The Cultural Evolution of Laying Edges in Black Hairstyling
Laying edges, "edge control" or "sleeking," is a popular hairstyling technique, usually as a finishing touch, among women of color with textured hair. It involves sleeking down, shaping, and styling the baby hairs found along the hairline area, with styling products such as styling gel and a brush, to create a sleek, fun, and stunning look. Yes, laying edges is a popular trend today and a prominent part of pop culture, but it's—by no means—new and dates back to the early 1900s.
The culture of laying edges is rooted in African and African-American history. In the slavery and colonialization era, black people were over and over again required to imitate European beauty standards and assimilate into white spaces. Coily textured hair (or kinky hair) was viewed as “ghetto”, unkempt, and unprofessional and hence, women with textured hair were required to slick back their hair. This form of racial oppression caused the suppression of natural hair textures and the glorification of straightened hairstyles.
In the golden age of the Harlem Renaissance in the early 1900s, black culture in the United States rose to stardom through the popularization and celebration of black music, literature, theater, and other forms of art. This era led to the revaluation of racial stereotypes, highlighted the richness of black artistic expressions, and the embracing of African American cultures. People of color began experimenting with their afro-textured hair textures and creating diverse hairstyles, including laying edges. Josephine Baker is said to be the first entertainer to be seen with styled edges and credited with sparking the popularity of styled edges in swoop-like patterns among black women.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Black Power movement and the rise of the Civil Rights movement further empowered black people to embrace their natural beauty and reject Eurocentric beauty standards. People of color began style their edges together as part of their Afro-textured hairstyles such as afros, braids, and twists, as a symbol of black pride, resistance, and liberation. Later, in the 1980s and 1990s, styled edges became a new trend in Mexican and Afro-Latinx communities during the Chola subculture era.
In recent years, there has been a redefinition of black beauty standards through the resurgence in embracing afro-textured hair and celebrating diverse black hairstyles. The natural hair movement, fueled by black pop-culture celebrities and social media, has undoubtedly motivated people of color to embrace their textured hair and express themselves through various hairstyling techniques, including laying edges, and showcase their creativity.