What 'Type' of Black Girl Are You?

Stop Boxing Black Women Into YOUR Standards

We currently live in a world that is becoming increasingly defined by social imagery and aesthetics, it feels as if every day there is a new beauty trend or “look” everyone wants to embody. Whether a new hairstyle, makeup or fashion trend these aesthetics take on a life of their own, influencing not just how we see others but how we view ourselves.

Within the Black community in the UK, a distinctive look has emerged—one that blends fashion and beauty into what is now widely recognised as the ‘UK Black Girl’. The UK black girl aesthetic includes; bright under eyes, volume lashes, and that long middle part buss down jet black wig. These images permeate our timelines from our favourite influencers to the fellow Black girls and women we could see at a random day party. I’m sure even when I mention this aesthetic we all can think of celebrities or influencers probably even the same people that embody this aesthetic. Their makeup style, fashion sense and hairstyles are all so similar.

While the UK Black Girl aesthetic has undeniably become a form of self-expression, it also raises important questions about representation, accessibility, and the impact of such rigid beauty standards. But as celebrated as this aesthetic is, we have to ask: Is it empowering, or is it becoming another restrictive mould for Black women to fit into?

The Dark Side of Aesthetics

With the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the aesthetic has become increasingly popularised, influencing beauty standards across generations. But what happens when you don’t look like or fit into these established norms? 

The cost of fitting into this aesthetic is not just emotional—it’s financial. Let’s be real: it’s 2024, and not everyone has the disposable income to splurge on 24-inch raw Cambodian bundles. Achieving and maintaining the UK Black Girl aesthetic often requires significant investment. From wigs to eyelash extensions, flawless makeup routines, and high-end fashion pieces, the exclusivity of this look is part of its allure but also its trap. The aesthetic signals desirability, but it comes at a cost that not every woman can or should want to pay.

To fit into this aesthetic may not even be desired but what are the consequences of this for these individuals? This aesthetic has created a kind of unhealthy standard for Black women, we often compare ourselves to what we see online and if what we see is desired by others that can make us want it even more. Seeing that and comparing ourselves to it and not being the same, we can’t help simply looking like ourselves.

One of the biggest issues with the rise of rigid aesthetics is how they box Black women into narrow categories. If you don’t listen to the same music, wear the same clothes, or do your hair in the same styles, you’re suddenly “different.” And in spaces with other Black women, this can sometimes feel like a competition. It’s exhausting, and it’s unnecessary.

I recently came across a Reddit thread talking about being an ‘average Black girl” and it honestly broke my heart. We are calling ourselves average now?? There is no such thing as an "average" Black woman! Not every Black woman wants to or can afford to maintain this look. Yet, the constant exposure to it on social media creates a subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure to conform. What happens to women who can’t or won’t fit this aesthetic? Are they deemed less beautiful, less worthy, or even average?

For Black women who grew up in predominantly white environments, the pressure to fit the mould of the “ideal” Black girl can feel even more overwhelming. These women often already feel like outsiders in their daily lives, and within Black spaces, they may feel like they have to work harder to prove their “Blackness.” Black women shouldn’t have to feel as though they have to defend their identities or make you conscious about their choices, feel guilty for liking ‘white things’ (whatever that is). This only perpetuates harmful internal divisions. Being a Black woman is already a complex experience; why add further layers of judgment by boxing each other in?

It brings me so much joy to see different types of Black girls thriving today—carving their paths, embracing their individuality, and rejecting societal pressures. From alternative aesthetics or no defined aesthetic at all, Black women are showing that there’s no “right” way to exist. This freedom is what we should celebrate. Black women have spent too long being forced into boxes—by mainstream beauty standards, societal expectations, and even by our communities.

We don’t all share the same interests, styles, or ways of navigating the world—and that’s okay. Black women are not a monolith, and there shouldn’t be a “type” of Black girl you should have to want to be or feel pressure to become just to fit into standards or images promoted. We are not one-dimensional.

It’s tiring being defined by a society that crumbles under the weight of Black women being themselves.

For the Black girls who fit into these aesthetics and those who don't.

For the Black girls who are earthy.

For the Black girls who listen to rock, pop, country or K-pop.

For the Black girls who wear their natural curls or braids or wigs.

For the Black girls who are alternative.

To the Black girls who do things ‘differently’. Whatever ‘type’ of black girl you are, your experiences and existence are valid!