'Crazy,' fresh fads create the styles of tomorrow; today's youths make a bold fashion statement - Special Issue - The New Generation of the '90s

Ebony, August, 1990

`CRAZY,' FRESH FADS Create the Styles of Tomorrow

Today's youths make a bold fashion statement

What is this generation coming to? The men sport earrings, wear their hair in odd geometric shapes, and can't seem to get enough of those jackets bearing a team's logo. The women show every curve of their bodies, thanks to a material called spandex. Some change their eye color with contact lenses, and others have hair that's more likely to be store-bought than natural.

What gives with this generation? "When my son first came in with his "flat top" [haircut], my wife and I asked what happened to his head?" recalls Russell Adams, chairman of Howard University's Afro-American Studies Department. "I told him his head was already thick, but now he's gone and made it flat."

To the uninformed elder, the choices in fashion and hairstyles by the new generation may seem a bit confusing, and in some cases, downright bizarre. Even the names--"high-top fade," "kente-cloth crown," "Triple F.A.T.," "wrap" and "wave nouveau"--seem as crazy as the fashions and hairstyles they represent. To make matters worse, the new styles are likely to change, and change quickly. As society grudgingly began accepting those gold chains called "dope-ropes," the "Jhericurl" and "Gumby" hairstyles, they are no longer in vogue.

As bewildering as all this might seem, the fashion tastes of young Black America are a major social and economic force in this country. These styles are quickly becoming fixtures of American fashion, attracting young Whites and older Black adults to try their bold and youthful dress and hairstyles. Millions of dollars are spent by American industry to determine the latest trends in clothes, jewelry and beauty and grooming products, and the sports figures and entertainers used to promote various products have become recognized cult figures of fashion to some of their customers.

Many experts say this new generation is only following a pattern set by their elders who, as young adults seeking their own identity, were once considered a little weird by their parents. "We probably are going in circles here," says Dr. Nathan Hare, a noted San Francisco psychologist. "You do have that element of fad and fashion, and the old folks forget too quickly and condemn the young now that they are on the other side."

Today's youthful fashions are varied. The clothes range from casual athletic apparel to formal designer suits, and the hairstyles are just as numerous. Despite the diversity, one fact is certain: these new styles, like those of earlier generations, stem from very basic needs--appearance, comfort and peer-popularity.

Russell Lowell Adams, a 23-year-old student at Howard University, is a classic example of an individual following a popular trend. After brushing his hair back for years, he noticed other young men on campus wearing the fashionable "fade" cut. Adams soon decided to make a change, and the results were noticeable. "Most of all, the ladies like the haircut," he says. "I get many compliments every day."

Comfort is important to Tisha Gray, a 20-year-old pre-med student at West Georgia College in Carrollton, Ga. She likes oversized casual pants and prefers a convenient hairstyle. Her "wrap" cut, a variation of the short "bob" style that is literally wrapped up at night and then combed out the next day, is easy to manage. "It [hair] definitely has to be short, and it definitely has to be wrapped," she says emphatically. "It's convenient, it hangs, it's straight, and you don't have to do anything but comb it out."

Experts point to other powerful influences that play a big part in fueling the new generation's interest in popular fashion and hairstyles. The physical fitness craze has boosted sales in spandex biking shorts and bodysuits. A renewed interest in Africa has also spurred the popularity of African jewelry and clothing, most noticeably the leather and cloth fez called the "kente-cloth crown." The desire for an African-look has prompted many women to get "extensions," strands of braided hair that are added to a person's hair to make a braided or "cornrow" hairstyle.

Television also can do wonders to promote fashion trends when combined with a popular entertainer or athlete. Recording artist Bobby Brown made his "Gumby" haircut famous, and the rap group Kid-N-Play has taken the "high-top fade" cut to new heights. Arsenio Hall and Malcolm-Jamal Warner have brought respectability to fashion trends by wearing their distinctive clothes and hairstyles on their respective television programs. Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson are just two athletes who have helped sell athletic shoes, jerseys and team sports jackets through televised sports and commercials.

The new styles are prestigious, but some come with a very high price tag. Popular sneakers cost anywhere between $60 and $170, trendy "Starter" athletic jackets and the "Troop" jackets range from $75 to more than $100, the "Triple F.A.T." goose-down jackets cost even more.

A growing number of young people use their fashion as status symbols of self-esteem, leading many to worry about misplaced values. "The big thing for some of these kids is that the style is so money-conscious," says Geoffrey Canada, a director of the Rheedlen Foundation in New York, which operates several youth programs. "If they could paste dollar bills on, that would become a fad." Adds Dr. Hare: "The adults have neglected to provide the identity and values that young people would normally get. We're still seeing adults grapple over what is and is not correct."