Hairstyles

O.K., I admit it... I am a hair bigot. I like symmetry and neatness in hair style, a style which is attractive simply because it is natural looking and feeling hair, well cut. Kid's hair is cut this way because no child or her mommy is going to spend the time it takes to maintain a complicated regimen on a daily basis. In addition, it would look affected, adult and stupid. I've seen puffed up hair styles on children at pageants, but the goal in such events is, once again, to transfer adult fashions onto those who have no need for them.

I am put off when hair is parted off to one side or cut so that it is not evenly divided and left-right symmetric. I am not fond of bleached, striped, permed, moussed, frizzed or pleated hair. Pleats are appropriate for skirts! I like hair to move freely, so braids are not as desirable. A collection of hair styles I find attractive, of classic style and yet always in fashion:

Bobs, especially bobs with bangs, are the perfect combination of symmetry and neatness in a shorter hair style, the ubiquitious hair style for schoolgirls in Japan. Whenever I get my hair done, I go through the books of current "styles." Without fail, every book will show some variant of the bob, along with the current "trendy" creations. Trendy hair cuts are in style for only a year or so, but the bob remains, decade after decade.

	A shorter than chin-length cut with soft bangs serves as an elegant frame for an attractive face. This wig, the 60's Bob is available from www.wigs.com
	Wow. An awesome blunt cut! Named "Florentine," it is actually a wig, like you didn't know, but it is so clean and frames the face neatly... Available in a variety of colors from www.wigs.com.
	From the side, you can easily see that the hair is cleanly off the neck.
	Puffing it up with a blow drier gives a fuller and softer look reminiscent of a medieval paige.
	The shortness of this one reminds one of the "Dutch Boy" ads. Note that the bangs constitute 50% of the vertical hair space.
	One of the nicest features of a bob is how the hair swishes as one moves. This is not as easy with either shorter or longer hair (unless it is pulled up into either a ponytail or "poodle ears").
	The roundness of the top complements the roundness of the face while the angularity of the cut ends provides a nice contrast.
	Another awesome bob (a wig) with feathered bangs and feathered ends. Named "Simplicity" -- a Dolly Parton wig, available from Beauty Trends, a Revlon Company at 800.777.7772.

Flips are tough to do and even more work to maintain. This is the Marlo Thomas of "That Girl" hairstyle. Back in the 60s, it was achieved by wrapping the hair around empty frozen orange juice cans and applying Dippity-Do as the setting agent. The nemesis of the "flip" is humidity. The humidity goes up and the flip droops down.

Going through the catalogs of the 60s and 70s, it is obvious that this was a very stylish haircut. It appears a lot in catalogs of that era. Alas, it has fallen into disfavor recently. The flip is most likely a victim of the more "hurry hurry" society of the end of the 90s. Sigh...

Longer styles can be neat, provided that it is tied back and out of the way. I am really partial to "poodle ears" (two pony tails set high on the head) or regular ponytails. Poodle ears are called "tied in bunches" in England... Some examples are:

	Although I prefer bangs and shorter hair, pulling the hair up out of the way provides a crisp style which is easy to maintain. The poodle ears can be tied up with bright ribbon or color scrunchies.
	The length and density of these bangs implies constant attention. The effect is quite youthful and very attractive.
	Bangs and poodle ears -- an outstanding combination for longer hair.
	Another example of poodle ears, from a K-Mart Thanksgiving Day ad.

If you are interested in pigtails, a braided form of poodle ears, they you need look no further than the Pigtails and Ponytails Page at http://members.xoom.com/PigtailCity.

	Here is a flip (wig) from a 1972 Montgomery Ward's catalog. Very neat style, indeed! Item number is X 5 B 8035K.
	Wow.

Taffy's Favorite Hair Styles