Caribbean Hair Traditions
Caribbean hair traditions
From canerows and chiney bumps to press and curl, dancehall and carnival. The styles that came to Leeds with the Windrush generation and are still worn in Chapeltown today, with the products to recreate them.
Canerows
The Caribbean and British name for cornrows, a name usually linked to rows of sugar cane. Worn by everyone from schoolchildren to dancehall artists.
Braiding hair if you want length, a firm gel, a tail comb for neat parts and a braid spray for the scalp.
Chiney bumps
The Jamaican name for Bantu knots: small twisted knots all over the head. A classic for girls, and a base for a curly knot-out.
A curl cream or custard to twist with and a satin bonnet for the night.
School plaits with bobbles
The Sunday-night ritual: neat plaits or twists finished with bobbles, clips and beads in school colours, ready for the week.
A gentle detangler, a kids edge gel, bands, beads and a kids satin bonnet to keep plaits neat.
Press and curl
Straightening with a hot comb, then setting with rollers. The Sunday-best style for church, weddings and big occasions.
A pressing comb, a heat protector, and rollers to set. Use the lowest heat that works and test on a small section first.
Head ties and wraps
The madras-check head tie, often worn with national dress. In some islands the way it was tied once showed whether a woman was single or married. In Jamaica the red bandana check is the national costume fabric.
Satin scarves and wraps to tie up and protect your hair. We do not list madras or bandana fabric online, so ask in store.
Locs and the Rasta tam
Locs worn as part of Rastafari faith, often under a knitted tam in red, gold and green.
Faux locs for the look, a twist and loc butter, and a loc tube to wrap them. We do not list tams online.
Dancehall styles
Bold colours, finger waves, sculpted styles, weaves and bright wigs. Much of today's colourful wig and braid culture grew from the dancehall.
A fashion wig, coloured twist hair, a temporary colour spray and a strong edge wax.
Carnival hair
Feathered headpieces, bright wigs and coloured braids for mas. The same spirit fills the streets of Chapeltown every August.
Bright braiding hair, a wash-out colour spray and beads.
Every island, its own style
The Caribbean is many islands with many traditions, shaped by Africa, Europe, India and more. If your island's style is missing, tell us and we will add it.
See also African hair traditions, the Leeds Carnival story and our celebrations calendar. Call 0113 249 5562.