Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to wear my hair braided. My mom wanted to make sure my sister and I weren’t mislabeled when we stepped out into the world. While some might say her feelings about braids were wrong, if we look at how society has viewed Black hair in the workplace, in media, and beyond—her point of view in the ’90s wasn’t too far off.
Thanks to women like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Serena Williams, Beyoncé, and Bozoma Saint John—among many, many others—Black women like myself are now unapologetically wearing braided (and twisted) styles in spaces where they have often been labeled “unprofessional” or “ghetto.” This wave of Black women embracing our hair texture and historical styles is allowing us to express ourselves in new ways, even if the white gaze, thanks to social media, is causing our culture to be appropriated daily.
Whether we’re spending upwards of ten hours in our stylist’s chair getting box braids as a protective style or cornrowing our hair in our home bathrooms, there are many styles we can try when we want to change it up.
Here are 28 braided hairstyles to think about the next time you’re ready to try a new ‘do.
