Hairstyle vs. rank

We look at hairstyles as a way of expressing yourself rather than conforming to what others expect.

In my first week as an intern at DESTINY I had an epiphany. Unlike Pretoria, Johannesburg has a really huge variety and range of people who follow different trends and styles. And most of all Johannesburg is where dreams come alive. If you want to look like Halle Berry, you can really buy the look if you have the funds to do so. I realised that I looked like the person I didn’t want to become. I had become the girl I had always criticised. And all of this was because of the way I wore my hair.

I had been caught between three worlds; one where I am constantly trying to accept my hair just the way it is, the second; a world where it's all about experimenting because I am young and because I just can and the third was the world which is defined by society: “what people want me to be and what they see as acceptable”.
I don’t think that we as humans understand the power we possess; we have the power to accept and reject lifestyle, opinions of others and the power to adjust to anything even though it may not correspond with our morals.

I believe that in most cases we believe that people are looking at us with judgemental eyes, accepting us according to the brand or type of weave we wear in our hair; apparently a sign of class and wealth. Unfortunately most of us wear the hairstyles we wear to prove something to society or to those who are looking at us or even to fit in with the “elite”. But the question is does it really matter what people think of us? Should we wear our hair in certain ways in order to have people constantly making assumptions about our social and financial status?

Being yourself and presenting yourself as an empowered individual who lays down the foundation of her life is what I feel is socially acceptable and should be advocated. Today it is really a choice. If a woman wants to experiment, wear a weave, be bold, have an afro or whatever the case may be, she needs to want to do that for her. We should be embracing ourselves and expressing ourselves the way we see suitable without being judged and ranked on a scale.

Power is assigned to every human but many of us are unable to retain that power. Woman all over the world should decide what they want. Expression of style, expression of speech and expression of identity is all held in the hands of an individual. Be beautiful and do not get trapped in a society that expects you look a certain way.