Hair Style help

So, if you can't tell by my pic, I'm white and that means I'm mostly inexperienced with african hair. I'm also a style lacking dude which means I'm mostly ignorant about hair styles in general.

I'm writing a book that features several black women in major roles and when describing them I find that I don't know enough to describe hairstyles as I imagine them.

How would you describe a hairstyle like that? I used "shaggy afro" and all of my test readers thought that sounded wrong, which means it is. Some questioned the shaggy, others the afro. On suggested calling it untamed, but that seems like an understatement to me.

Could some of the women (or fashion friendly men) help me out here?

Tags: hair

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Permalink Reply by kifaru on September 29, 2010 at 4:20pm

That's a 'fro. Maybe a natural even though that term is outdated. How about a "stylishly shaggy afro" or a " expertly coiffed long natural tresses"?

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Permalink Reply by wynterhawk on September 29, 2010 at 7:05pm

Geez... that looks just like my hair.

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Permalink Reply by Christina on September 30, 2010 at 5:57am

I can understand why they would say it's wrong. When most people think of an afro, images of Angela Davis or any afro from blacksploitation films.
Perhaps you should try 'Thick curly tresses' or 'bed-head curls'. There are hundred of ways to describe the hair of black and mixed girls.
You should have a browse through natural hair blogs like 'BGLH'

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Permalink Reply by Miss A on September 30, 2010 at 2:49pm

that's an afro. but you could say "long voluminous curls and coils"

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Permalink Reply by Rosenda on September 30, 2010 at 3:21pm

Back in the 70's, we didn't even call our own hair like that an afro, we used to say a "natural". So you could call it that.
Dude, it's okay to call it a 'fro if you want. A Jewish fellow I went to high school with called his big huge nappy hair a "Jewfro". Really.

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Permalink Reply by LesYpersound on September 30, 2010 at 5:26pm

you can also say she's wearing her hair "out" versus being braided, flat ironed, or tied back.
i'unno... for me an afro is picked out versus tendril-y

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Permalink Reply by Rosenda on October 4, 2010 at 3:30pm

Exactly my definition of an afro/natural. That's how most of us black folks called it in the 70's growing up.
If someone's hair was of a looser curl, you'd just say that. I think currently because of a lot of black hair and mixed hair websites and books on the subject, there are more terms used like "coily" to describe hair that is not so tightly nappy.

Robert, if you're wondering how best to describe a hairstyle on a black woman, or any woman, you really don't have to give a specific popularly used "name", like "afro". Just describe what you see or imagine.

For example, that lady above, what would you say about it if you were writing something down about it?
I'd say big loose curly wild style, kinda fluffy. Use your imagination and go with it, whatever ends up looking good in print, book, blog, magazine and sounds good to you within the context of the article/commentary you are writing.

I think these days, when it comes to hair, we don't have to call our hair by some particular title. It might be easier to say/describe/identify a look to another person that way, but it's not a rule written in stone. "Shaggy Fluffy 'Fro" is a good start anyway.

LesYpersound said:

you can also say she's wearing her hair "out" versus being braided, flat ironed, or tied back.
i'unno... for me an afro is picked out versus tendril-y

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Permalink Reply by RobertTidwell on October 5, 2010 at 4:28pm

Thanks for the help guys. I never thought to call it "Out" but that makes a lot of sense. There is lots of helpful info here. You guys are awesome. :-D