Earlier today, trendcasters at Marie Claire broke some very important style news:
Kendall Jenner takes bold braids to a new epic level: https://t.co/IMPn41xorh pic.twitter.com/Cgp7X8CfNg
— Marie Claire (@marieclaire) April 2, 2014
Jenner—one of the younger members of the cabal, who’s being groomed to be the next Kardashian to do whatever it is they do—had been singled out for her “bold” look. Since Marie Claire is a fairly innocuous women’s magazine, these “bold braids” might have indeed appeared “epic” to some of their readers.
However, once the tweet started circulating, Twitter reminded the magazine that five tiny cornrows are only “epic,” “bold,” or “new” if you’re young, rich, and white.
“RT @marieclaire: Kendall Jenner takes bold braids to a new epic level pic.twitter.com/cwcBjermmD” NIGGA I TOOK BOLD BRAIDS TO A NEW LEVEL IN 98
— The Kid Mero (@THEKIDMERO) April 2, 2014
New? Ever heard of black people? “@marieclaire: Kendall Jenner takes bold braids to a new epic level: pic.twitter.com/DY1Fj1Vx9I”
— JP (@thecityofjules) April 2, 2014
A search for #boldbraids reveals even more responses to that myopic view on braids, history, inclusion, and cultural biases, etc.:
@marieclaire what’re your thoughts on fact that blk women are reprimanded at work for wearing same #boldbraids you’re applauding Kendall for
— Divinity Matovu (@divinitymatovu) April 2, 2014
If you’ve never gotten your hair braided in somebody’s kitchen, you’ve never had #boldbraids.
— TrishyFromTheBlock (@SweetFaceTrishy) April 2, 2014
Bold. New. EPIC! If only @marieclaire called any of the millions of brown and black girls rocking braids these terms with regularity.
— Pia Glenn (@PiaGlenn) April 2, 2014
Black women been wearing Braids since before Julius Ceasar, never in history been referred to as Bold nor Epic for it
— Gomar Oz Dubar (@TheBookofJonah) April 2, 2014
Hi @KendallJenner just so you know, your braids aren’t “new”, “bold”, or “epic”. Black people have been getting braids for centuries.
— tayyib (@biyiat) April 2, 2014
New? Oh. *insert ethnic emoji* RT @marieclaire: Kendall takes bold braids 2 a new epic level: https://t.co/IlbILSg045 pic.twitter.com/CTILZ6OE7F“
— The Kitchenista (@MissAngelaDavis) April 2, 2014
Thanks to @marieclaire and Kendall Jenner for inventing #BoldBraids. I have never seen these before in my entire life. #Groundbreaking
— PrestonMitchum (@PrestonMitchum) April 2, 2014
Kendal Jenner’s #boldbraids as a style are older than she is. a white magazine’s obliviousness to black hairstyles doesn’t make it brand new
— Ari Burton (@atypewritersing) April 2, 2014
Then there was this perfect tweet:
Listen up @marieclaire #BoldBraids pic.twitter.com/f03Alm0Mv7
— ् (@HabibahPerez) April 2, 2014
And this:
Bold braids. pic.twitter.com/a7ZjnLPW1n
— Erik (@ekw248) April 2, 2014
Marie Claire’s social media team eventually apologized for their wording:
We didn’t mean to offend or imply that cornrows were new. Our tweet was poorly worded.
— Marie Claire (@marieclaire) April 2, 2014
We thought her hair looked great and recognize women have been styling their hair like this for ages.
— Marie Claire (@marieclaire) April 2, 2014
One would hope this might lead to the magazine diversifying their staff a bit, but it looks like other publications are just as single-minded. Did you know Jenner and her sisters have also been trying out some bold new “tribal” makeup while in Thailand?
Photo by Klint F/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)