The Mikara Reid Identity: Fashionable & Unapologetically Bald (Op-ed)

From the outside looking in,

you may see me as a black woman that’s well put together with a unique aesthetic. But from the inside out, its been a rocky road of emotions to now having a recognizable and memorable identity.  

Along my self-discovery journey as well as my fashion business journey, I adopted a lot of the ways the fashion industry has programmed us all, keeping up with the trends (or as I call it Follow the Fashion & the Get-fly-Scheme). We’re constantly in and out of clothes that don't resonate with our core-being and individuality. As humans, our diversity is the spice of our existence - don’t you agree? 

Over 12 years ago, I decided to go a different route regarding my hairstyle and cut the shit all off. I don’t feel like hair defines me as a woman - the sway in my hips, the strut in my walks and my creative appearance all screams ‘woman’. So this ‘one’ thing that society has pushed, shouldn’t allow others to be the determinant of what is and what isn’t a woman.

When I come across the older generation  it’s like they’re stuck to the notion of - women should have long hair because ‘they are women’ and there’s no if, and’s or but about it .As long as I carried the functionality of a woman, to me what difference did it make to have hair or no hair. But unfortunately we have been programmed, the straighter the better, the longer the softer of a woman she is.  My nails are done, the heels are click-clatting and the outfits are outfitting but for some reason, my unique personal appearance rubs people the wrong or uncomfortable way.

For me, being a black woman is an experience and a vibe that can't be touched. Coming to full acceptance and appreciation of this part of me needed no explanation and it became an important piece to expressing my identity. It doesn’t matter what race or gender you are, with the discovery of your individual identity you’ll definitely birth a strong sense of style.

Discovering my own element has transferred to what I do for people in styling - helping them discover their fashion identity. Among the women I come across in conversations or on-board as clients, they sometimes share how they feel stuck yet wanting to excel. I can resonate with every sense of their dilemma.

In these 12+ years of me being bald by choice, when I show up the rejection is prevalent (and expected in my mind), I’ve gotten cold responses and still do till this day, they either move to the other side of the room or sidewalk because I don’t fit their standards of a woman. I’m just a woman that decided to not be like every other woman and created my own identity.

As black women, we specifically create our own identity through our hair and fashion image. That’s why you can’t categorize us in just one box because our hair and background comes in so many different variety, there’s no one size fits all. And from that beautiful inspiration of blackness, I had no problem carving out my own flare of fashion.

The more I live with having a bald head and flamboyant earrings, the more confident I am in 2024. Luckily, my career is in fashion and I own my own business but just like several other women who defy normalcy, there are advantages and disadvantages to my personal appearance when I conduct business. Some experiences end up being overlooked or ignored based on my ‘abnormal’ look and the other times it’s a conversation starter that draws people in.

The way we get creative and express ourselves to step outside of our doors and face the world shows that our strength lies more within us naturally.

You may ask, what does having a bald head symbolize in 2024? It is the most obvious expression of self, of gender, of subversion; of non-conformity, seduction, aggression, rebellion. It is immediately visible, impossible to ignore. And thus it is a key variable in shaping the perception of the external gaze, be it male or female. According to Wikipedia, “While a shaved head on a man is often seen as a sign of authority and virility, a shaved head on a woman typically connotes androgyny, especially when combined with traditionally feminine signifiers.”

But how I define the meaning of my bald head - It depicts my divergent nature which propels me to defy normal standards and makes me bold enough to want to determine the currents of my life. I am Mikara Reid, I am fashion savvy and I am unapologetically bald!