Red carpet fashion continued at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where the top names in TV and film came together, albeit digitally, to celebrate this year’s on-screen wins, from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Judas and the Black Messiah
to Schitt’s Creek and The Crown. The virtual format of the event did not stop the attendees from doing the most in the style department, with more fashion-forward and daring fashion this year than in years past. With so few reasons to dress up these days, who can blame Hollywood’s finest for using the SAGs as an excuse to go above and beyond sartorially?
Who needs a red carpet when you can have a dramatic shot like this one of Vanessa Kirby wearing Givenchy and Cartier?
Ruby Barker in Retrofête
Every red carpet needs at least one simple and elegant LBD.
Jared Leto in Gucci
In an ode to the disco era, The Little Things' Jared Leto wore a light purple suit (with a matching neck scarf!).
Catherine O'Hara in custom Thom Browne
We like Moira Rose in sequins, but we love Moira Rose in custom Thom Browne sequins.
Daniel Kaluuya in Louis Vuitton
Daniel Kaluuya wearing our favorite Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh collection to date is icing on top of this SAGs fashion cake. Photography by: Micaiah Carter for Louis Vuitton.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
I’m always trying to be diplomatic in these racial situations, especially when they happen at work because I like my job and also my reputation is me. So I don’t want to be seen as some “crazy Black person” but this may be the third or fourth conversation that struck me as odd over the last year, I would say. This one particularly because this individual, we’ve had several drinks together, we work together, I know who he is. I would consider this person an associate. But I think that false comfort allowed him to say something that he shouldn’t have said.
So I jumped on the call (video conference) and he was on the call with another lady, a White lady. And they’re both nice people, whatever.
And he said, ‘You know D., you’ve had a hat on in your meetings all week and I’m just wondering like, why? Is your hair dirty?’
Initially, in my mind I was just like malfunctioning. What???
Then I caught myself and I said, ‘No, it’s not dirty. It’s in a protective style. You’ve been on calls with me from last week until now and I’m sure you noticed that I had my hair in Bantu knots. I’m Black–and you clearly know that just by looking at me–But as a part of the Black culture, Bantu knots are a protective style. On the contrary my hair is actually clean and it’s up and clean because I’m not trying to have my hair be dry.’
I felt like I had to go through this process of the teaching which we have to do all the time. Because I don’t have the time for you to go to Google right now and potentially find something stupid written by someone who knows nothing. Let me just take these 30 seconds and give you some knowledge. It’s a process when you have Black hair. It doesn’t get oily like White hair does. You’ve got to wash it, you’ve got to oil it. You’ve got to tie it down. You’ve got to do certain things.
So I’m walking through this process with him and his response was like, ‘You know, as a White man, I would never have known that much work goes into getting Black hair done.’
I said, ‘Yeah, it’s a process…’
Literally, right before our meeting we took 7-10 minutes talking about Black hair care because he thought it was okay to ask this question.
Initially, when he said it to me, the red flags were raised in my mind but I am aware of the ignorance. So I was like let me just break this down because this lady was on the call as well. She’s a woman so I said let me go a little bit further and give some knowledge. I’m not going to act crazy on this call because you want to be stupid.
So when we wrapped it up and ended the meeting, I spoke to your sister after and I was telling her, ‘It’s crazy what just happened.’ And she said, ‘The comfort level that is there that he thought he could say that to you is something that needs to be addressed.’
And I’m listening to her and I’m like you know what? That’s so true. Now, he thinks if I didn’t correct him, based on what he said, that it could be acceptable to say that to somebody else. And while I might not act out, somebody else will and it will not be nice.
NSNC: Because the assumption that it’s dirty is what gags me. He could easily ask why have you been wearing a hat? But why would he assume your hair is dirty?
So I asked him that. I called him back.
NSNC: Umm hmm!
And I said, ‘I want to go back to the conversation that we had earlier.’ I said, ‘I’m truly never one to take things offensively off the cuff because I understand human beings and I understand human error and I’m not perfect so I could say something that could be offensive to someone.’ But I said, ‘You have a certain level of ignorance that you could just say things and think it doesn’t have an impact. You would never ask a White person, a Spanish person why their hair looked dirty. It’s inappropriate. Also, you should never make comments on someone’s appearance in the work place. That can get you in trouble with a quickness.
It’s one thing to say these things to me because you think you and I have a relationship but I don’t want you to think that it’s okay to then go outside and say that to somebody else. That will get you caught up in a whole bunch of stuff. That’s like people who say I have Black friends and they allow me to say the N word. No! You say that with your group of friends and that’s okay but then you say that in the streets and you get fucked up. You have to be conscious the things that you’re saying.’
I don’t say everything I want to say because I see dirty hair all day. But I keep it to myself. Okay?! And I don’t tell you anything about that because it’s inappropriate and it’s wrong. It’s none of your business.
We work where we work but it’s embedded. People want to touch your hair, they want to talk about your hair. To be working at one of the ‘so-called’ most inclusive places, the people that work there still have to work on themselves.
It’s the little things. People sometimes think it’s these huge over-arching initiatives that make a difference but it’s like, it’s base-building things like, Keep the negative thoughts you might have in your head to yourself.
I told him, ‘You didn’t even have to ask me. If you really wanted to find out about Black hair care, you could have Googled it. But you weren’t trying to do that. You were just trying to get free education. Black hair black hair Black hair black hair Black hair black hair Black hair black hair Black hair black hair Black hair black hair
NSNC: You said that?
Yes! I was over it. I told him you don’t want to take the time to find out. But I told him, ‘The thing about Black people, we’ve spent our whole lives researching everybody else and figuring out how we traverse that. You’ve never had to do that. So you don’t have to worry about learning about my culture. Cultural differences are cultural differences and it’s up to everybody to respect that. And if you’re not going to take the time to find out about me, while I’m doing so much research trying to find out how I fit in this society, I’m always going to be at a disadvantage because you’re not working as hard as I am.
NSNC: Girl, what did he say?
He just sat there and nodded his head the whole time. He said, ‘I don’t want you to think I’m going outside and saying these off the cuff things to people because that’s not the case.’ Then he started stuttering, ‘I..I..I would never.’
He was malfunctioning because people don’t say those things to him.
Then he said, ‘If that was offensive, I’m sorry. That was not my intent.’
And I said, ‘Just as long as you know that this is not something that is acceptable to do moving forward.’
Our unique curls and kinks are oh so beautiful ’til we get to that awkward phase where it looks like our hair growth has plateaued and we can’t seem to get past a particular length. A lot of us seem to get stuck at collar bone or even chin length hair and find ourselves wondering how we can promote healthier hair growth, hang on to said growth, and finally see some hang time!
Don’t worry. We wrote this article just for you, and we came ready to help!
How to Grow your 4C Natural Hair Faster in ONE MONTH!
Massage your Scalp
Scalp massages do more than just make you feel calm and relaxed. They can also help stretch your hair follicles. Your hair follicles are the life force of your hair strands; stretching them will stimulate the growth of thicker and longer strands. Scalp massages also help dilate your blood vessels beneath your scalp, which also encourages hair growth.
Now, the big question is: How can you properly perform a scalp massage? Using the pads of your fingers only — not your finger-nails — or a scalp massager, gently massage your scalp in a circular motion for 4-5 minutes every day.
A scalp massage is one of the many natural hair growth tips that can increase your hair’s thickness and length. So, if you haven’t already, get to it! Make it a habit from today to massage your scalp everyday for 4-5 minutes, especially around your problem areas. There’s nothing to lose aside from frail, thin, and unhealthy hair.
Use Products with Growth-stimulating Ingredients
It’s not enough to use just any hair care product, especially on your edges and nape. We advise that you use products with growth-stimulating ingredients — like tea tree and peppermint oils — and apply them directly to your scalp.
These ingredients will help promote growth by dilating the blood vessels beneath your scalp, causing them to stimulate your hair follicles. The result? More and thicker growth!
So, before you purchase that growth oil, shampoo, or scalp cream, make sure it has a growth-stimulating ingredient or two — the more, the hairier!
Clean your Scalp
Let’s start by debunking the myth that dirty hair grows faster than clean hair. The truth is leaving your hair dirty can lead to an irritated and bacteria-infested scalp, which can further cause scalp diseases.
These diseases can then put a pause on your hair growth or cause your hair to fall out! So, if you’re pushing your wash day forward because you think the dirt will help grow out your hair, this is your sign to go wash your hair ASAP!
Keep your scalp clean by either washing your scalp and hair or cleaning your scalp regularly, especially if you installed a protective style. With a clean scalp, you can expect to have healthy, luscious, growing 4C natural hair!
Install Protective Styles
How do you install a protective style, and how does it protect your hair? The trick is to leave your hair in a state that encourages very minimal manipulation, which helps protect the fragile and sensitive parts of your hair, like your edges and ends.
Styles like box braids, cornrows, twists, etc., that don’t either cause tension to your scalp or weigh your hair down can save you a lot of growth!
With protective styles, your hands won’t always be in your hair, and you’ll be able to let your hair breathe for about 1-2 months or however long you plan to keep your protective style. This will help limit the level of breakage and damage to your hair, leading to length retention and, ultimately, hair growth!
Our Final Thoughts
If you want to further improve your hair growth, watch your diet. There are specific foods for hair growth. If you’d like to discover them, we have an article for you here.
There will always be hope for your 4C hair. It’s not “too thick,” “too coarse,” or “too difficult;” it’s just the right amount of unique and perfect.
So, have fun growing out your hair and smashing your hair goals with these natural hair growth tips! 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair 4C Natural Hair
What are your top tips for maintaining and retaining length?!
I recently went through my overflowing assortment of vases, pulling-out all the brightly colored ones to set on our Easter table. I just started adding more color to my collection, which has always leaned towards clear glass, pastels, and neutrals. I love the contrast a bright vase adds when filled with all the fresh cut flowers from our garden. It’s like bringing a little sunshine in. I’m rarely matchy-matchy when it comes to my home decor, and vases are no exception. I have an eclectic mix of shapes and sizes scattered around the house, ready for a freshly cut stem to be added. If you are looking for a gift or a way to quickly refresh a room, see my selection of vases for spring arrangements below.
“Can I wear dark-brown shoes like these with a suit in my office? Do you think it would be appropriate?” The answer is, I don’t know. I don’t work in your office: I don’t know what the implicit dress code is. You have to make up your own min... > Read more
With gardening and bunnies on our mind this month, we decided to bake a delicious and easy-to-makegluten-free carrot cake. We added freshly shredded carrots, walnuts, raisins (which we skipped), and a dash of turmeric to the frosting to create a sunny yellow color, topped with tiny chamomile flowers. I had planned on serving the cake for Easter, but with nearly half of it already nibbled away, I may have to whip up another one today – it is that good! With an Easter table filled with lots of color, this bright and cheerful cake will fit right in. I’ve slipped-in a few of my favorite kitchen tools below that I use for baking, in beautiful springtime colors that would make wonderful gifts as well.
