Look what Cassie started. Well, Cassie didn’t start it, we’ve seen Kelis, Rihanna, and Kanye’s chick Amber Rose with close-to-baldy cuts before, but clearly Cassie fanned the flames of the trend, with personalities like LaLa Vasquez, Teyana Taylor, Rihanna (again) and now B’s baby sis Solange all having opted to either partially or fully chop their crops for a change of pace.

Are they trying to keep cool in the summer heat? I know it’s hot as hell in some parts of the country, but damn! The recession maybe? Weave maintenance does cost a pretty penny. But all of these women are (for the most part) financially set (I think…) so that can’t be the reason, or at least the only one.

Citing radio personality Charlamane, some of these chicks could possibly be thirsty for attention. Hey, anything’s possible in a world of low record sales. That would explain the singers involved, but there has to be some other appeal to the look for those not pushing a certain product.

Personally (and keep in mind a chick is blogging here), I don’t see anything wrong with the trend. I don’t know if these women looked into it this deeply, but it is a great way to rebel against the traditional standard of beauty in this country. To paraphrase Solange herself, she was tired of being compared to her sister, which was definitely a factor in trading her tracks for a breathable do. It is important for everyday women to see that it’s OK for them to step out of the box when it comes to anything. Now, if your man likes a LONG HAIRED, thick, red bone, then feel free to consider that before hitting up his barbershop without him. But who knows, maybe this and many other unique hair, fashion and beauty trends will inspire a resurgence of individuality in other aspects of our culture.

Now, I’m not saying the look works for everybody. Some of my ladies can pull it off, some can’t. But I’ve always been the type not to hate on someone for doing them, so even if u look like Jordan in the 4th quarter, if you’re happy with it, it’s all good.

-Jessica Bennett