Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has divided fans this week by unveiling her brand new look, which many have blasted as 'cultural appropriation'. She now has a set of waist-length dreadlocks, and while she looks super cool, it can be deemed as something of a racial faux pas.

Jesy Nelson of Little Mix performing on the Glory Days tourJesy Nelson of Little Mix performing on the Glory Days tour

The 26-year-old - who has been debuting a string of new tattoos lately - posed with the red dreads in a recent Instagram post, giving the camera a sultry stare as she drew her fur-lined coat around her while perched on the white pillows of a large bed. It was part of a band photoshoot at the luxury Dorsett City hotel.

While there were many comments on the photo branding the look 'offensive' and pleading with her to apologise and remove the image, many have stood up in defence of the singer. They pointed out that dreadlocks are something of a fashion amongst many white people, and that it should be labelled as 'cultural appreciation' rather than 'cultural appropriation'.

Shootin'???? @dorsettcity

A post shared by @ jesynelson on

Jesy has yet to respond to the divided opinions, but the look is nothing new. Christina Aguilera rocked them in the early 2000s, and Faye Tozer from Steps even went through that faze around the same time.

Perhaps Jesy is going through a 90s fashion faze; just one month ago she debuted a new tattoo on her shoulder bearing the Spice Girls slogan 'Girl Power'. Last year, her Instagram featured her wearing camouflage pants, platform trainers, berets, tracksuits and 'mom' jeans.

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Whatever has inspired her new look, it's safe to say that there was no cultural offence intended. After all, her Little Mix pal Leigh-Anne Pinnock is of Barbadian and Jamaican ancestry and has been known to wear her hair in braids. That doesn't make Jesy right for wearing dreads, but any ignorance is certainly unintentional.