Hair, style, and victory: the women challenging traditional beauty narratives

It took a while for the world to respect, honor, and truly grasp the wonders of a curly head of hair—especially Black women’s hair. It also took time for many of us to embrace it ourselves. And while everyone is on different stages of our journey, one thing’s for certain: women in sports are making their mark, whether the world is ready or not.

Hair is becoming a symbol in sports, something to be shown off rather than hidden, gelled down, or tucked away, as it used to be. In events such as track and tennis, hairstyles have become a highly anticipated and defining element of athletes' public personas.

When you see Jamaican gold-medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the track starting line, whipping her green and gold tresses, it’s more than just a fashion choice—it’s a statement. She’s THAT girl. She leaves a lasting impression, not just by setting world records but by showing us that there’s no one else like her, and that uniqueness creates a competitive edge.

Performance beauty, as it’s often called, is just as much about feeling powerful and owning the moment, as it is about looking gorgeous during it. This challenges the traditional view that beauty and athleticism are mutually exclusive. These women are showing us every year that being an athlete doesn’t mean you automatically don’t care about beauty. Now, hair, skincare, and fashion are all fair game. There’s room to play and shine in many ways, and we’re overdue to break these one-dimensional stereotypes in women’s sports.

This shift signifies a larger cultural change. Whether it’s Serena Williams causing a stir in her sleek catsuit or world champion sprinter Sha'carri Richardson dazzling with her nail art, athletes are bringing play, fun, beauty and style to the game, and it’s commanding attention. So much so, that it’s become a form of psychological warfare as much as it is a celebration of individuality. To some, it may seem an impracticality but when a competitor steps onto the field, their look tells the world they’re there to win—and they’re gonna look damn good doing it.

Brands are beginning to recognize that there is a whole segment of multidimensional consumers—both competitive athletes and people who live very active lifestyles—that haven’t been catered to at all.

WYN Beauty, Offcourt, and Freaks of Nature are just a few upcoming brands that understand and are capitalizing on this, designing products that start to meet this growing demand and lifestyle. And there’s so much more that can be done. As we looked at in our Curl Communities project, hair and the perception of hair holds so much meaning. As these sporting stars are showing, this is nowhere more the case than on the track or pitch.

@freaksofnature___

The right brands have an opportunity to support women in how they see themselves and how they express themselves through their hair.

In an industry that has long played by the book, these sportswomen are rewriting the script. Their hair, their style, their confidence is a moment in itself. If brands can recognize this and cater to them - and many other women out there who feel the same - then the sports world has the potential be transformed by it, one confident, beautiful, and powerful woman at a time.