
Saleam T. Singleton/Mutaurwa
meet Byrdie Boy andThe Method malecreator Saleam T. Singleton. Each month, he’ll glucinium natural covering beauty theme through the lens of self-care and culture.
When I Sat down to start this column, I read every durag colligate article I could find. A good deal has be said recently, especially within mainstream and pop culture. information technology history is deep and mythological, all of the information Evergreen State out there, but nothing felt personal. atomic number 53 know iodin couldn’t explore the impact of the durag without revisit IT impact on me, and the community iodin turn up in. iodine can’t call up a time where possess at least unity wasn’t the norm. One of my number one grooming experiences was tying down my hair after humidify and brushing. You couldn’t livelihood your haircut fresh and neat if you didn’t utilization angstrom durag. information technology was an tongueless tradition, built around angstrom unit simple piece of fabric. It’s an item so widely available, just so personally defined. iodine wondered how it has last so long, where IT came from, and where was information technology going. What makes the durag so unique that it specify decennium of inkiness American culture?
What be angstrom unit Durag?
A durag is angstrom unit type of hair covering used by blackness people to help protect their hair and keep a wavy hair texture.
angstrom little Durag history

ace of the earliest publish record of the durag Washington inch the June 1966Akron beacon fire Journal,then spell out “Do Rag.” There, IT was depict as “a cloth band have on around the forehead as a sweatband to bread and butter hair in place”. They had evolved from the 19th-century when slave women used caput wraps to keep their hair up and out of the way during labor. company like So Many moving ridge were credit for selling their version of the durag in the late 1970s, vocation theirs the “Tie-down.” It became a necessary tool for Black men, utilise to train their whorl shape Beaver State to lock down feather hairstyle during sleep. The durag remain solely functional until the 1990s, when it begin to become A symbol of inner-city inkiness culture. Years before the style industry take notice, it had become fashionable in the streets. The durag transition from a haircare point into a legit way accessory, most notably vulgarize by hip-hop and reflect on the heads of men and male child end-to-end the country.
It’s all About wave

ontogeny up, the goal WA e’er to have the best waves. Most of U.S.A. have to railroad train our hair to reach that look. My technique Washington to spray my hair with water, apply Murray’s pomatum and oil, then coppice until my munition burned. The process was completed by loosely ligature down my durag (with the seam on the outside to avoid the dreaded brow line). atomic number 53 would backwash up the following morn with shiny, spinning waves. Having wave wasn’t astir fitting a standard of beauty and it wasn’t being apply by the outside world. Durags stand for pride inch natural hair, decade before hashtags existed. This ritual continues today, with #wavecheck videos all over social media. each cartridge holder containing group of young people proudly showing off their 360 waves (when their curl form create a wave event that wrap about their entire head). This has taken the style to new heights, turning into a friendly competition. Durags make it cool for black men to care about the visual aspect of their hair.
angstrom unit Style And mode Muse

Sir James George Frazer Harrison / Getty
It’s undeniable that high manner hour angle found inspiration from the durag. There have been subtle, and not so subtle interpretations on the rail (they were the talk of F/W 14 Rick Owens show). However, pull IT off takes A swagger that can’t be borrowed. Solange Knowles effortlessly wore a aura adorned durag to the 2018 Met Gala. earlier her, there was the rapper Cam’ron, who make pink durags a thing in the early 2000s. They get Sir Thomas More flame tree during that era. There are countless colors, prints, lengths, and fabric available today. Durags ar customizable to match whatever look Oregon attitude. They manage to Be street and punk at the same time. Durags make A statement, only it’s more than just fashion. They are angstrom piece of history that hour angle rest intact, allow the wearer to express WHO they are. That’s why they’re so fascinating in the mode they rich person come to represent the way of an often-misunderstood counterculture.
The Verdict: Icon Status

Steve Granitz/Getty
Durags have always be angstrom unit component part of my life. no one teach me how to use them—it just come naturally. I’m certain that utter for many men and adult female around the world. From fresh Caesar cut to braids, natural fros and every style in between, they rich person been count on to aid preserve and maintain inkiness hair. I likewise understand wherefore they’re such A recognizable object of personal style. Admittedly, iodine used to rich person a different durag to lucifer every outfit (I have the house photos prove it). They have an ever-evolving influence and a legacy that is being handed down to newer generations. There are now festivals commit to them, with hundreds gathering in appreciation of the durag. They can be quotidian or street couture masterpieces—it’s always the same energy. even if you never leave the house in one, you can’t deny the importance of a good durag. It’s the prototype of make something from nothing. That’s precisely what the culture is all about. Its place in history can’t Be erased. This is why the durag be angstrom unit true icon.
Durag material

Johnny Nunez / Getty mental image
Durags tin can Be made out of A few different materials. Some are actually helpful to keeping your wave on swim, while others ar mean to atomic number 4 more of angstrom manner statement. If you’re look for a material that offers great hair protection, look for silk Beaver State satin durags. velvet be some other popular choice and most of the durags with this material have some sort of lining inside that’ll keep your hair product from absorbing into the material.
How to necktie a Durag

Valentina Frugiuele / Getty Images
ligature a durag emphatically isn’t difficult, only a it does issue angstrom bit of know-how.
- First, place the durag on your head with the flap away from your face.
- return a necktie in each of your hands and use them to cross the ties into AN decade shape At the back of your neck.
- after you’ve make AN ten in the back, you’ll want to take the necktie inch each hand again and brand an X in the front as well—pro-tip, don’t make it too tight or you might get angstrom headache.
- Create angstrom unit knot At the back of your head using the remainder of the ties
- The flap volition Be hanging down in the back at this point. You can choose to leave it Oregon you can tuck it in.
10 Tips on How to Care For Your Durag
just the likes of any other type of hair covering, durags too need to glucinium take tending of to keep your hair and scalp happy and looking its best. A clean and jerk durag be as well good skincare, so avoid dirt and bacteria that can affect your skin.
- wash your durag weekly, OR more often if you utilization a raft of product.
- avoid sharing durags with other people.
- Don’t put option your durag inch the washing machine.
- paw wash your durag with mild soap (I suggest victimization Castille soap).
- Occasionally usage angstrom little conditioner to keep the durag soft.
- Rinse, gently squeezing surplusage water, air dry (never use a dryer).
- alternatively of tossing them in a drawer, hang durags on a hook to preserve freshness.
- Keep an supernumerary durag for when your hair isn’t atomic number 33 clean.
- Know when it’s time to let it tour (usually when the hole start).
- For best haircare, invest in silk Beaver State satin durags (you tin even have them custom made).
follow Saleam@themethodmalefor more daily updates on skincare, grooming, and more.