Power Move: Why Tasha St. Patrick Could Use a Big Chop

Naturi Naughton as Tasha St. Patrick

By Kaila Kea

I have a confession…I hate Tasha St. Patrick’s look. I hate the weave. The boots. The make-up. Oy, the make-up. Don’t get me wrong, this has nothing to do with actress Naturi Naughton. As a matter of fact, I really dig Naturi. She seems like someone who would be great to know in real life. Her comeback from her early days in a music trio is arguably one of the best glow-ups we’ve ever seen. Not to mention, she stays away from the drama, enjoying a successful career on the ever-popular Power while keeping her private life…well, private. We can all learn a thing or two from Naturi.

In fact, it is my love for Naturi that makes me hate Tasha’s look even more. 

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As a brown-skinned girl myself, I just cannot get with the long, light brown wig that Tasha has worn since season 1 on Power. Contrary to popular belief, brown girls can rock a lot of colors, but the light brown wig just aint cuttin’ it. On top of that, Tasha’s wardrobe leaves much to be desired. I’ll give her a pass on wearing high-heeled boots every single episode – I’m willing to bet that the heels help close the gap between Naturi and her taller castmates. However, the rest has got to go. 

LaLa Anthony & Naturi Naughton

During season 4, Tasha vented to Lakeisha about centering her life around Ghost and their family. She even mentioned that Ghost has inspired her look. I had hope that this revelation would lead to some serious wardrobe changes. Perhaps Tasha would swap out the wig for a sleek straight bob or fun textured ‘do and work in some natural-looking makeup. Although I am not wishing for Tasha to look dowdy, I do wish her look was more representative of the Tasha we’ve come to root for. I also wish she looked more like the women who watch the show. Naturi’s natural beauty provides a canvas for a more relatable, chic look yet Tasha still looks like she’s playing dress-up each episode.

Now that I know that Ghost has heavily influenced Tasha’s look, I am really rooting for a style reboot. With everything that Tasha has been through – marital discord, legal woes, loss – this is the perfect time for Tasha to reclaim her look and her life.

Truthfully, we have all been in Tasha’s shoes at some point. Okay, so maybe we don’t have a drug dealer-turned-club owner as a husband and we’ve never instructed a loved one on how to cover up a crime *side eye.* But, many of us have big chopped, releasing years of damaged hair so that our natural beauty can flourish. Case in point: when I big chopped for the fourth time in October 2016, I knew it was time. I needed a new start; a way to stop camouflaging irreversibly damaged tresses. At the same time, I let go of some of the stress that had brought me to that point. Embracing the change in my hair empowered me to embrace other changes in my life.

Sanaa Lathan

The same is true for many women. Last year, when Sanaa Lathan revealed her big chop for Nappily Ever After, she shared how refreshing the change was. “It was actually really powerful and kind of weirdly cathartic and freeing." Lathan adds, “[It feels like this is time] in terms of women of color coming into this amazing renaissance of owning who they are, and owning all of their beauty in whatever shape, size, color it is.” Much like myself and Sanaa, Tasha has come to a point where evolving her style can unlock other changes in her life. But, I can’t help but feel like the masterminds behind Power are stunting Tasha’s style evolution for a reason. Tasha often talks about moving on from her life with Ghost but rarely acts on it. She’s been stuck in the same cycle in her life and style and quite honestly, it’s no fun to watch. Perhaps Tasha has not moved on as much as she claims she has and her Nappily Ever After moment is still on the horizon. Whatever the case, I hope that Power showrunners give Tasha’s style a fighting chance in the coming seasons. Once Tasha experiences the catharsis that follows a major style change, she will level up in her look and her storyline, showing viewers that no one’s past is too dark to bounce back from.

Sound off! What do you think of Tasha’s look? Have you ever held on to something too long only to find that letting go was the best thing you ever did? 

Kaila Kea is a freelance career coach and writer who specializes in creating content pertaining to career and self-development. In addition to writing for CurlyNikki, she has also created content for ZipRecruiter, Blavity, 21Ninety, and LinkedIn. Her work is both provocative and pleasing, often straddling the fine lines between career goals and natural hair care, current events, and goal-setting. Follow her journey on Instagram.

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