Dreadlocks in Western Popular Culture

When the reggae music in the 1970s gained popularity and mainstream acceptance, the locks, often just called “dreads”, became a fashion statement, a trend for the secular, worn by prominent actors, athletes, rappers, even portrayed as part of a gang culture in some movies (such as Marked for Death).

With the "Rasta style", the fashion and beauty industries capitalized on the trend. A completely new line of hair care products and services emerged, offering all sorts of "dreadhead" hair care items such as wax, shampoo and jewelry. Hairstylists created a wide variety of modified dreadlocks, including multi-colored, synthetic dreadlock extensions and "dread perms", where chemicals are used to treat the hair.

Hair salons in African American communities were booming as well, offering "natural" African styles by attaching locks of false or artificial hair similar to dreadlocks to the natural hair. Dreadlocks that used to take five years to develop became available at the local stylist in approximately five hours.

Dreadlocked models appeared at fashion shows and Rasta clothing with a Jamaican style reggae look were sold. Even exclusive fashion brands like Christian Dior created whole Rasta-inspired collections worn by models with a variety of dreadlock hairstyles.

More recently, certain elements of rock culture, which is well known for long hair, have seen a prevalence of dreadlock styles, most notably in artists such as Rob Zombie. Also note that Devin and Christian said he will one day also wear his hair in the dreadlock style.