The Afro-Caribbean Rastafarian religion outlawed the combing or
cutting of hair and it was Bob Marley who helped make it widley
acceptable. Dreads were a celebration of black heritage and, as
with the Afro in the 60s, white kids tried to copy dreads in the
90s.
The decade's fascination for dreads differed slightly from Marley's
Rasta style. Young singers and rappers popularised short styles
of twists or clumps. Dreads were not designed for white hair and
Crusties went to great pains to cultivate them.
The most unpopular method (with the mothers) of achieving dreads
was to not wash your hair for months, and rely on the natural oils
and dirt to mat the hair together - nice!
