Remember that scene in Something New when Sanaa Lathan’s character started rocking her natural ‘fro after her new white boo had to tell her let the straight weaves go? Well Kandi and Todd just took a page right out of that script with the new mom ditching her weave, seemingly for good, at her hubby’s request.
Kandi posted the pic above early this morning on Instagram, writing:
It took 4 & a half years for @todd167 to see me take out my weave for more than a day. Now he doesn’t want me to put it back in. #HealthyHair pic. On set press by @derekjhair #realhairdontcare
It should come as no surprise that many of the real housewife’s fans agreed that Kandi doesn’t need those extensions many a woman on reality TV has come to be known for. But what’s funny is that it took a man to help the woman of many talents see her natural beauty.
Even in the midst of the natural hair movement, there still seems to be no shortage of odes to Black women with long hair on the radio, which I can’t help but think has just a teeny tiny bit to do with some women’s preference for 18- and 20-inch silky straight weaves 365 days of the year. Of course there are others who rock extensions as a protective style, to switch things up, or simply to take a break from doing their own hair — and that’s just fine — but there’s always something special about a man appreciating the hair a woman was born with and letting that be known.
Earlier this year, I tried out a new weave in the midst of trying out a new man. Before he came over one evening, I gave him a head’s up about the change and could hear the hesitancy in his voice. When he saw me in person he offered a less than enthusiastic compliment of “it looks nice,” which I personally found amusing since I’m not one to regularly rock a weave but have always been under the impression that a lot of men have a slight preference for them — or either somehow don’t realize that long hair they love on the woman they’re dating isn’t really their’s. Nevertheless, I remember a month or so later we were texting and I told him I took out the weave and his response was “Yesssssssssssssssssssss” to which I had a mixed reaction. It was like two parts flattered, one part offended (like, what are you trying to say about my weave?!” But when he saw me in person the next time he immediately complimented my hair and said he was glad I got rid of the weave. I asked why and he answered, “you know I like the natural.” I actually didn’t know, but I knew then.
Of course, that wouldn’t stop me from trying out extensions again if I want to give my hair another break or try something different, but there is something to be said for doing the most to impress a man at times when the reality is he would be perfectly happy with the features you naturally possess, hair included. I’m glad Kandi took Todd up on his suggestion.
Have you ever removed a weave for a man?
