The Black satin bonnet is the latest fashion trend

There was a day and a time when women were told to never go out in public in hair rollers or their bathrobes. Television shows often had parodies of the wife running out of her home in rollers, a hair bonnet, bedroom shoes and a robe. This has been changing for some time as I have noticed younger women out and about in various items fo attire that used to be relegated to the inside of the home. Since the coronavirus, it seems that African American women, in particular, are re-thinking one specific fashion statement that was previously a faux-paux.

Increasing numbers of black females are wearing black satin bonnets outside of the house and rocking them in broad daylight. I purchased my first black satin hair bonnet in 2019 because of the elastic band that holds it in place. It remained on my head at night and did not come off as hairnets and other headgear often do. Scarves, hairnets, and doo rags simply did not work for me.

Another reason I purchased this item is that I read that this satin product keeps your hair from breaking off while you sleep. It was so soft and light that I had a few days when I went out wearing it without even realizing it. This began happening more often during the phase 1 shutdown when I was running and out quickly so I could get back home to shelter in place. It's now 2021 and I continue to see women of all races wearing these bonnets in public.

After a while, I began to no longer care who saw me in it, because the cap fits very nicely and in being in pandemic mode I simply did not care about appearances. I could condition my hair, place a plastic cap on my head to help the conditioner penetrate, put the black cap over the plastic one then drive off to my destination. It was fun because no one knew what was underneath. During the past month, I began to notice that African American women of all ages were coming out in public wearing a black satin cap.

I saw three teenage girls walking a few weeks back one afternoon. Two of them were wearing the black satin bonnet. I've seen women in their 20s, 30s, 40s. 50s, and 60's wearing this item and loving it. This morning I saw a woman in her 30's wearing this new fashion item, I pointed to my own head and said to her that we were creating a trend. The satin caps don't feel like an accessory, and you honestly forget you are wearing one. They do, however, serve multiple purposes. In addition to protecting your hair while you sleep and hiding fact that you are conditioning your tresses, they work great on a bad hair day.

If you are just going out for a short time and wear your bonnet, no one will be able to tell the reason why it's on. You can cover up hair rollers, a perm that has gone bad, or hair that has been affected by the heat. That's the beauty of it, with everyone wearing them, nobody else can guess what is going on with you. Some days, I put my black satin cap on just because I can. Back during the days of the curly permanents, you would see men and women wearing the plastic conditioner caps. This was because they held in moisture that kept the curls in shape. The black satin bonnet can be worn just for fun and that's why it is a necessary item.

You can purchase these caps for $2.00 at Family Dollar or Dollar General. They should also have them at beauty supply stores but the price might be more expensive. The one thing that I personally enjoy the most is the fact that no one in my family has once told me to take it off. I can remember running out of the house with rollers, or a scarf tied around my head and someone might ask if I meant to go out that way. African American women have always found ways to wrap up their hair since the days of slavery. They wore rags and scarves around their tresses and in later years hat, turbans, and wraparounds.

Women of the Muslim faith wear hijabs, niqabs, and burkas> Black women from nations other than America also keep their hair secured under coverings. I don't know if this is a fad, or if it will leave along with COVID-19. For right now many women of color are taking advantage of this satin bonnet. Please do not misinterpret this article as saying that only black women are doing this or that it is only for women of African descent.

Any female can do whatever she chooses with her hair. The that I am making is that as of this writing, I have seen more African American women than Caucasian females wearing this cap in public but this is changing. It is not a "black thing" so to speak. It just happens that black women are the fashionistas in this particular case and the trend is catching on.