Wild & Free vs. Contained & Polished: The look of natural hair.

[CatSuga]

Wild & Free vs. Contained & Polished, Afro vs. Euro: The look of natural hair.

Friday I'm going to pay $60 to have my natural hair 2 strand twisted.
I can do 2-strands twists my damn self...but they don't look contained & polished the way I would like them to look. When I do them myself they stick out in different directions and are not that even looking. I would like for my twists to look neat and uniform.

I've noticed that some naturals have a strong opinion about the desire for neat-uniformed-contained-polished looks. Some even say that those that desire such a look still holds on to euro-centric values of beauty and are being projecting onto natural hair. What is your opinion on this?

Browse some natural albums and you'll see naturals that like the wild & free look.
Excessive gel and brushing is not needed to groom a puff.
Toss out the pick and finger comb to rock a fro.
Zig-zag around some flat twist to create a unique and funky style.
Ignoring the use of shine enhancing products & just moisturize with water.

**Most of the time.....all of the above grants a "WTF" look from me.

I used to wear a wash and go when my TWA was much shorter. I choose not to wear this style now because my hair is longer and it doesn't look as "neat" to me. Does the definition of "neat" change when judging natural hair?

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I've noticed that some naturals have a strong opinion about the desire for neat-uniformed-contained-polished looks. Some even say that those that desire such a look still holds on to euro-centric values of beauty and are being projecting onto natural hair. What is your opinion on this?
Browse some natural albums and you'll see naturals that like the wild & free look.
Excessive gel and brushing is not needed to groom a puff.
Toss out the pick and finger comb to rock a fro.
Zig-zag around some flat twist to create a unique and funky style.
Ignoring the use of shine enhancing products & just moisturize with water.

**Most of the time.....sll of the above grants a "WTF" look from me.

I used to wear a wash and go when my TWA was much shorter. I choose not to wear this style now because my hair is longer and it doesn't look as "neat" to me. Does the definition of "neat" change when judging natural hair?

I'm not natural, but as someone who plans to transition in the next 16-24 months, I'll add my lil two pennies...
I don't necessarily think that women who prefer a neat and contained look are holding on to Eurocentric standards. I think it's purely a matter of preference and oftentimes has little or nothing to do with ideas or standards proposed by society. In addition, I think there are times/professions when wild & crazy hair is fun & appropriate, but others when it isn't. So many women are maintaining the neat & contained look out of both preference and appropriateness for profession/circumstances. I also suspect that some of the ladies wearin the wild & crazy looks would put more effort into their styles if they had more time & patience to deal with their hair that may be thick/unruly/a lot to handle.

I think the definition of neat changes for natural hair. I personally don't expect the same element of neatness of my natural hair that I can achieve with relaxed hair. The clean & precise lines that exist with a relaxer will just not be there with my natural hair unless it's blown out or pressed, but I'm ok with that. I think much of my hesitation in transitioning before stemmed from this b/c I've always appreciated having very neat looking hair, and my mother was big on my hair being neat/bows matching etc as a child. However, now that I'm an adult, my perspective is a little different b/c I suspect that some of her choices stemmed from wanting to project a particular image and instill certain values while my choice would be indicative of personal preference & freedom.

Excellent questions Cat. I'd love to see pics of the 2-strand twists...I'm trying to gather all the pics & ideas I can before I take plunge!

 

[CatSuga]

It just that alot of things are BUGGING me about how others are quick to slap a "euro-sized" lable on a natural hair.

Example: Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel and waves.
I like IC gel. It makes waves. I like waves.
I can't wait until my hair is long enough for me to pull it back into a wavy puff.
I be damned if someone doesn't pop and and say that you're faking the funk by using gel to achieve something that isn't natural. And that I'm holding on to the eurocentric concept of beauty by wanting to pull my hair back.
I had to hold my mule cause that mess makes me want to shout *****. If I want to put gel on my sh** that my damn bidness and last I checked waves were natural. H**!
(calm down.....calm down.....1,2,3,4....)

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Ok, I get what you're saying...girl no...that is not holding on to anything. I like that junk too...that wavy ponytail look is one that I can't wait for!!! That, IMO, is just you being creative and not walkin 'round lookin like who done it and what for...
If you were REALLY holding on to Eurocentric standards you would be relaxed bone straight & partin down the middle or something.
People are just simple-minded and don't understand personal preference.
Continue to wave that stuff up girl...I know I'ma be wavin it up with my poof first chance I get, lol, :::adding Fantasia Hair Polisher to list of products to buy when I transition:::

 

[natstar]

It just that alot of things are BUGGING me about how others are quick to slap a "euro-sized" lable on a natural hair.

Example: Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel and waves.
I like IC gel. It makes waves. I like waves.
I can't wait until my hair is long enough for me to pull it back into a wavy puff.
I be damned if someone doesn't pop and and say that you're faking the funk by using gel to achieve something that isn't natural. And that I'm holding on to the eurocentric concept of beauty by wanting to pull my hair back.
I had to hold my mule cause that mess makes me want to shout *****. If I want to put gel on my sh** that my damn bidness and last I checked waves were natural. H**!
(calm down.....calm down.....1,2,3,4....)

LMAO

Girl- go what YOU want it's YOUR hair- Being neat IMO has nothing to do with wanting to hold onto a supposed eurocentric standard. i say do what you want and what looks good to you.

 

[onepraying]

It just that alot of things are BUGGING me about how others are quick to slap a "euro-sized" lable on a natural hair.

Example: Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel and waves.
I like IC gel. It makes waves. I like waves.
I can't wait until my hair is long enough for me to pull it back into a wavy puff.
I be if someone doesn't pop and and say that you're faking the funk by using gel to achieve something that isn't natural. And that I'm holding on to the eurocentric concept of beauty by wanting to pull my hair back.........last I checked waves were natural. H**!
(calm down.....calm down.....1,2,3,4....)

I've never heard this but I get this impression when viewing other hair pics.....

This is funny, because not everyone can achieve waves with gel. It's all about your hair type and how it reacts to certain products. I happen to like my waves too....if it waves up it does, if it doesn't it doesn't...I don't see the problem. People have come up with their own way of thinking and then they try to push it off on others....they think they are going back to their roots by wearing their hair wild, but when I last veiwed pics of Africians in Africa, a lot of their hair styles braided neatly, or their hair is very short or covered with a wrap.

What is boils down to is pure and simple rebellion. People don't like to be told what to do. There is order in society and our job sites and companies have rules.

I mean, really, I'm not knocking anyone for wearing their hair in free form, do yo thang........just because I don't want my hair sticking up all over the place don't mean I'm not black or want to be white....sheesh! My hair is already nappy how black do you want me to get??

 

[FlowerHair]

Personally I like the wild and free look. The trend here among young black girls is to not slick their hair down when they wear a pony tail. They let their natural hair be fuzzy and coily and thick/loosely gathered all the way to the pony puff...I love that look!!! Plus they let a few coils be loose beside the ears.

I don't think it's got anything to do with Eurocentric ideals or not, it's just a style. The great thing about our hair whether it's relaxed or not is that we have choices. The choices may be based on style, trends, the amount of time we have to groom ourselves in the mornings, whatever. And the choice is a personal one...

 

[indefinite]

Some African villages utilize the uniformed look as well. They braid nice and neat or thread, so to say only the Europeans adopted the contained 7 polished look is hogwash

 

[StartinOvah]

hmmm...thats a good question for me.

i'm transistioning. and although i so look forward to the day i will wear my hair loose (wild and crazy), i still look at straight/relaxed hair as "clean" and "neat". not that i think natural hair is the opposite, but i wonder how well i will adjust to it not being uber-straight.

i admit i have been bamboozled into thinking straight hair is the best hair. i didn't know i was even being "euro-centric" until i heard a verse in laryn hill's "that thing (dop-wop)". i just never thought of it that way.

i'm choosing to transition for a long time because i know its going to take more than a few inches of new growth to purge all the self-hating images of what someone said i'm supposed to look like. suprisingly, for me, i'm less concerned what other people are going to think of my hair. i wonder if i will recognize my real self when i look in the mirror and like it. i'm happy i made the choice to transition. but i'm still unsure at times, if that makes any sense.

 

[kristina]

I still afraid to wear my natural hair unrestrained so yeah, I'd say I'm into the contained & polished thing myself. Bump those self righteous haters Cat! I think most of the people like that (not all) suffer from what I call that "natural hair-high" when people finally embrace their naturalness as if it's the hair equivalent to a pilgrimage to Mecca. They typically haven't been natural all that long so it's easy to be like that when your natural hair is short. Once they grow it to a certain length- they'll know what you're talking about. Plus, they're total hypocrites anyway since nobody goes without any products (they at least use conditioner).
I'm not that kind of natural. I think there is such thing as too much volume. I'm going to keep straightening my hair when I desire. My hair completely unplugged is scary huge when it dries and I don't like drawing that much and that kind of attention to myself. So my wild look is always designed- a well control twist-out or a blow out fro. And when I get out of braids, I'm going to go back to incorporating a little heat into my routine because frankly, I hate looking like a hot mess trying to be the perfect no-heat no manipulation natural.

 

[caligirl]

I'm still self-conscious thinking that people see my hair as "not neat" or "not done." I feel those with the hair type that they can slick down are more accepted because their hair looks "neat" or "moisturized" whereas mine looks poofy and dry.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

CatSuga I say do you, and whoever don't like it, the heck w/them. I'm not natural but I can say that it has something to do w/preference, personality and style, weather relaxed or natural, all that comes to play when it comes down to how we style our hair, the accessories we by, the way we live, etc.. I prefer to be relaxed bone-straight, but I know for sure where I come from and I am far from trying to be something I know I'm not, and if I was natural I would prefer the neat, uniformed-contained-polish look, because that's just me, and maybe every now and then depending on the outfit and the look I want to achieve for the day I may decide to go for a wild look. So I say go for what you know girl and enjoy that day at the Salon,

 

[DragonPearl]

Re: Wild & Free vs. Contained & Polished, Afro vs. Euro: The look of natural hair.

I think there is such a thing as personal preference. Some people prefer a neat, contained and polished look, in hair or/and clothing, while others might like a wilder and freer look in hair or/and in clothing.

If you love your hair neat and polished looking, natural hair can be a challenge. TWAs are neat and polished, but as your natural hair grows, it naturally grows OUT, not down, and anything that grows out has a wild and free, I-stuck-my-finger-in-the-socket flava which makes it hard to look neat and contained.

If you're working in a creative field, the wild and free look is fine, but if you're working in a conservative environment, unless you want to commit career suicide, it is normal to try to give your hair a more contained and polished look by slicking it back into neat puffs, wearing gels, or having uniform twists etc. Girl, do you. None of the people critiquing you are going to give you a job or pay your bills.

 

[Cheleigh]

Hmmmm...

Well, I think that I can use the unique properties of MY natural hair to MY advantage whenever I desire.

So, my hair frizzes and coils and it kinks and curls. I slick my hair into a bun or pony, and i add moisture and a little gel so that it coils/curls better. After I cut off the relaxed ends, I'll use the kinks to my advantage by creating a chunky fro. I'll use the frizz to my advantage to add fullness with a twistout.

I am not going to deny myself the opportunity to explore every cute style my hair texture affords me simply because some people think it's better to not add styling products, etc. I understand why many people do feel like that, so I don't interpret it as a personal attack. Even it it is, it won't change what I do with my hair.

 

[CQ_Diddly_Do]

Slightly off topic: looking at your photo, is your hair fine? If so, please be advised that even if you get your hair two-strand twisted (without extension hair) in a salon it may not come out the way your are expecting.

I myself have very fine hair and don't really like the way my hair looks when I twist it because the twists come out "going every which-a-way". This past weekend I spent about $60 in a salon to get my hair braided in box braids. I'm taking them out this weekend! They came out way to small/thin and they lay too flat against my head for my liking. It's just the way my hair is and the only way that it will come out the way I would like would be if I have extension hair added.

Good luck with your twists/salon visit.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

Cat, I like wild & free- but not just rolled out of bed wild. And there is nothing wrong with adding products to your hair, when I can get a nice low puff or ponytail going, I will be investing in some sparklelites myself
I work in a corporate env't and I wear a twistout daily. I'm doing well & moving on up. I don't come to work with a linty, dry head either. I guess whether natural or relaxed it is about presentation. So I guess I like polished & free.

 

[ximenia]

don't mind what other people say. i personally think there's a lot of jealousy among nappy headed peeps with the ones who dont have waves or coils hating against the ones who do. why else would it rile them for you to use gel to enhance your natural pattern? do what you want, its your hair, its already nappy and youre already black so what more is left to prove. and the majority of african styles are very neatly created.

 

[PretteePlease]

catsuga i feel your comment. i say you have to do what feels right. i was natural and decided that i had to rethink what neat was. neat for me being natural was not the same as relaxed because the hair acted totally different.

go ahead and pay your $60 and get you some gel for your waves and practice twisting at home so you can spend your money on PJism. I always watch extra close when i'm spending my money so i can recreate at home

 

[CatSuga]

its already nappy and youre already black so what more is left to prove

Amen to that.

looking at your photo, is your hair fine? If so, please be advised that even if you get your hair two-strand twisted (without extension hair) in a salon it may not come out the way your are expecting.

*sigh* Yes, my strands tend to be fine.
But it's so weird. It's only fine in the back, center and sides. The top part is pretty thick. I figure maybe a shop would be able to do something that I cant.
My hair looked so pitiful when I flat ironed it. No body what so ever.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I make the threads go BUMP BUMP BUMP!!

 

[Soul♥Flower]

I think everyone should have their own hair philosophy. They should also have the right to voice their own philosophies without judgement. These same people should also realize that there is no right or wrong when it comes to how you choose to wear your hair....maybe some irrational subconciously absorbed reasoning behind it, but really its about how you feel comfortable presenting yourself in public.

If you think having wavy natural hair is beautiful then that's something you have to deal with....not me. Personally, due to many life learning processes and experiences, I do not believe that there is 1 standard of beauty for anywhere on ones body. I'll leave that to animal breeders.

But if you want the wavy look, wear the wavy look, if you like, it probably looks good on you.

 

[Poohbear]

Hey, I have been thinking about this for quite some time... wild & free natural hair vs. neat and polished natural hair. I agree with what most others have said in regards to natural hair being neat and polished and that it doesn't mean you're giving into the Eurocentric standards of beauty. Personally, I like both the wild & free and the neat & polished look for natural hair BUT I believe that the wild & free look should look neat (not look straight or looser texture or what-have-you) if you know what I mean.

It kills me when some women (mostly natural militants) who really talk bad about wearing twistouts/braidouts or using certain products both stretch out the hair texture or make it look different than your natural hair texture. I am someone who likes to wear different natural hair styles. I could not stick with just a simple wash n go all my life. It also kills me when some of the militants themselves do protective styles or use curl enhancing products and do not realize what they are doing themselves and then try to talk bad about slicking your hair back or doing some other style that is neater or more polished. It's somewhat contradictory.

CatSuga, you should start a thread like this at Nappturality... I would be interested in what they would have to say.