Black Style

Rating:
Summary: A visual feast, and important socio-cultural commentary
Review: From the striking cover photo by Hainsley Brown to the final page, this book is a satisfying visual feast even if you don't stop to read the text. But please do, because the essays explore a fascinating variety of socio-cultural and political issues of African identity as expressed through clothing, hairstyles and accessories. I particularly enjoyed Carolyn Cooper's essay, "Dancehall Dress: Competing Codes of Decency in Jamaica." It was inspired by a dress code for patients posted in a Hospital Emergency Department which admonished, among other things, "NO Dancehall Style!" and the ensuing conversation it provoked among those in the waiting room. Thought provoking!