Clockwise L-R: Janet Jackson, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Stacey Dash, Brandy.

The Old School

The super-long, rope-thick style of braids and twists we’re seeing right now is a direct throwback to the ’90s–when stars like Janet Jackson, Brandy, and Stacey Dash (probably better known to the masses as Dionne in Clueless) made them their signature look. To this day the style is oftentimes casually referred to as the ‘Poetic Justice,’ after the movie in which Janet Jackson made the hairstyle iconic.

This time around, not a whole lot has changed: Women are still wearing their braids in pretty much the same way, piled high atop the heads (wrapped with a bandanna for an ultra ’90s vibe) or down their backs with a sleek middle part. One major difference for modern day? The welcomed absence of those slicked down edges or “baby hair” in the front. Sorry, Miss Jackson… that’s just a little too nasty for our liking.