I'll never forget the day I sat down in the salon chair and told my stylist, "Cut it--all of it. I want to see my ears. I don't want to be able to pull my hair back at all. Just cut it."
After having long-ish hair for the first 19 years of my life, cutting my hair to a short pixie was the most liberating experience I've ever had [partially because it represented the end of countless hours of ballet that forced my hair into the confines of a bun, but also because it meant less time spent taking care of it]. I positively adore being able to get up and go, not having to brush my hair, and it only taking 3 minutes to blow dry completely. Unlike some of my female counterparts, I cut my hair short for style/aesthetic, rather than feminist-driven, reasons [I didn't cut my hair to make any kind of gender or political statement]. I personally find short hair to be extraordinarily chic and feminine on certain ladies [myself, in my opinion, included]. I simply LOVE my hair and do not plan on growing it out any time soon---it looks far too good with my long frame and wardrobe [especially my newest coat :-)].
It never once crossed my mind that some people wouldn't like it. I just assumed everyone would find my haristyle bold, yet classic and refined. It wasn't until I read Johanna Cox's "Get Shorty" that I began to think, "Maybe not everyone finds ladies with short hair to be chic, fashionable, or even attractive...Maybe this was a 'bad' decision."
In "Get Shorty," Johanna reveals her personal hair journey, which involves being inspired by a model's choppy pixie and then being ditched by her boyfriend of 2 years because he wasn't attracted to her new "short-haired" appearance and then winding up with a guy who likes her hair, but would prefer it be longer.
Johanna notes that she loves her short hair, that she, like me, finds it undyingly chic and flattering. But she also notes that men do not necessarily think this way. In fact, a recent psychological study, in which images of female faces were given differing lengths of hair and then evaluated for attractiveness by male participants, has revealed that "longer hair had a significantly positive effect on the ratings of a woman's attractiveness; shorter styles did not." At a more basic level, hair is viewed as an indicator of personal health---that is, long hair indicates good health since it visually demonstrates longevity. Basically, the majority of men have what I like to call the "Rapunzel-complex."
While reading the article, I just kept thinking to myself, "O my. I'm going to die alone. I'm already tall, ridiculously blunt, and easily annoyed...My short hair is just making me scream 'LEAVE ME ALONE' louder than ever before." Everything else I cannot help [it's just who I am], but the haircut I certainly can change, and who doesn't want to improve their odds of achieving "success"?
I'll admit it---Johanna's article made me consider growing my hair out
...
But only for a split second.
While I understand that longer hair is more of a traditional indication of femininity, I am still in love with my shorter hair...in fact, I'm kind of obsessed with it. Never before have I felt so confident. Never before have I felt so intrinsically feminine. I think short hair is a bold indication of self-confidence [especially when paired with classic attire] and extreme femininity when the cut is donned properly. You could never convince me that a short, stubby, 300+pound woman with long hair is more appealingly feminine than a 5'10", size 6, lady with short hair...no way. If it is worn appropriately, short hair can be perhaps more feminine than hair that reaches the floor. It all depends on the person who dons it and how they choose to wear it.
Yes, I recognize that some guys will never like girls with short hair, and I'm okay with that. I get it. Short hair is different, and a guy, due to social constructs regarding gender-apperance, would most likely have to be very comfortable with his own masculinity to show any kind of interest in a girl with short hair.
But, recognizing all this, will I always wonder whether I have "missed" my "Prince Charming" because he will never notice me due to my short hair? Of course not. My true "Prince Charming" would appreciate my cut and recognize its inherent chicness.
Perhaps my short hair is just a way of weeding out the fake-prince-charmings and saving me from wasting my time.
