As this 1903 ad demonstrates, hair styles of the Gibson Girl were not suitable for most black women.  Still, it was the standard of beauty in the early twentieth century and set a goal for African American women . . . and an image for enterprising business men and women to put before potential customers. Just as ads for skin lighteners beckoned blacks, so too did ads for products that allowed hair to grow long and soft.  Short, brittle hair was presented as unattractive.