Braids were big when I was in high-school. In the tenth grade I got my first taste of the hairstyle. I bought my big packs of hair and headed over to my friend Shayla's house where her mom knocked out multiple braiding sessions over a weekend. For about 8 hours straight we would talk, eat, and listen to music or I would somehow fall asleep between the tug and pull. The result of all that time (and pain) was a head full of heavy braids that hung down to the middle of my back. They were so fun, I always enjoyed having them, but I have to be honest I could only handle them for about a month, if that. Then I would set a date for the de-braiding session which would last about an hour or two.
I haven't had braids since I was a freshman in college, a LONG time ago. But lately, I've been thinking about revisiting the box braids from the 90's. You know, the ones Patra, Brandy (Moesha!), and Janet Jackson's character from Poetic Justice rocked. Most recently I've been seeing really long thinner versions reminiscent of Lisa Bonet's locks, or like the ones Solange and even little Willow Smith have been wearing.
For me I'm thinking shoulder length and chunky, maybe similar to the ones Frankie (Jada Pinkett's character in Set It Off) wore until she sadly let them go at the end of the movie; or the fab braided styles Lena James (another Jada Pinkett character) rocked on A Different World. I love this up-do style she has in this clip.
I know it would be a fun look for spring, just before the heat of the summer. So we'll see what I decide. Meanwhile, what do you think? Will you be rocking the box braids this spring or summer?
