Don't Call it a Comeback... Please..

During my generation, I’ve seen trends and fashion from the past come and go. Right now, the big thing is the “hipster” movement; skinny jeans, bright colors, huge gold earrings, large glasses, etc. It’s a cool movement, I must acknowledge—fun and free, comfortable and cool. But never in my LIFE did I expect the tail to come back. Ever.

What’s the tail? The hairstyle looks something like this: a high top fade with some fancy work of designs in the side, and in the back of the head lives a ponytail that grows eventually to be braided. It was so the thing to do—in 1993! It’s so funny to see it revived, and by one of my favorite artists, Bobby Valentino.

He recently released his new album called The Rebirth, led by his first single, “Beep.” I’m a big fan (because he’s just so cute), so of course I watched the premiere of the video. At first I was enjoying it and thought it was wonderfully made, I thought he was brilliantly dressed, as always, but then… It happened. At 0:32 seconds, he turned his head to the left and revealed THE TAIL! I was aghast, ladies in gentlemen. What are you doing, Bobby?! How are you, a grown adult, going to attempt to try and bring the tail back… in a sweater-vest, at that!

I never saw it coming, and if it was going to come, it should have been from one of the kids, like Soulja Boy or something. Not Bobby V! It’s really a concern of mine—like do you really think that’s going to catch on? The day I see kids and men walking down the street with baby puffs of hair in the back of their head, I will eternally shut my mouth about it. I guess this just goes to prove for the trillionth time that history repeats itself in urban culture and elsewhere, and the tail is trying to make a comeback. I suppose I can’t hate on that.

What trends from the 90’s have come back that surprised you?