Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities have used clothing and hair to express personal and cultural identity. This blog explores the history and impact of style amongst the borough’s Windrush Generation, through the memories and experiences of Hackney people.
We Didn’t Come In Rags
A large Caribbean community settled in Hackney from the 1950s onwards, seeking employment and a better life in the UK. For those moving from the Caribbean to Britain between 1948–1973 (often known as the ‘Windrush Generation’) it was important to arrive well-dressed, ready for their new lives in the UK.
With Britain’s economy still recovering from the Second World War (1939–1945), these new arrivals stood out with their well-dressed appearance.
Local churches were central to establishing strong networks within Caribbean communities and helping people feel at home. The tradition of wearing your smartest clothing, known as ‘Sunday best’, to services meant worshippers ensured they dressed immaculately, often with gloves and hat to complete the look.
“England was held in high regard to many people who were living in places like Jamaica, Trinidad and Dominica. They came with the promise that there was going to be this place – the mother country – where there would be jobs and homes and you would be welcomed.
In order to do that you have to look good. You have to be presentable, because this was a life-changing opportunity.”
Valentine Hanson
An explosion of colour
The economic impact of the Second World War (1939–1945) had long lasting effects on the availability and affordability of clothing in the UK. On moving to Stoke Newington as a child in 1960, Monica Morris found Britain “very dull and boring” compared to the colourful way people dressed in British Guiana (Guyana).
In contrast, the well-dressed and colourful appearance of those arriving from the Caribbean was noted, sometimes with envy, by their British neighbours.
“I was a post-war baby, most of the men I knew all had navy blue pinstripe suits, which they were demobbed with. And then our West Indian friends arrived – and nothing to do with the colour of their skin – it was the colour of their clothes!
I’d never seen a man in a light blue suit, or a fawn suit, with matching Trilby hats, and the women wore these glorious colours – any colour – they just, it was an explosion of colour – to me – as a child – from Ridley Road.“
Wendy Ellison, Hackney Museum 2010.146
Dressing for a cold climate
However, life in Britain was not easy. One of the challenges newly arrived communities faced was adapting their style to suit the cold climate of their new home. They had to buy a whole new set of clothing to survive the cold winters in the UK. People’s existing style had to incorporate essential items, such as rain-coats and hats, creating a unique ‘Black British’ look.
Children joining their parents in the UK would encounter for the first time items such as anoraks, woolly tights and boots. Pam Edwards remembers her mother meeting them at the airport with a coat “because we didn’t know what a coat was”.
“I was wearing ordinary shoes, no winter coat. We didn’t know what we were expecting. I was told it was the coldest winter for 35 years but I had no idea what winter was you see.”
“Long sleeve nightdress, socks… We had to buy a lot of clothes. Vests – I’d never worn vests. When the winter did come I just felt like going back. I cried. I think a lot of people did cry. You see a picture postcard of the winter but it’s just seeing, not feeling.”
Stanley and Adela Dormer, moved from Jamaica to Hackney in the early 1960s.
Haircare
There were also the challenges of moving to a country unfamiliar with African type or ‘Afro-textured’ hair, which required knowledge, skills and products not easily available in the UK.
Hair salons and barbershops opened in people’s homes to counter the absence of businesses catering for the community. During the three week journey by ship from Jamaica to Britain, 19 year old Ugent Knight used his skills as a sheep shearer to cut other passengers’ hair. He continued to cut hair at his home in Hackney, before opening All Nations Barbershop on Sandringham Road.
Many people moving to the UK from the Caribbean brought their own hair care equipment, such as hot-combs and curling irons, to achieve particular hairstyles.
“A hot comb would be used to straighten your hair, to make it smoother… you would use the stove to warm up the comb and then you would sit down and your mother, or your aunt, or anybody would use it to comb your hair.
It would feel quite hot, you’d have to be very careful and you’d have to sit very still. It was often your mother, holding your head in place making sure you don’t wiggle about as a kid.”
Valentine Hanson
to Hackney from Jamaica in 1956.
Content for this blog originally featured in the exhibition ‘Hackney’s Got Style: Celebrating the History and Impact of African and Caribbean Fashion and Hair‘ at Hackney Museum 1 October 2019 – 21 March 2020. This exhibition was curated with the guidance and support of Lorna Holder, author of ‘Style in My DNA’ and Managing Director of Tuareg Productions, as well as members of the exhibition advisory panel.