HAIR OUT TO THERE AFRO PICKS UP NEW GENERATION OF FANS IN TODAY'S TEENS.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

Bell bottoms and hip-huggers. VW Bugs and Lady Marmalade.

With all the icons from the groovy '70s slowly creeping into 21st century pop culture, it was only a matter of time before the hairstyles of the day returned as well.

And now, the Afro is back.

First, it was a look only super-hip celebrities such as rocker Lenny Kravitz, singer/songwriter Macy Gray and Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant could pull off. But now the 'do has become de rigueur among the high school set from the San Fernando Valley to Miami Beach.

From the classic 'fro to nappy, curly and just plain wild versions of the puffy hair, young men and women of all colors and ethnicities are adopting the look.

``We're seeing a lot of kids with really large Afros,'' said Kim Schwartz, a stylist at Fantastic Sam's in Woodland Hills. ``There are a couple of kids with 3-inch-long Afros. We're talking major big hair.''

When the Afro first emerged in the 1960s and '70s, the hairdo was both a style and a political statement. African-American men and women were breaking free from other people's definitions of beauty, according to Barbara Rhodes, professor emeritus of Pan African studies at California State University, Northridge.

These days, the return of the Afro still has a message, she said, although not so overt.

``It's more of a style than it was but it still makes a statement - even if people don't know what statement it makes,'' she said.

Mark Pierce, a 17-year-old from Reseda, hasn't really thought about whether his hairstyle has political implications. He just thinks his natural 'fro is cool and comfortable.

``I think today, it's more or less that people like to feel comfortable, to be natural, to do what they want to do,'' Pierce said, ``to feel natural and feel they don't have to go out and have their hair completely done and everything, whether it's nappy or curly or crazy.''

And while the Afro is coming back, it's not necessarily replacing any other style.

``If you see a black woman walking down the street she may have cornrows or braids or a head wrap - or an Afro,'' Rhodes said.

This time around, there are more options than the groovy cue ball that actor Clarence Williams III sported as Lincoln Hayes in the '70s television show ``The Mod Squad.''

Afros may be ragged like Macy Gray's, or curly hair grown out like comic Carrot Top's glaring red mop, or just thick or kinky hair teased or tricked into the full upright position. Afros may be picked up or pushed up. They may be completely natural, or assisted with styling products.

The fad is still somewhat limited to celebrities, sports figures and teen-agers, stylists said. And we're unlikely to see an entire ethnically diverse sit-com cast sporting Afros, like those in TV's ``Welcome Back, Kotter,'' which ran from 1975 to 1979.

Most adults, particularly those in corporate America, aren't embracing the look, said Jacqueline Berry, whose Blacks' Hair & More salon in Northridge serves an African-American clientele.

``I think that the Afro is more of a fad for young people,'' Berry said. ``And not so much a statement of identity.''

On the campus of Taft High School in Woodland Hills one recent day, Afros of all shapes and sizes - blond fluffy 'dos, nappy Afros and some frizzy wannabes - were in heavy attendance.

Some students couldn't say what compelled them to brave the fad.

``I don't know. I just thought it looked pretty cool,'' said 14-year-old freshman Ramin Karimi.

He decided to let his hair grow out and about a month ago started ``pushing'' it up so it's a cross between a pompadour and an Afro.

Michael Woodward, a junior, makes a daily commitment to his hair. Every morning he must grease it, wet it, blow dry it and then pick it up. But he doesn't mind the time, because he likes the look.

``I'm going to keep my 'fro forever,'' the 16-year-old said.

Plus, chicks dig it, he said.

``I love it on him,'' Alina Brendlinger, 16, said who was caught caressing Woodward's hair after school. ``His hair goes completely with his sense of style and what he's into. It looks good on him.''

So will this trend translate into any lasting hairdo changes in the less- hipster crowd?

Stylist Corinzo Barnette thinks it will - at least a little bit.

``But you're going to see it in a more watered-down fashion,'' said Barnette, who works for Sebastian International in Miami, where many African-American and Latino kids have adopted the look. ``Maybe not as wild as crazy and unkempt as you see on the street.''

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Taft High's Michael Woodward, 16, left, and his 14-year-old brother, Raymond, sport two interpretations of the Afro.

(2 -- color) Ninth-grader Ramin Karimi, 14, of Taft High School combines elements of the Afro and the Pompadour for his signature look.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(3 -- 4; 3 color only) Senior Mark Pierce, 17, above, and many of his contemporaries harken back to an earlier generation of high school kids - ``Welcome Back, Kotter's'' Sweathogs, particularly Freddie ``Boom Boom'' Washington, second from left; Juan Epstein, center; and, of course, Gabe Kotter himself, right - for hairstyle inspirations.

(5) The late-'70s edition of the Jackson 5 of Encino, from left, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, Michael and Marlon, helped give the Afro superstar status.