Archive: Go With the Fro

Originally featured on The Real Runway Beauty Focus February 29th 2012

It's a lazy Tuesday morning, and I'm taking a brain-vacation on the Daily Fail (don't even try and tell me you don't do the same on a caffeine-low) and amongst the it-girls, soap stars and Kardashians my eye is drawn to Thandie Newton. Always stays safe on the red carpet Thandie Newton. Flawless skin Thandie Newton. Elfin beauty Thandie Newton. yeah…sure. As I begin to read the oh-so-subtley worded right-up, my fashion ears prick up, and I notice yet another example of a hair trend I've been noticing more than ever recently- the natural fro. Thandie has given up the chemical straighteners so her daughters don't feel pressured or ashamed of their natural curls, and to set the example that natural is better. Firstly…that is hella cute. Secondly, babes…fro's are seriously in right now, what an excellently well-timed act of altruism. 

Solange Knowles; my favourite human being.

Whilst plodding the streets around fashion week, I couldn't help notice that the fro was out in force (its something I would notice, as I myself sport a do something akin to Scary Spice circa 1997) and not just on the street; some of the most influential fashion darlings of the moment are getting in on the action.

My immediate reference point to this would be Solange Knowles; DJ, model and sister to Patron Saint Beyonce, she's definitely one of fashion's current obsessions. Sitting front row at fashion weeks, and the front pages of magazines, her eclectic aesthetic, and expert execution of the 'print block' makes her a favourite with the fashion pack. And her fro is now exception. Moving away from the lace-front route of most black women in fashion, Solange cut it short and started again, and now has an ample eau natural fro to show for it. The results hark back to the 60's and 70's, compliments bright colours and a mixture of prints; everything that fashion's going crazy for right now.

Another fro-conoseiur, and street-style photographer favourite is Wonderland magazine editor Julia Sarr-Jamois. Her colours are always bright, her mane slightly more untamed than knowles' or Newton's and her voice, decidedly fashion forward. Jamois isn't a popstar or an actress, she's knows her shit, she's a cross-section of the 'fashion woman'. This works to show that the fashion industry is going to take reference from within, and the black woman makes up a tangible, influential and aesthetically rich part of the industry, it's no wonder the hair is getting bigger. We saw Meadham Kirchoff's quaffed luminous fro's sauntering down the runway last season and every editorial seems to be brimming with curly locks; this all has to come from somewhere. 

As the afro crops up more and more on the street, the runway and the magazines, it kind of warms my heart that Thandie is showing her daughters to embrace their curls, (it's not always the easiest thing to do in the awkward years) After all the hairstyle crosses trends, race and gender and symbolises something decidedly fun about personal style. 

I'll end with a sentence I mostly regard with disgust and cringeworthy aversion when it gets used in fashion; but with regards to this style, I feel like it works: "If you've got it, flaunt it."

Peplum Pride

I feel a little short off the mark here, but my goodness, aren't peplums everywhere? No, but like really. I'm a serious advocate of the charity/vintage shop, so sometimes my vision gets blurred when an 80's shape comes back to the mainstream, because its been in my field of vision constantly, but this one really is back.

About 6 months ago it adorned catwalks, and editorials alike, taking on many manifestations, but the celebrity wearer started off as somewhat vanilla. Kate Middleton (not hating on Kate fyi) donned a grey one, Victoria Beckham pouted in a pencil skirted one, and aside from causing Kate's sizeable fanbase to embark on yet another mass shopping pilgrimage to Reiss, it didn't, on the whole make for a lasting trend.

This is probably because Kate kind of needs a peplum. She's a skinny lady, and a pencil skirt is not always the skinny lady's friend. The key to a pencil skirt, is not actually resembling a 2B. So not everyone could relate. A trend like the peplum needs the sex factor to get it across the midriffs of England on a larger scale. We need a sexy-fied connoisseur, we need to see how it fairs on a girl with some meat. aka we need to see how big it's gonna make our bums look. 

Then somewhere along the line, Liv Tyler wore the Peplum. Beyonce wore the peplum, Queen of the derriere Kim Kardashian wore the peplum; the nation was hooked. The peplum style is not going to make you look skinner. No no no. The gathered fabric around your middle, kicking out at the waist makes your bum look big. No two ways about it. And the width of your hips in comparison to your waist can look batshit cray. But who says this is a bad thing? 

Turn on every TV Channel, and we see round bums and cinched in waists, the hourglass is back people. The peplum trend is the final look embracing that, and the nation loves it. And having exaggerated curves  in a controlled way feels good. It exudes sexiness, and we're even starting to see this in editorial. The peplum goes hand in hand with the crop top in terms of styling for magazine editorial, and we're seeing skinny minis like Miranda Kerr and Raquel Zimmerman radiating with accentuated curves in magazines that wouldn't have dained to shoot such cleavage or ass before. 

It works because women feel attractive, and men find it attractive. With so many variations to the style, everyone can find a way of incorporating it so it compliments you. As long as you don't end up looking like a lost ballerina, the peplum, in my eyes, can do no wrong.