

In Beauty Shop Politics, Tiffany M. Gill documents the central role that Black beauticians played in the struggle against Jim Crow laws. Beauty shops were one of the few industries that offered Black women some economic stability and upward mobility in the face of segregation. The industry also offered Black women a respectable alternative to domestic labor, as well as a chance to not work for White people. As political tensions rose, civil rights organizers increasingly turned to Black beauticians for disseminating social and political information.

Initially, White English and French men dominated the hair care industry. Black men slowly worked their way in, serving as hairdressers for White women, but that period was short-lived, as the stereotype of Black men as sexual predators began to emerge. During the antebellum period, Black women began to emerge as hairdressers in greater numbers; the early twentieth century saw the emergence of Black female entrepreneurs, namely Annie Malone and Madame C.J. Walker, who played an integral role in expanding Black beauty culture.

Through hard work and sheer perseverance, the women fought for beauticians to gain the respect of the general public. The women had to fight charges that they were inhibiting racial uplift, particularly because their products appeared to straighten Black women’s hair at a time when it was culturally looked down upon. Still, the women fought to have beautician courses established at Black colleges, arguing that the industry provided Black women economic stability. They also fiercely promoted themselves to the public by contributing to various philanthropic causes.

In times of economic hardship, the beauty industry offered Black women an opportunity to enter a respectable profession that entailed a steady income and entrepreneurial opportunities. On the national level, women worked to create a national organization that would legitimize their profession. In 1912, Madame Walker argued that “hairdresser” was a derogatory term, and insisted on the use of the term “beauty culturist.” With their economic and professional status now in place, beauty culturists were quickly gaining a strong foothold and establishing their place within their communities.

Because the Black beauty industry was owned and supplied by Blacks, and catered to the Black community, Black beauticians had some insulation from the economic hardships that their peers faced. Thus, they were able to participate in civil rights activism without the fear of losing their jobs or their customer base. Some, for instance, established literacy schools so that their students would be able to pass voter registration tests. Others distributed information through their beauty shops, which had become central locations for community organizing. Gill also extends her research to the present day, noting how the focus has now shifted from civil rights to women’s health initiatives.

Perhaps the best thing about this book is its accessibility to a wide audience. Gill writes in a clear and engaging style that makes the book an excellent choice for a non-academic reader who is interested in the subject. She includes noted figures in Black women’s history such as Madame Walker, Annie Malone, and Septima Clark, and uses compelling anecdotes about women such as Mahalia Jackson and Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. Most importantly, Gill introduces the reader to a roster of lesser-known figures who also played important roles during this period. The book is an invaluable resource for women’s history and African American history scholars.

Written by: Melissa Arjona, July 6th 2010

Submerged: Tales from the Basin

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:18:00 +0000

Edited by Lauren Gonzalez

StepSister Press

“We’re not popsicles; we’re people,” writes Leslie Gonzalez, one of the contributors to Submerged: Tales from the Basin, a prose and poetry collection about hair and how this physical extension of women’s auras complicates and confirms our place in this life.

While reading the eloquent pieces contributed by various writers to create this book that benefits victims of Hurricane Katrina, I was reminded of my own hair, and how my opinion of it has been influenced by my connection, or disconnection, to who I am.

In junior high, I would start my bedtime prayers with the hope that my hair would be okay in the morning (followed by ending the war in Vietnam and bringing Patty Heart home unharmed). As I read Submerged, this memory surfaced along with the realization that I was really praying that the adolescent me would be okay, among the chattering students of the various—and in the '70s—often feuding groups that populated our school and the struggling outside world.

Editor Lauren Gonzalez pulled together these works, asking authors to focus on the theme of hair, and what emerges is a commonality between all women, not just those who have contributed to the book. We have all blessed and cursed the days when our hair meets society’s standards, and felt the ethnocentrism of hair prejudice, even within a specific cultural group. The writers have all come to a point of acceptance to be who they are internally, making this book an excellent choice to share with anyone who is currently experiencing a “bad hair cycle.”

The poem "The Bazaz Curse" by Ellen Hagan, speaks of hair that’s “a puff of awkward,” a place that everyone has been whether their age is in single or double digits. I especially want to mention "The Jewish Girl Dreams of Hitchcock Hair," a standout piece that can work on stage as well as page. Author Miriam Webb’s final point, “It’s the tragedy of the relentlessly beautiful/to be relentlessly pursued,” sums up not only the dilemma of film heroines, but the predicament of anyone society dubs “beautiful.” The shiksappeal (referencing the television show Seinfeld) of “manageable hair” resonates throughout the poem reminding us that we must accept banes and blessings when we are defined as lovely. There’s always someone in pursuit, and it could be our inner critic, out to get us. The connection we have to our hair and how it projects who we are to the world is explored in this book in an accessible fashion that anyone can relate to.

Written by: Cheryl Ellis, March 28th 2009

Felted Hairpin

admin — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:45:00 +0000

By MWAH! Creations

For those tuned into fiber art trends, you may have noticed that felted creations have been making their way into many corners the past few years. One such corner is the world of hair accessories that Babs from MWAH! Creations has leapt into. One hundred percent wool and attached to an extra fancy bobby pin, these felted hairpins are two-toned and about the size of a nickel. My pin added lovely flair to my short coif, and I received compliments on the street. People also wondered what the hairpin was made of and got me talking about the felted world.

For everyday wearing I would have preferred a louder hairpin with more texture and height, but if you're looking for a subtle hair accessory made by an independent fiber artist, then this is the hairpin for you. My two-toned pin has a white background with a red center-piece, so it has become my period pin, giving the keen folks in my life a little clue into the reason for my more frequent bathroom visits. I'll be seeing that pin every 28-37 days!

MWAH! Creations doesn't stop at hair accessories. They also make bags, felted jewelry and many amazing animals - including my favorite, The Missing Piece, from the Shel Silverstein book. If you're interested in working with felt or just appreciate it, MWAH! Creations is a great place to check out. Long live felt and don't forget to thank the sheep!

Written by: Kaytlyn O'Connor, July 28th 2007