Chronicle Editor
Young stars like Rita Ora and Ke$ha bring 90s braids back . . . but are they trendy or tragic?
Fashion is currently having a 1990s revival, so it was only a matter of time before the cornrows that were ubiquitous on pop stars of the late 1990s and early 2000s made a comeback.
Celebrities including Rita Ora, Kristen Stewart, and Ke$sha have all stepped out recently with small strips of hair braided close to the scalp.
Fashionista reports that cornrows are having a high fashion moment.
While a few celebrities wear the old-school full head of braids, many others are sporting a more polished version for 2013 with just a few braids on one side.
Kristen Stewart wore an asymmetrical single braid during Paris Fashion Week, while Kim Kardashian looked like she just stepped off of a cruise ship on a trip to the gym.
They have appeared everywhere from high fashion shoots to reality TV. Vogue Paris and Camden Road have both featured slicked back plaited styles in recent editorials.
Orange is the New Black character Tricia Comes wears braids in prison, while Honey Boo Boo’s Alana Thompson was spotted with a row peeking out from underneath her curls at a recent book signing.
They have appeared everywhere from high-fashion shoots to reality TV. Vogue Paris and Camden Road have both featured slicked-back plaited styles in recent editorials.
Ke$ha admitted that the full-on brads she sported for her Crazy Kids video and several appearances since then took serious commitment.
”The hair, it took four hours to get it braided and I had to sleep in a do-rag. And, I’m just really proud of that hair,” she said at the time.
”I like kind of looking like a gangster.”
Cornrows were a key look for pop stars, hip-hop artistes and athletes during the 1990s and 2000s.
Celebrities including Gwen Stefani, David Beckham and Justin Timberlake in his N’Sync days were spotted on the red carpet wearing the trend.
But cornrows actually date all the way back to the Stone Age.
Pictures of women with cornrows have been found in the Sahara that date back to 3000 BC.
They were also worn and depicted in Europe, including Greek and Roman art and in the African — American community, the look has never gone out of style.
Commentators seem divided over whether the iconic hairstyle should stage a mainstream comeback.
Some call it ”cool” and ”edgy”, while others claim that it’s a ”fashion fail” and ”a hot mess”.
To get a look that gets attention for the right reasons, experts recommend starting with unwashed hair – and using a texturising salt spray to get a better grip. For all over braiding, they recommend going to see a professional. — Daily Mail.
Online Reporter