Locs Tales

Four Canadians unpack the relationship they have with their signature locked hairstyle.

An incredibly empowering thing about afro-textured hair is how versatile it is. Locs—a protective hairstyle where strands of hair are twisted around themselves into permanent fused units—are heavily associated with Black identity and have rich and complex origins. From Africa to Asia to the Americas, the hairstyle has been worn continuously by people of colour from various regions around the world, dating from ancient times until now. But despite their long history, locs were only really thrust into Western culture in the 1970s thanks to the success of reggae artist Bob Marley, who wore them as a part of his connection to Rastafarianism—a religious movement born in Jamaica.

For decades, the term “dreadlocks” has been used to describe the style, but today it’s considered problematic due to its deep entanglement in colonialism and the establishment of Eurocentric beauty standards, which have caused natural hair and protective styles to be unfairly judged and policed. Thus, there’s been a push to drop “dread” altogether to create a healthier narrative.

Sure, locs continue to be symbolic of spiritual or religious beliefs for many who sport them, but for a multitude of others, the hairstyle holds different meanings. It can represent cultural or ethnic pride, a step in determining one’s own beauty ideal or making a hairstyle choice that simply feels convenient (though it does come with its own unique maintenance routine, including regular washing). Here, four creatives share their locs journey and the experiences they’ve encountered along the way.