you are such a gorgeous writer i can’t even take it! im stunned you managed to capture and articulate this lens so well, even as a man. i am even more astounded that nothing you said managed to piss me off LOL. and this conversation is always so delicate. yes to everything you said! the privilege isn’t in the hair—it’s in the ACTIVITY! nailed it yet again.
Wow! Thank you for putting words to the gut reaction I had about the Ruby Bridges comment. And the rest of what you said, too. It's fascinating. You nailed it.
My husband went to Andover because the family that adopted him, one was a social worker type and one was faculty at the school. He was/is Menominee, got pulled off the reservation as a very young child and sent out there to an orphanage. He grew up around all that East Coast wealth and he still wears button-downs and khakis on the daily. What you wrote is spot on.
(White woman, 76 yrs old) I really appreciate the lens you use to look at fashion, and this essay is a great example. One thing is inaccurate to my lived experience. Black woman began throwing off the "rule" that their hair should look like white people's hair in the 60s as part of the Black Power movement. Browse for women in the Black Panther Party for examples. And/or check out this wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_hair_movement. You are brave and real. Thank you for being you.
I don’t agree both sides are equally vicious. Extreme wig/nail/ makeup wearers are much much more intolerant. And Coco looks like any contemporary middle or upper middle class person and many working class from an earlier era in America. She also looks like ordinary everyday Black school girls in myriad countries around the world.
I think Black wealth is such a rarity, (and generally quiet wherever it is,) that people incorrectly assume that the aesthetics of Black rich (e.g. wig Cardi) are the only aesthetic possibilities for being MWB (Monied While Black). That said, I think the Ruby Bridges comment exploded not so much because it’s apt or historically accurate, but because Twitter is Twitter, and the comparison is funny (bad politics notwithstanding). Years ago, the anglophone internet picked up roast culture from Black high school students, and it has yet to put it down now long after the death of Vine. Though I agree with your overall point: the people who are commenting seriously in agreement with the joke are showing some knowledge gaps.
This was so beautifully expressed. Thank you! It feels like you took the words out of my diary. This lack of understanding around class dynamics is truly doing our whole community (and the world at large) in and it’s heartbreaking to see. I had to tell someone, “you’re worried about looking good enough to get in the house, meanwhile I couldn’t care less about the field or the house because I’ve left the whole plantation.” But this is a needed reminder that experience is multifaceted and neither side owns righteousness. It takes a beautiful and talented writer to make someone feel seen while also showing them their own shortcomings in a way that sits with the mind and encourages growth. Thank you, friend.
I do agree that it is a class conversation, but i think it’s a clear division between black old money and black new money aesthetics, with the baddie aesthetic being a clear new money signifier and coco gauff’s campaign being tied to a black old money aesthetic.
Excellent writing. Excellent discourse. This is the first I'm seeing this ad campaign but my initial impression is cool retro mid-centiry vibes. What does that say about the ad? About me and my viewpoint? Am I white or black? Or any other person of color? What does my comment say about me and my background? It's just a cool ad campaign in which I interpret her personality whether I know Coco Gauff or not. I don't. Whatevee the world has gone bonkers but what with a lunatic in the white hpuse is it any wonder?
Dear Louis, I missed the campaign & the supposed ruckus around it on Twitter (because I left Twitter a while back as it became vile), but Coco looks great in Miu Miu campaign - preppy, natural, very herself. A perfect match of fashion & personality. Why people choose to hate is beyond me, but then I guess their life is so bad the ‘best’ they can do is produce venom. As to hair, we all have issues with ours at some stage so if people are mean to others they should be reminded that karma is a bitch. Game, set & match Coco & Miu Miu ✨
Thank you for this wonderfully written piece. The subject matter of this post fits beautifully alongside a Reddit post from yesterday discussing black hair and texturism. As you mentioned, black hair has been a contentious topic for ages. So, many thanks for making multiple poignant points and most importantly, the one on class, which has never been said.
Spot on and I see myself in this ad. This is what my hair looks like in the summer. I grew up by the ocean and still spend a lot of my summers by the water. For heaven sake, it is 101 degrees. Let a sister live. I'm about to be in the ocean again. Wet braids are just not comfortable. They get itchy. Plus with all the chemicals in braiding hair, you don't want that seeping into your scalp. I'm going to be outside doing all manners of activities from swimming to soccer to tennis. Who has the time? You just want ease, silk scrunchies and hair pins to pull your fro into puffs. Easy sporty clothing (miu miu, adidas, Lacoste) and a bag to carry all your beach/sport/summer accoutrements. Also some of us have seborrheic dermatitis, therefore edge control isn't an option. That and we will just sweat it out or wash off anyway. Indeed, I recognise that the real issue here is having a life that affords one the allowance to be carefree, when so many people aren't afforded that privilege
you are such a gorgeous writer i can’t even take it! im stunned you managed to capture and articulate this lens so well, even as a man. i am even more astounded that nothing you said managed to piss me off LOL. and this conversation is always so delicate. yes to everything you said! the privilege isn’t in the hair—it’s in the ACTIVITY! nailed it yet again.
Wow! Thank you for putting words to the gut reaction I had about the Ruby Bridges comment. And the rest of what you said, too. It's fascinating. You nailed it.
My husband went to Andover because the family that adopted him, one was a social worker type and one was faculty at the school. He was/is Menominee, got pulled off the reservation as a very young child and sent out there to an orphanage. He grew up around all that East Coast wealth and he still wears button-downs and khakis on the daily. What you wrote is spot on.
(White woman, 76 yrs old) I really appreciate the lens you use to look at fashion, and this essay is a great example. One thing is inaccurate to my lived experience. Black woman began throwing off the "rule" that their hair should look like white people's hair in the 60s as part of the Black Power movement. Browse for women in the Black Panther Party for examples. And/or check out this wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_hair_movement. You are brave and real. Thank you for being you.
I don’t agree both sides are equally vicious. Extreme wig/nail/ makeup wearers are much much more intolerant. And Coco looks like any contemporary middle or upper middle class person and many working class from an earlier era in America. She also looks like ordinary everyday Black school girls in myriad countries around the world.
I think Black wealth is such a rarity, (and generally quiet wherever it is,) that people incorrectly assume that the aesthetics of Black rich (e.g. wig Cardi) are the only aesthetic possibilities for being MWB (Monied While Black). That said, I think the Ruby Bridges comment exploded not so much because it’s apt or historically accurate, but because Twitter is Twitter, and the comparison is funny (bad politics notwithstanding). Years ago, the anglophone internet picked up roast culture from Black high school students, and it has yet to put it down now long after the death of Vine. Though I agree with your overall point: the people who are commenting seriously in agreement with the joke are showing some knowledge gaps.
This was so beautifully expressed. Thank you! It feels like you took the words out of my diary. This lack of understanding around class dynamics is truly doing our whole community (and the world at large) in and it’s heartbreaking to see. I had to tell someone, “you’re worried about looking good enough to get in the house, meanwhile I couldn’t care less about the field or the house because I’ve left the whole plantation.” But this is a needed reminder that experience is multifaceted and neither side owns righteousness. It takes a beautiful and talented writer to make someone feel seen while also showing them their own shortcomings in a way that sits with the mind and encourages growth. Thank you, friend.
Love this look. Thanks for not being a stereotype!
I do agree that it is a class conversation, but i think it’s a clear division between black old money and black new money aesthetics, with the baddie aesthetic being a clear new money signifier and coco gauff’s campaign being tied to a black old money aesthetic.
Agreed!
Excellent writing. Excellent discourse. This is the first I'm seeing this ad campaign but my initial impression is cool retro mid-centiry vibes. What does that say about the ad? About me and my viewpoint? Am I white or black? Or any other person of color? What does my comment say about me and my background? It's just a cool ad campaign in which I interpret her personality whether I know Coco Gauff or not. I don't. Whatevee the world has gone bonkers but what with a lunatic in the white hpuse is it any wonder?
Dear Louis, I missed the campaign & the supposed ruckus around it on Twitter (because I left Twitter a while back as it became vile), but Coco looks great in Miu Miu campaign - preppy, natural, very herself. A perfect match of fashion & personality. Why people choose to hate is beyond me, but then I guess their life is so bad the ‘best’ they can do is produce venom. As to hair, we all have issues with ours at some stage so if people are mean to others they should be reminded that karma is a bitch. Game, set & match Coco & Miu Miu ✨
Thank you for this wonderfully written piece. The subject matter of this post fits beautifully alongside a Reddit post from yesterday discussing black hair and texturism. As you mentioned, black hair has been a contentious topic for ages. So, many thanks for making multiple poignant points and most importantly, the one on class, which has never been said.
Spot on and I see myself in this ad. This is what my hair looks like in the summer. I grew up by the ocean and still spend a lot of my summers by the water. For heaven sake, it is 101 degrees. Let a sister live. I'm about to be in the ocean again. Wet braids are just not comfortable. They get itchy. Plus with all the chemicals in braiding hair, you don't want that seeping into your scalp. I'm going to be outside doing all manners of activities from swimming to soccer to tennis. Who has the time? You just want ease, silk scrunchies and hair pins to pull your fro into puffs. Easy sporty clothing (miu miu, adidas, Lacoste) and a bag to carry all your beach/sport/summer accoutrements. Also some of us have seborrheic dermatitis, therefore edge control isn't an option. That and we will just sweat it out or wash off anyway. Indeed, I recognise that the real issue here is having a life that affords one the allowance to be carefree, when so many people aren't afforded that privilege
For a feminist lens this article did a fantastic job and I think would cover your overview of the “hair wars” which you correctly assessed is not really your waters to wade in. It is in French, but for those who can’t speak/read google translate will do well enough. https://mwizanah.substack.com/p/non-je-nai-pas-le-droit-de-detester?r=1t2nzi&utm_medium=ios