Parul Bhandari, PhD, a sociologist and author specializing in gender, intimacy, and class, tells Allure that traditionally in Indian cultures, hair worn down or “loose” indicated sexual prowess and wantonness. “Therefore, for women to come across as domesticated, demure, and in line with structures and expectations of society, neatly braided hair is preferred, as it denotes a woman’s disciplined life and character, where she ‘knows’ her boundaries and gendered societal expectations,” she says. 

Will these accurate, yet alarming, analyses stop me from recommending you plait up? Just the opposite. If anything, it’s time we reclaim this style from patriarchal control. Nothing gives me more subversive joy than imagining myself, my fierce girlfriends, or even you wearing a plait and being mistaken for a docile, obedient agent of the patriarchy. For that reason alone, I’m spurred to braid till my fingers cramp up. 

Hair Care, Styling, and Scenting of the Indian Braid

Dr. Bhandari’s reasoning might also explain why the style has been dismissed for so long that it seemed almost irredeemable, forever relegated to the cannon of hairstyles that belong in museums. However, this braid has so much going for it that I’m not just calling for a resurgence and a rebrand, but for full-scale worldwide domination. 

For starters, the braid is the perfect covert vehicle for both hair care and fragrance. In South Asian cultures, oils like almond, coconut, and mustard seed were often spiked with follicle-stimulating ingredients like amla, brahmi, and fenugreek and applied to the hair before being tightly plaited. Women then used to go about their work and life this way — many still do — with a head full of oil. 

The oils helped physically reduce frizz in humid climates, and the hair follicles and strands had hours to draw in the properties of those nourishing ingredients. It’s the centuries-old predecessor to the Olaplex bun. My teenage self is yelling obscenities as I type this, but 2022 me would definitely do a grocery or coffee run in a braid oiled by Ranavat, Squigs Beauty, or Moringa Wheat.

Ranavat Mighty Majesty Fortifying Hair Serum

Squigs Beauty Gooseberry Delight Hair Oil

100% Moringa Oil for Skin & Hair

If oils aren’t your thing, I have another hack. I sub in modern day hair masks for oil, plait my hair and luxuriate in them for a few hours. I love the Scalp + Hair Prewash by Shaz & Kiks, which is packed with all these Ayurvedic ingredients, but presented in a whipped texture instead of an oily one.