Why is black hair called natural hair?
The phrase “natural hair” has a history, and it is tied to how Black hair has been styled and judged over time.
Natural means unaltered
“Natural” describes afro-textured hair that has not been chemically straightened. Relaxing uses chemicals to straighten hair, so hair that is left to grow in its own texture is called natural.
A movement with roots in the 1960s
The natural hair movement began in the 1960s and 1970s, alongside the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Natural styles like the Afro became “symbols of resistance, pride and self-definition.”
The 2000s comeback
The movement grew again in the 2000s, when blogs and online communities made it easier to share natural hair care knowledge. Today it encourages people of sub-Saharan African descent to embrace their afro-textured hair, especially in the workplace.
Protected by law in many places
In 2019, California became the first U.S. state to ban discrimination over natural hair with the CROWN Act, and New York followed the same year.
Wear a cap without sacrificing your style
Embracing your natural texture shouldn’t mean giving up your favorite cap. Our patented natural hair hat adapter, Capizzy®, turns any fitted or snapback cap into a cap your hair can come through, so locs, puffs, braids, buns and ponytails stay uncrushed. Nothing is cut, and the cap goes back to normal anytime.
Graduating soon? Our patented graduation cap headband, Cappa® Band, lifts the mortarboard off your forehead so it sits back at a flattering angle and frames your face in every photo, whatever your hairstyle.
