Cutting edge
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 |
| Ellery Fall 2011 via Fashion Gone Rogue |
I've never exactly been what you would call "edgy", sartorially speaking. My style has always veered towards the classic, the elegant, the understated - or that, at least, is what I've been aiming for. I tend towards tried-and-tested, timeless silhouettes. I play it safe with colour. I have a chronic fear of over-accessorising. You get the picture.
Don't get me wrong, I have made some baaaaaad decisions in my time (2001-2003 was a particularly dark period. Khaki fishnet fingerless gloves, anyone?) but once I eventually found what worked for me, I assumed my days of "experimenting" - *shudder* - were finally, blessedly over.
You might expect, now that I am, after all, a married woman, that I would inevitably drift further along this path, perhaps with a brief stopover in Boringtown on the way to Frumpsville. And I should confess that Anne Fogarty's The Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife (ladies' fashion circa 1959) is currently featuring among my bedtime reads.
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| I knew Urban Outfitters wouldn't let me down. |
You might expect, now that I am, after all, a married woman, that I would inevitably drift further along this path, perhaps with a brief stopover in Boringtown on the way to Frumpsville. And I should confess that Anne Fogarty's The Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife (ladies' fashion circa 1959) is currently featuring among my bedtime reads.
But, as I have mused before, I am beginning to realise that perhaps everything in my life is not meant to be magically perfect by my late (cringe!) twenties. The expectation that I should have found my ideal career, ideal home, ideal style, in fact just have my ideal perfect life laid out before me like a mighty shimmering river flowing inexorably off into the sunset, is just C.R.A.Z.Y. And so, particularly in the last few months, I find myself... experimenting. Being daring. Taking risks. Dressing marginally more like the young person I am, rather than the boring-old-married-lawyer-lady I might easily perceive myself to be.
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| Just to be clear, that's NOT me. Sadly. It's an off-duty model (no wonder she's so bloody perky), via altamira |
Fear not. We're not talking fishnet glove-type scenarios here. For example, one day I wore bright red tights and a fashion-forward black dress to work, instead of the old grey suit (zzzzzzzzzzz). And on New Year's Eve, I wore black sequin leggings AS TROUSERS*. With black thigh-high suede boots AND two (two!) necklaces AND black feather dangly earrings. That's right. Badass. (I had an attack of over-accessorising paranoia when I added the second necklace - I'm with Coco Chanel on that one - so I took off my bracelet just in case. Well, baby steps.)
However, this post isn't actually about fashion (or, it wasn't meant to be. Oops). It's about the equally contentious issue of hair. Regular readers may recall that my hair is pretty bland. It's fine, it's straight, it's uninspiring. I grew it long for the wedding, now it's languishing in a bob that is in serious need of a trim. So far, so dull.
Then the super-stylish Celia pinned this picture, with this comment (the yellow bit was expertly added by me, so that you could fully visualise my reaction):
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I tried to find an original source for this picture. I really did. The closest I could get was here, but all the boobs distracted me. |
Hold the phones. There are people in the world who actually wish for fine, straight hair? There are haircuts especially for that?? That look good?! This blew. my. mind. Needless to say, I have been lusting after this haircut ever since. And this one, even more so:
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| From here, here and here, all via Pinterest |
So where am I going with this, you ask? Well. I suppose my question for you, dear readers, is twofold.
1. Do you think you need to be Edgy and Cool and On Trend and other such things to pull off a haircut like this, without looking like a middle-aged woman?
2. Do you think you need to have dainty, girly features (i.e. not mine) to pull off a haircut like this, without looking like Eddie Izzard?
Tell it to me straight. I can take it.
*I would never ordinarily endorse the worrying leggings-as-trousers trend, but somehow the sequins made it better. Plus I had a long top that covered the crotch area. Nobody needs to see a leggings-clad crotch. Ever.
12 boats moored
Why not try pulling your hair round the back and recreating the front bit to give you an idea. I think it's a good 'twenties' cut myself, not old looking but not teeney.
ReplyDeleteThat haircut is great, go for it! Best advice I have is to find a hairdresser that will tell it to you straight. I've finally given up on the blunt fringe thing after it was explained that my forehead was the wrong shape so it would never work, sigh...
ReplyDeleteI think you just have to have the right body type. Short hair does not look so good on more voluptuous women (I speak from personal experience), because you need to be able to dress it right, which I think you can. Basically what I'm trying to say is I think you should go for it because it will look great on you and then afterwords go shopping for some cute stylish outfits. Done.
ReplyDeletep.s. you tots look like that women in the first picture, just with blonder hair.
ReplyDeleteThat is an adorable adorable haircut. I had one similar, and I don't have delicate features. It looked fine, although my cut did lean more towards middle aged because I have thick curly hair that wouldn't really behave.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing about hair - it grows. It's really easy to get from that cut to a cute chin-length bob, which is always both cutting edge and professional.
I too am trying to dress a little more "my age", rather than moving immediately into frumpsville. Sadly, I lack the creativity to style my own wardrobe and the salary to acquire one ready-styled, so for now I settle for inching my way into daring. Like my new gray plaid! suit and wearing puffy-sleeved short sleeved shirts to work. Next, I think I'm going to add a belt.
Styles for fine straight hair?? I'm just as shocked as you are. From what I can gather, I think you could pull it off. But I second the advice to find a hair dresser that will tell it to you straight.
ReplyDeleteI'd love that haircut, but my hair also has the added fun of being stubbornly straight, as in it would never nicely bend across my forehead, it would lie flat against it. I've learned from experience...
Thanks peeps! I am sorely tempted to go for it - of course I'll let you see the results if I do.
ReplyDeleteKiara - I have always loved a blunt fringe too, but it wouldn't work for me either (see: everything I just said about my hair).
Lauren - I hadn't thought of it as an excuse to go shopping, I like your thinking!
Now to find a suitable hairdresser (mine's nice enough, but don't know if I 100% trust her with a re-style...)
I say go for it.
ReplyDelete(I totally related to that bit about realising you're not settled into every area of your life... and so we shouldn't be.)
The first hair picture? You can totally pull that off. Find a stylist with a really great reputation, and show him/her that photo. Then post your before & after pics here for everyone to ogle. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for leggings as trousers: so long as your crotch is covered (and bum is (mostly) covered), you're not making people cringe. For the most part.
Do it. Do it. Do it. Nuff said. I have cow-licky hair and therefore hair which looks god awful short (I've tried it and can promise you that statement is true). So I *love* seeing other people with wonderful funky short hair cuts which look cute, feminine and funky. Do it.
ReplyDeleteI so feel you on the hair. The idea that there are people who want my straight, fine, will never be gloriously messy curls hair is kind of hard to wrap my head around. I just cut my hair into something similar, and actually love it.
ReplyDeleteLove, love this beautiful short cut. The color really makes it that much better !!!
ReplyDelete