It’s Getting Warmer, Meaning The Protective Style Category Is: Braids
Spring is starting to give what it's supposed to give and that means it's time to get your house in order. Shoes, accessories and clothes are just some of the things we are standardizing as the temperatures reach new heights. More importantly, we are preparing for the hairstyles that will match the spring fare.
One thing about Black women, they don't play about their "HAIR(itage)". We spotted this term on Yara Shahidi's Instagram and it perfectly encapsulates our love for donning queen-like hairstyles. It represents who we are: change-makers.
When thinking of our HAIR(itage), we can't help but appreciate the way our African lineage plays a major part in how we continue to redefine our beauty through our tresses. Braids have been on trend since before trends were a thing. We are talking B.C. – before Christ, not before coronavirus. Dating back to the days when Queen Nefertiti ruled, braids have served as a form of art. Each strand is steeped in feminine power and unique creativity. To this day, they continue to empower us to wear our crowns boldly. While you have natural inspiration flowing through your veins, we are here to help with what's popping this spring. Ahead, find nine braid styles that have been lighting up our braid-ar.
Nhyira
Not only did Nhyira abuse us with her melanin but she also snatched all of our edges with this knotless braids style. Knotless braids are one of the most popular braid styles with its convenience and flexibility. Because it does not include the small knot that starts at the root like traditional box braids, they don't put as much tension and stress on your hair. This queen went for a classic half up-half down style and it is perfection.
Caleb
Caleb went for the knotless style but made it her own with curly coils in a bob form. The honey gold hue of her braids complements her skin like magic. The two single strands in her face is giving us 90s sitcom vibes and we all know that those were the best of times for style and hair.
Fayla
You heard our sis! The category is spring so it's time to let your creativity bloom. Butterfly clips are wildly nostalgic and while TikTok will have you thinking it's a new trend, it's been around for decades. You know a Black woman started this trend too. This aesthetic brings back so many memories. One of my favorites was going to the beauty supply store to cop the latest butterfly clips. Ugh, those were the days!
Emani
Can you believe Emani created this beaded braid look all by herself? She's basically superhuman at this point. It takes real skill to cornrow your own hair and also braid individuals in the back. This style shapes her face like a dream. It's a simple style but the beads elevate it to the highest of heights. Cornrows and beads have been popular since the 70s and we don't think they are going anywhere any time soon.
Morgan
Courtesy of Morgan
Straight backs are the old faithful. Our ancestors provided us with a hairstyle that has withstood centuries and we couldn't be more thankful. It might be one of the most prolific styles across time, genders and cultures. Morgan decided to add extensions to hers for length but she could also rock this style with her luxurious natural hair. We recommend this style for your upcoming vacays once the world really opens up.
Dineo
Looking for a sleek and chic braided option? Dineo is showing exactly how to pull it off. The braided pony is one style that can be worn for various occasions. No more excuses for not working out because you can literally hit the gym, shower then hit up a happy hour with this style. See the way it has Dineo glowing? That could you be you, boo.
Yordanos
Yordanos has put us on to a whole new style with this hybrid creation. This is what happens when jumbo braids meet bubble curls. According to Yordanos, this style was a mistake. The 2 a.m. adventure left her with the wrong packs of hair so she made the best of a tricky situation. It's really the way she innovated a whole hairstyle for us.
Chey
Tribal braids on Chey is all the inspiration needed. So much so that she inspired me to get this style. After searching the gram for my latest 'do, I found this photo and it was love at first sight. The color and the length exuded all the strength and flair I desired. Best of all, I can create various looks with this style to do some shape-shifting.
Krissy
This list wouldn't be complete without our very own hair goddess, Krissy Lewis, in these Pop Smoke-inspired braids. The cornrow style occasionally uses the stitch method, where the hair is sectioned into thin or thick horizontal lines using braiding hair. Since the rapper made the style popular, it has been trending upwards for months. Krissy is a whole mood with this style; we have added it to our list of must-try styles.
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Featured image via Yara Shahidi/Instagram
Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images