Box Braids with Boxes hairstyles are a great place to start sprinkling some new style in. The question keeps buzzing around our mind? You should now be thinking of hairstyles which you could just rock the world! Hair being the most important of a woman gets lots of notice. Styling their hair is their main priority, and they are always looking for methods to make their hair look the ideal way.
History
Hair-braiding styles were used to help differentiate tribes, locations, and also possibly a symbol of wealth and power due to the amount of effort that went into styling braids.Box braids were not given a specific name until the 1990s when popularized by R&B musician Janet Jackson, but have been used for years. This style of braiding comes from the Eembuvi braids of Namibia or the chin-length bob braids of the women of the Nile Valley from over 3,000 years ago.
Box braids also acted as a form of communication during the time of slavery. It was a way for slaves to relay to one another certain paths that could be taken to escape to freedom (i.e. the number of braids worn could indicate how many roads to take).
Culture
Braids have always been an intricate and expansive style. They were also quite expensive when it came to time and materials. “Women weaved their braids using materials like wool, felt, and even human hair,”
Lots of African American women are fond of braids because they are a really good protective style for all kinds of hairs, whether they’re straight, curly, or kinky. This style is frequently chosen by women who have naturally curly hair. Braids protect the hair from the elements, keeping it protected from damage.
Saviano agrees with the claim that in the current era, freer and messy styles dominate braided hair. In contemporary culture, knots that do no need to be tight or perfect are more in style. People generally like braids that look less presentable, trendy, and more relaxing.
Box braids & the black movement
As the Black Power Movement took off in the ’60s and ’70s, so did the first natural hair movement in the U.S. People of color began rejecting European standards of beauty and embracing their roots. Styles like cornrows and afros became all the rage. Best of all, braids were starting to make a serious come up.
Braids served yet another purpose Sugar Lands helped to keep slaves in touch, serving as a secret messaging system they used to exchange messages with one another. Tharpe acknowledges slaves exchanged messages by means of these braided intricately ornamented braids because there were so many of them. For instance, simple plaits could mean a multitude of roads, referring slaves of freedom.
African American women faced a series of difficult challenges during slavery. Nevertheless, they fought diligently to hold onto their ancestral tradition of wearing tightly braided hair extensions. But Emancipation in 1865 led them into a desperate desire to drop the unlucky remnants of their unpleasant past.
Some Black women moved throughout nationwide during the Great Migration and supported their families’ positions in the big cities like Chicago and New York. As they took up guards and domestic jobs, plaits and cornrows steadily came to be seen as backwards. For some, knotting and untying braids was replaced by taking care of waves and chemically straightened locks.
Celebrities and box braids
Janet Jackson first set the trend in 1993 with her first role, Poetic Justice. As soon as the credits started rolling, just about all Black women and soon-to-be Black women were trying to come up with a brand-new hair design. They selected box braids, which the team dressed up with white turbans or topped them off with newsboy caps like Janet.
Many Black celebrities have paid tribute to the popular hairstyle of the 90s through an increased number of box braids, including Gabrielle Union, Zoe Kravitz, and Tia Mowry. Even Janet and Brandy took a look back, bringing back their iconic looks and reminding us why they became a hot trend in the first place.
Benefits of Box Braids
- A few easy care and maintenance tips will keep your box braids easy and untangled, making them the ideal hairstyle for the on-the-go woman. If it is time for you to go to school or work, the low-maintenance hairstyle is perfect for you. Your busy morning will be frictionless when wearing this stylish updo.
- It’s obvious that protecting your hair from the sun’s rays, pollutants, and heat is best accomplished by keeping your hair in its natural state. Wearing box braids protects natural hair from impurities in the air, so it will do well to moisturize the braids.
- Box Braids are braided into separate sections, so upon completing the braid, there are a variety of choices available to you regarding styling. Whether you like to drape your plaited locks up onto a high bun, or down into a bun or ponytail, your preferences are limitless.
- If you’re anything like me you tamper non-stop with your hair. Box braids are a helpful way to keep your hands out of your hair! Leaving your hair alone is a great way to grow your natural hair. Box braids help do this by protecting your natural tresses while giving you something to run your hands through.
- Braids are a great protective style. With braids, your hair is kept away from all contamination, especially dirt, which preserves your end lengths and makes sure that your hair grows longer. If you want to make your ends stay healthy and extend, braided hairstyles are the optimal way to do it. Just be sure not to keep them in for more than two years.
The Warlanders & Box Braids
Harmony Anderson, Author on TheWarlanders.com and a Digital Marketing Strategist for Brands and Professional Content Writer, specializes in writing about Fashion, Health, Nails, Hairs, Sustainable Lifestyle and other informative articles. She works with CEOs, Executives, and Solopreneurs to help them grow their professional and personal brands.
TheWarlanders is a fashion and beauty blog that focuses on the latest trends in nails, hair, and clothing. They strive to provide our readers with information that is both accurate and stylish. Their goal is to help you feel your best, whether you’re attending a party or just going to work. Thanks for reading!
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