Braids have always been popular in black culture not only because they are fashionable but because they also have some cultural significance. There are different braiding styles to suit different tastes but the most enduring style of all is the box braid. We could go on and recount the origins of the style and trace it back to African origins like how African women wore their hair, how they braided it and how they adorned those braids with beads and shells to indicate their social status, religion and seven marital status but that as a whole different story. What we can talk about is how this hair style has endured over the years and why it has withstood the fickle nature of fashion and transcended cultures remaining relevant to this day
Rise in Popularity
Janet Jackson Box braids are sometimes regarded as an 80’s throw back style. This is because a lot of the 80s and 90’s (besides Ms Jackson) celebrities and style icons wore box braids. We saw them on red carpets, in movies and TV shows, on the covers of style magazines and on runways. Grammy awards winning artists like Brandy made this style popular, hip hop artist like Da Brat made them “street”. When Janet Jackson made her film debut with Tupac Shakur in the movie “Poetic Justice” every young black girl wanted hair just like Janet’s, big chunky and long. Box Braids have endured and continue to be worn as a statement transcending the fashion and pop cultural evolution. They have been worn by the latest fashion and style icons like Regina King, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Joy Bryant, Yara Shahidi, Tia Mowry, Jhene Aiko, Kendall Jenner, Eva Marcille, Zoe Kravitz, Beyoncé and her sister Solange. Janet Jackson and Brandy have continued to wear box braids off and on again and so do a lot celebrities.
The benefits of wearing box braids
The reason why box aids are the go-to style for a lot of black women is that they are a protective style. They protect natural hair and are often worn to give hair that has been subjected to over processing time to repair itself.
Janet Jackson Box braids are also low maintenance and can be styled in a matter of minutes which is ideal for women with hectic schedules. It’s also great because you don’t have to go to the salon for your hair to be done every two weeks. This does not mean you don’t have to wash and condition your hair regularly, just be aware that braids are heavy when wet and blow drying synthetic hair is not the best thing to do – hence the two weeks rule of going to a salon to get your hair properly done to keep it clean and fresh.
Box braids give your hair a break from the constant relaxing, flat-ironing and bow drying that actually damages the hair. By braiding it you give your hair time to grow healthy without constant manipulation.
Having fun with your hairstyle is great and few styles allow you to play and try new looks like box braids. You can style them whichever way you choose. You can wear them short or long. You can play with colors too. You can wear them up in a chick up-do, adorn them with beads or jewels or pile them high on top of your head and wrap them with a bandanna a la Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice. You can put in black braids or mix colors. Box braids allow you to switch up your look in an instant. If you are looking for an easy hairstyle that takes a short time to create, lasts long, is versatile and always in style then Janet Jackson Box Braids are just the right style for you to try.
Pictures of Janet Jackson Box braids
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