Blondes may have more fun, and men may “like it long”, but the afro is a tried and true happy hairstyle. I see it sneaking onto the run ways again, taking a back seat to the ever popular layered bob, but nonetheless picking up momentum.
(Afros in Spain)
(for some unfortunates, the Afro can make them look rather insane)
When I was in my youth we all wanted afro’s, the white folk, the Asians, the middle easterners, the people from Fresno, you name it. The afro was cooler than cool. If you were really right on, far out, groovy or full of soul power you would wear a dashiki to complete the statement; I am now, I am chic, I can dig it, I am hip, I’m funky, I am turned on and I am dropping out, I am doing my thang. Thank you (falettinme be mice elf agin)
This popular hair fashion required long hours in the salon getting little bits of hair wound onto teensy weensy perm rods. The permanent still befuddles me. There has been substantial upgrades in every other chemical service. Where the evolution of the perm is concerned there has been almost no improvement in either scent, processing or wrapping time and I don’t care what anybody says, a woman or a man with a soggy head full of stinky perm rods and topped with a plastic bag covering the whole mess, looks flat out ridiculous!
any who, once you actually were able to leave the salon with your new “fro”, you needed special hair potions and a ‘pick’ or a ‘cake cutter’. If you had it going on, you would actually wear the darned thing in your hair (sort of like wearing a hair bow or a barrette). I knew one guy who would use his ‘fro’ as a sort of bin. He would keep cigarettes, pencils, chapstick and rolled up dollar bills in there.
In the afro wearing circles men didn’t carry purses. Louis Vuitton tried to design a clutch that matched the dashiki, but it never got legs. After 4 or 5 weeks the chemically induced Caucasion, Asian or Middle Eastern Afro would begin to sag at the scalp. The naturally straight hair would grow out and the whole house of cards would collapse.
These afro addicts were dare devils but rarely won the battle with gravity.
I dont think that Link from the Mod Squad had that problem, he had it going on, his afro was so big, so soulful, so MONDO, it was coiffed perfection. He could always manage to fit his entire afro, and his head with body attached into any undercover car. He was hot, that crazy afro atop his tall skinny body, the gold tear drop glasses, his angel flight pants and platform boots made him appear as a demi-god.
(dont shoot! i’m wearing an Afro)
Anyhow, I’ll have to revisit the show to get a closer look, but I think the afro is where he kept his spare pair of handcuffs. As I write this I am amazed that hardly anyone knows Link’s last name. do you? Was it just plain Link? Like Madonna or Cher or Prince (formerly known as the artist)? He had to have had a last name. What if it was the same last name as the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island?
Do all those types of T.V. characters have the same last name? Or maybe they all got a dismissal from the inconvenience of the pesky surname.
Dig this; I see people today struggling with their hair, their kids, their weight, their finances, their global positioning system, their dogs and I know that if they only had an Afro, everything would look rosy.
I personally like to wear my Afro wig when it’s cold outside, instead of the commonplace hat. It’s a sassy compliment to any bathrobe too.
If the telephone headset is worn over the Afro I really feel tingly. When the local courier drops off packages he doesn’t even seem to recognize me. I did some fancy soul train spins the last time he made a delivery and just about strangled myself with the phone cord.
I recovered nicely, I was sporting the magic Afro. It was all good. Peace out dude.
My clients enjoy wearing Afro wigs, my friends often request to ‘try it on’ when they see mine. Inevitably a new personality emerges, a camera eventually comes out and everybody feels high on life. The Afro wig can be a super ice breaker. Feeling shy? Wear your Afro to the next Chamber of Commerce mixer, you’ll be the one in the center of the circle.
I’ve been there. I know. The Afro brought with it a whole style of dress, attitude, and lingo. The Afro was it’s own universe, I could go on and on, the Afro and everything it means is just plain deep. From the ghastly smelling perm solution to the uber cool Dashiki, this is just more proof that no matter where you turn, it all comes back to the follicle.
Do you have a story about doing hair or having your hair done? If so, i want to hear from you for my Book Project. Please leave your comment and we’ll ‘Tawk”.
Thank you kindly for telling your friends about this blog. I am excited to see so many subscribers so quickly. If you have a pal who needs a chuckle, please pass it on. Simone
