Collective feelings post-autumnal equinox are typically drab. It’s dark by 4 p,m,, the weather is unsettlingly temperamental and this particular fall season has been marked by extra strife thanks to the damming results of the 2024 presidential election.
So, yeah, it’s hard to find much to be enthused by when seasonal affective disorder is at its peak, and we are spiraling rapidly into total fascism. And now the one sliver of joy Black women typically rejoice in, silk press season, is being bastardized by TikTok debates, Oy vey!
Yes, that’s right, the silk presses we look forward to all summer and can finally enjoy without worrying about sweating it out on the walk from the salon door to our car are now the latest cause for division amongst the Black hair community. And the verbiage is shocking, to say the least.
This all started when creators started expressing their preference for “fluffy” silk presses, which are exactly what they sound like. Think a poofier press with noticeable texture and body à la Diana Ross, Jurnee Smollett in Lovecraft Country, or the OG Ashley Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
This poses a textural contrast to the mega-silky presses that have been shown particular favor for their fall-off-the-bone flow.
At one point, these styles were able to coexist in relative harmony. So, where did the friction come from? As most beauty conundrums fomented online, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what caused this, but there was certainly an influx of discourse after a creator shared a video of her silk press with text that read “Fluffy silk presses are in” with a sound that says “Not round here partner.” Her caption also read, “If it’s fluffy, then it’s not a silk press… hope this helps.”
And quicker than you could say flat iron, her comments were full of people saying her silk press was “puffy,” fluffy,” and there were even some comparisons to “memory foam.”
But the most jarring euphemism was the numerous comments calling her hairstyle a “cotton press,” which is a loaded statement for a hairdo worn exclusively by Black women.
In her response video, she highlighted how her style differs from the fluffy silk presses and clapped back at commenters. None of this would have happened had she not felt the need to disparage fluffy silk presses in her original video. But the pushback still feels disproportionate to the offense.
In any case, it’s nice to see fluffy silk presses, which typically require less heat and manipulation, embraced since this style is more visually in tune with afro-textured hair.
But calling them a cotton press, even in an attempt to “humble” a creator you think stepped out of line is a backhanded compliment and indirect diss to those embracing the style.
