Skip to main content

Spring 2011 Hair Trends for Women of Color

Changing your hairstyle is a great way to transform yourself this spring. According to New York City hair stylist Dana Gibbs of Dana’s Loft Hair, the key word for African-American women’s hair is “reinvention.”

Rihanna/Photo credit: Getty Images

"Try something you’ve never done before or were afraid to,” says Gibbs.

Using celebrities and hair icons as inspiration, here are Dana’s top style picks for the season:

Color Me Bad

Keri Hilson/album art

This spring, pump up your style with a touch of vibrant color.  Go rude girl red like Rihanna or try platinum locks like Beyonce or Keri Hilson.

Product Picks: 

Short and Sweet

Halle Berry/Photo credit Hairstyles.com

Halle Berry’s signature hairstyle is the most enviable short and sassy cut ever. Her pixie is an inspiration to women of color who want no-fuss, get up and go hair.  With the right cut and a little bit of pomade, this look can be versatile and will keep you cool in the hot summer sun.

Product Picks:

A Real Head Banger


Serena Williams/Photo credit: InStyle
Heavy bangs are a hot trend for women with medium to long hair. What makes this look contemporary is that the part starts further back in the crown of the head to give it a 60’s Mod feel.  This fashionable style is great worn in a neat bob or a rocker chick bed head look.

Tennis champ Serena Williams opts for chin-length tresses with bangs. But if you can’t commit to chopping your locks or don’t have the natural length to trim, try a human hair wig or bang clip-ins.  We won’t tell and with the right extensions, no one will know the difference.

Product Picks:

Love Me, Love Me Knot


Alicia Keys/Image credit: SheKnows CelebSalon
Instead of a basic pony, women of color with longer hair might opt for a sexy topknot to keep hair swept off the neck on steamy summer nights. Alicia Keys favors a polished version during award season, but you can opt for a messier version when you replicate the style at home with a boar bristle brush.

Product Pick:

Naturally Curly


Tanika Ray/Image credit: SheKnows CelebSalon
Curly styles are a carefree option for women of color with natural, un-chemically processed hair. This look is low maintenance, holds up well in heat and humidity, and volume can be added with human hair extensions.  “American Idol” Jordin Sparks and entertainment reporter Tanika Ray rock their curly styles with funky flair.  The key to this fun look is to make sure that your hair is cut into a great shape, and adding color adds the wow factor. 

Product pick:

Right Down the Middle


Zoe Saldana/Photo credit: IMDb

The middle part has made a comeback!  The key to the center part -- which was popular in the 70’s and then again in the 90’s -- is to make sure you have the proper length fringe, which is chin length or longer. Any length that is shorter will make your face look rounder and fuller than desired.  Zoe Saldana wears her center part with panache.

Product picks:


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Giveaway: Thank Your Friends with Merci Chocolates!

National Friendship Day was August 4, 2013, but Everything She Wants has decided to continue the celebration with a giveaway from merci fine European chocolates . While some friendships are for a season or a reason, other friendships are built to last a lifetime.  I’m fortunate to have two best friends: Cindy, whom I’ve known since junior high school and Deanna, who started out as my amusing intern.  Besides my mother and my husband, these girlfriends are my greatest confidants.  They’re like the sisters I never had and we’ve supported each other through personal trials and triumphs. So what better way to say ‘thank you’ to your friends than with merci chocolates?  One lucky reader will win a ‘Friendship Kit’  that you can either keep to reward yourself for being such a great friend or share with a deserving comrade. The kit includes: $25 Target gift card (yay!) 7 ounce box of merci chocolates A picture frame to display a photo of you and your friends A choc

Enter to Win the Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste Regimen Giveaway!

Jessica Simpson may not brush her teeth.  But we all know that white teeth and fresh breath are as essential as adding a floral pattern to your wardrobe this spring.   Crest wants the readers of Everything She Wants to have pretty pearly whites.  So the brand is offering three lucky readers the chance to win a tube of the new Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield toothpaste, plus a Crest toothbrush and floss! The toothpaste  offers sensitivity protection with no trade-offs by also protecting the seven areas dentists check most: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, tartar, sensitivity, whitening and fresh breath – all in one package!  If you have sensitive teeth, you no longer have to spend your time and money using more than one toothpaste to get comprehensive oral health protection for their teeth and gums. To enter the giveaway, follow these three easy steps: 1) Respond to this post with your first name and email address and tell me your favorite toothpaste (hint, the answer sho

Conway Discount Clothing Chain Closing in New York City

(Tracy E. Hopkins) It's the end of a budget shopping era. Conway discount stores are closing in New York City . As of this weekend, a sign on the sole Herald Square location (34th Street btwn 7th and 8th Ave) says the store will close in "7 Days." Before I relocated to the Big Apple, I was introduced to the discount chain while on a bus trip from Baltimore.  I recall the first time I saw Conway's signature pink bags carried by hurried shoppers in midtown. And Miss Foster, the trip organizer and a bargain hunter from way back, took me to the store for the first time. Conway store in the Fulton Mall./Tracy E. Hopkins When I moved here in 1994, my love affair with Conway continued.  I furnished my first apartment with discount knick-knacks and home goods from the store.  And much to my chagrin, in hindsight, I curated most of my wardrobe for my first full-time job from the long-shuttered 42nd Street and Third Avenue store. One regretful ensemble: Lime green and