August 2012

/ Hair

BOX BRAIDS BLOWOUT: The Looks Then & Now

Take a ride down a carefully coifed—and beaded—goddess braid! Styles from the very women who made the look hot—from Patra and Janet to Solange and Beyonce!

Jamaican singer Patra helped put box braids on the international map in the '90s

Janet Jackson proudly wore box braids in a break-out role for the famous performer in John Singleton's<em> Poetic Justice,</em> co-starring Tupac Shakur

Janet Jackson and co-star Regina King were super sexy in box braids in<em> Poetic Justice</em>. The movie solidified the trend as a Black girl mainstay

Angela Bassett sported the obligatory look for the Islands' film <em>How Stella Got Her Groove Back</em>. Angela was sultry and fearless

Rapper YoYo made braids her signature look. Not always 'boxed', YoYo wore a combination of French-braided and single-braided looks

Here's the rapper YoYo again in her go-to yellow-blonde braids

If there was ever a superstar who owned braids, it was Brandy. The singer, actress honed the look in her '90s sitcom <em>Moesha</em> sending every Black girl in America to their nearest expert-braider for the look

Jada Pinkett Smith in the popular '90s film <em>Set if Off</em> showing women how to switch up their box braids. The sexy actress wore her braids in this cropped bob look

Solange Knowles—the trendsetting rocker who's credited for bringing the trend back

Jada Pinkett Smith goes back to the look she made sexy and free back in the '90s. The superstar is shown here sporting box braids again in an elegant look

Solange Knowles reminds us of the versatility of box braids. The DJ/model rocks her braids in a high-waterfall ponytail

Solange hits the red carpet again proudly rocking her braided 'do. This time with a print silk scarf

Solange is super boho-chic in box braids wearing a cut-off fringe mini at a Roc Nation and Gucci event

New York DJ and creative director Vashtie Kola also rocked box braids shortly after Solange

Brandy got back on the box braid wagon for her latest video co-starring Chris Brown "Put It Down"

Brandy back in braids again! She hasn't aged a bit!

Beyonce sent the box braids trend soaring when she walked into New York's Bergdorf Goodman wearing the look in a top knot with baby Blue Ivy

The international superstar also rocked the look in her "I Was Here" United Nations promo video for World Humanitarian Day

Shaunie O'Neal pounced on the trend as well. The reality star is shown here sporting the look at a party with friends

More Ebony

Try Fall’s Top Color Trend

The War on Straight Hair

HAIR: Black Women's Right to Remain Relaxed

Why Are Black Women Afraid of Haircuts?

5 Basic Tips for Healthy Dreadlocks

Share THIS on twitter with #Ebony hashtags.

BOX BRAIDS BLOWOUT: The Looks Then & Now

More Ebony

Stay in the Know

Current Issue