The Unsung Icons of Black Women’s Fashion
DINAH WASHINGTON
Before Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Kim, Nicki Minaj and a slew of others threw on blonde wigs and dyed their manes gold to stand out, Dinah Washington showed ‘em how to do it right. Washington did a little bit of everything when it came to her music, as she was known by many as the “Queen of the Blues.” On top of trying an array of styles in blues and jazz, as well as trying a variety of men (eight times married), she also did many things with her hair. The blues singer used a spray formula to color her hair a darker blonde. The look, a massive change from her usual dark bouffants, garnered a positive response from fans and friends of the songbird, who praised her younger and more vibrant new look. Washington was one of the many forerunners of blonde locs and proved that the look can be just as intense against black skin as it can on fairer skin folk.
