Is long hair a status symbol for upper middle class and up

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Hair is not just hair

 

[knt1229]

So, are you referring to weave long hair or grown from the scalp long hair? Most long haired women I see are weaved up. Middle class and affluent women tend to have better weaves so their hair looks good and is styled in a way that fits corporate America since they tend to have nice professional type jobs. The hair if colored is like the hairstyle and clothes, tasteful and well done.

I don't know if long hair is a status symbol. I, personally, don't think it is. But, I'm sure for some people in some circles it probably is.

 

[DigitalRain]

I think the fact that most upper middle class women avoid the ghetto, lacquered up, hood
rat cheap hair styles typical of the average low class woman is what separates them. Not the length of the hair.

 

[Barbara]

I think the fact that most upper middle class women avoid the ghetto, lacquered up, hood
rat cheap hair styles typical of the average low class woman is what separates them. Not the length of the hair.

I have to agree on this.

 

[Barbara]

In some cases, it can be perceived as a status symbol. It really depends on the person. It can be a matter of opinion.

It will certainly get attention from men and women--which I've experienced--even with my hair in a bun, which I wear about 95 percent of the time.

Keeping it up takes money, and some may feel that a person has to have extra money for their hair to look like that. To many people, food, clothing, and shelter are more important than the "up keep" of hair.

I see people of all sorts of economic status with weaves. When my stylist told me how much it cost to buy the hair and have it brought into the salon and sewn in, then dyed and cut, pressed and hot curled, I was really shocked.

I said to myself: "It would be cheaper to just let the hair grow out. It just takes patience, but some want instant gratification or a new look. A wig would be more economical for me."

I've never worn a wig, weave, or extensions.

 

[levette]

I have been looking at some of the celebrity family christmas cards and I noticed that all of the women (wives, girlfriends) in the pictures had long hair or a long weave( Mariah, Gabrielle, Adrienne, etc). Just look at RHOA, all of the wives minus NeNe have long extensions in their hair or wear their real hair long (Kenya, and the new lady)

I think the trend now is long hair whether real or weave.

 

[rawsilk]

I agree but a real sense of compassion (maybe it's the season) compels me to wonder if the reason that those "hood rats" do all that to their hair, nails, etc. is because their self-esteem has taken a real beating -- generation after generation. It's just that now, instead of wearing, e.g., big afro-wigs (like they did in the 70s), they are opting for magenta straight weaves, crazy looking muppet eyes, turquoise glitter nail tips etc -- all courtesy of the local Asian BSS who is pimping them like a $2 (you know what). Sad. I feel motivated to get my natural (okay, texlaxed) hair to waist length (by any means necessary - check my other posts LOL) so that I can be an example/inspiration. "Each one, teach one."

I think the fact that most upper middle class women avoid the ghetto, lacquered up, hood
rat cheap hair styles typical of the average low class woman is what separates them. Not the length of the hair.

 

[AmiJay]

I agree but a real sense of compassion (maybe it's the season) compels me to wonder if the reason that those "hood rats" do all that to their hair, nails, etc. is because their self-esteem has taken a real beating -- generation after generation. It's just that now, instead of wearing, e.g., big afro-wigs (like they did in the 70s), they are opting for magenta straight weaves, crazy looking muppet eyes, turquoise glitter nail tips etc -- all courtesy of the local Asian BSS who is pimping them like a $2 (you know what). Sad. I feel motivated to get my natural (okay, texlaxed) hair to waist length (by any means necessary - check my other posts LOL) so that I can be an example/inspiration. "Each one, teach one."

As black women, we should not be so quick to judge another black woman's self-esteem because she wears her hair a certain way or wears colored contacts or loud nails. Sometimes it just depends on where you're from. When I went to college in Atlanta (I'm from California) I met some girls who had very interesting styles but were not hood rats and did not have low self-esteem. It can also just be a matter of taste.

I really hate that a lot of us feel like it's Us against Them, but the Them is other black women.

 

[Sophisto]

I think hair texture also play a major role in status. This goes back years ago, when your hair determined if you were allowed into certain clubs, organizations, and social circles.

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

I agree but a real sense of compassion (maybe it's the season) compels me to wonder if the reason that those "hood rats" do all that to their hair, nails, etc. is because their self-esteem has taken a real beating -- generation after generation. It's just that now, instead of wearing, e.g., big afro-wigs (like they did in the 70s), they are opting for magenta straight weaves, crazy looking muppet eyes, turquoise glitter nail tips etc -- all courtesy of the local Asian BSS who is pimping them like a $2 (you know what). Sad. I feel motivated to get my natural (okay, texlaxed) hair to waist length (by any means necessary - check my other posts LOL) so that I can be an example/inspiration. "Each one, teach one."

you are way off base. low self esteem has nothing to do with the way some women in the "hood" decide to style their hair. it is all about trends and what is popular in that particular area.

 

[rawsilk]

Let's be clear, I was responding to DigitalRain's reference to "hood rats". I think that it's a pejorative term and suggested that we should look a little more closely at, e.g., the reasons why someone would focus on these "trends" that identify them negatively in terms of status versus health/length of hair. I'm not off base at all MilkChocolateOne and my comment was totally on topic if you bother to give it a little thought. (BTW focusing solely on the obvious is unimaginative and, quite frankly, more than a little boring.)

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

Let's be clear, I was responding to DigitalRain's reference to "hood rats". I think that it's a pejorative term and suggested that we should look a little more closely at, e.g., the reasons why someone would focus on these "trends" that identify them negatively in terms of status versus health/length of hair. I'm not off base at all MilkChocolateOne and my comment was totally on topic if you bother to give it a little thought. (BTW focusing solely on the obvious is unimaginative and, quite frankly, more than a little boring.)

you are really out of touch. Their value system is different and what you view as a negative status they simply do not. Maybe you should give it a little more thought because to me it seems like you are the one not looking beyond the surface.

 

[cami88]

Why are there so many stereotypes and assumptions about weave wearers in here? Some folks are using them as protective styles to shield their real hair from the manipulation of daily styling. Not everybody who wears a weave is bald underneath. Geez.

 

[rawsilk]

Completely missing the point ... again.

you are really out of touch. Their value system is different and what you view as a negative status they simply do not. Maybe you should give it a little more thought because to me it seems like you are the one not looking beyond the surface.

 

[Solila]

Wow, between weaves and natural beauty products, these Asian Beauty Supply Stores must be making an ish load of money.

 

[Sophisto]

IMO, most women that are accomplished/professional have short to APL length hair, and *(don't throw rocks)* but would never be caught wearing fake hair....exits... Lol

 

[LuciaAbigail]

Old thread, but some of these responses had me cracking up!

To me, there's a strong correlation between a black woman's SES and her hair length. Our hair can grow to great lengths and be so beautiful - but it takes lots of TLC and money (to go to upscale salons, to buy premium tools and products). So normally when I see a black girl with SL+ hair, she comes from a middle class or upper middle class background. Now this isn't a perfect correlation, and there are exceptions, but that's what I'm seeing.

As far as weaves - I think wearers tend to fall into two camps. Group #1 - they wear them as a PS to grow their hair out and/or give it a break. They tend to really take care of their own hair in the weave - moisturizing, taking it down at 8 weeks, carefully detangling.

Then there are other women who choose to wear weave as their hair - Group #2. I notice that they don't always take care of their own hair, but sometimes they do. I think many of the girls with butt-crack length weaves fall into this category. And like many other people said, the super long weave is a status symbol. Buying premium hair down to your butt is what, like 26" of hair? And probably costs $250 a pack? And you need two packs? So that's $500 before the labor costs. Eight weeks later, hair goes in the trash and they start all over again. I could never afford that, haha.

When I'm walking down the street and I see a black woman with long hair (or big natural hair), I *hope* it's all hers. Seeing that really makes me smile. Our hair is so, so beautiful.

 

[snoop]

IMO, most women that are accomplished/professional have short to APL length hair

I see this also tied to age as well. I find that older accompished/professionals tend to have hair within this range. And this goes across for yt, black, brown, and asian women....

 

[Evolving78]

I see this also tied to age as well. I find that older accompished/professionals tend to have hair within this range. And this goes across for yt, black, brown, and asian women....

I thought they usually keep their hair cut short?

 

[MizAvalon]

Not in my opinion. Most trailer trash white women, rubes and such, have super long hair. That's one of the things that gives them away.

They usually have long hair past their butt. Young all the way up to old.

 

[snoop]

I thought they usually keep their hair cut short?

I've seen between short to neck length...with it definitely getting shorter as they get older. E.g. 40-50s I often see up to APL length or how high up they are in the or (e.g. Manager vs VP/SVP) or just past 50-60s+ often top of ear to top of neck...

I've only seen one exception to the rule. Asian with MBL. She meant business and looked it (40-50 age range).

 

[Prettymetty]

Not necessarily. Upper class ladies have access to healthy haircare, so their hair usually looks great at any length. Many of the ones I see in real life have banging bobs with highlights (or some other healthy, trendy style).

 

[Pinkicey]

This post reminded me of when a white lady asked me if weave and extensions were the same thing. I told her I don't know anything about that and she should ask the other white lady because she had a blonde clip-in in her hair. She just gave me a blank stare. Lol

But just from what I've seen, many black girls on my campus with the "higher" level majors like the medical field usually have shoulder length to mid back length hair. It usually looks very healthy too. I think it's just because of access to better salons. For example, my hair dresser has been giving me relaxers for 7 years now and will refuse to give me a touch up if it hadn't been longer than 8 weeks. In a lower SES, hair dressers will do whatever just to get money. Girls also don't have the education on how relaxers can be damaging so some just relax it themselves without the proper techniques. Therefore really fake looking weaves are what I see.

 

[LoveisYou]

Ummm it depends.

Women who work in corporate America wear understated hairstyles (of any length) for obvious reasons. This includes their own hair, a natural style or natural looking weaves.

Women who work in creative fields have more room to experiment and are more likely to experiment, IMO.

...and then some women just do whatever they want with their hair and that's their perogative *shrugs*

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

I only read the 1st page so sorry if I'm repeating whats been said over again.

I do not see this stereotype. As someone on the 1st page mentioned stupid long real hair I tend to see on religious women, rural, and low class foreigners.

Even when I lived in India, land of butt length hair, the educated and wealthy actually had hair styles (cuts). The traditional women kept the long hair though.

Growing up in the projects I saw 2 types of little girls and moms. Long haired or short haired (feels like I'm talking dog breed here). The long haired ones usually just naturally was able to grow and maintain as they didnt do anything special. The short hair ones were usually because they had bad hair practices or where spending money they didnt have for styles (think crazy salt and pepper cuts here and yes I'm showing my age).

Now when I go back to the projects its the same but with a new 3rd group added. The extravagant weave/wig wearers. Every one wanna be a Niki Manaj and the love and hip hop girls with out the cash.

As for upper class women, most I know are business women rather than trophy wives so they tend to keep shorter hair that is easier to maintain while traveling and costs big bucks to get done at high end salons (unless they still have some hood in them, then they cut it them self or have the homie like me cut it for them).

And then of course you always have the suspected Nikos cousin who has stupid long real healthy hair and you just stare and wonder lol

 

[RegaLady]

Polished hair, point blank. Clean ends. Nice professional coloring. Healthy hair. I don't see much past BSL, though. Most fall between bob to APL.

 

[Mortons]

Not in my opinion. Most trailer trash white women, rubes and such, have super long hair. That's one of the things that gives them away.

They usually have long hair past their butt. Young all the way up to old.

This is what I came in here to say. Almost all trailer trashy women have long hair.

I'd actually say the I see many upscale women with healthy hair that is always styled and typically not much longer than BSL.

 

[Jewell]

Yeah it def depends on culture. As far as african Americans I think long real hair is looked at as a status symbol.

YES.

Interesting thread. Enjoyed all the differing viewpoints!

 

[LadyRaider]

The wealthy white women I know have shoulder length or shorter hair. But these are older, Texas ladies. I don't know if it makes a difference.

I'm the richest black woman I know (which isn't saying much) and I'd wear my real hair as long as I could get it. (BARELY SCRAPING APL at this time!)