Long hair, short hair? Why should we allow a number to define how long our hair should be? Where did the idea come from that older women look ‘inappropriate’ with long hair? Or that once past a certain age us ‘old girls’ should chop our hair off and wear shorter styles?
I for one will be keeping the length of my locks for as long and as long as I like! Neither my age or society will dictate otherwise.
Pic above is of me when I was 30 taken in central park New York…I was chanel crazy back then it was the early 90’s, forgive me…
Long hair and other styles of my Youth.
From Crayola to Chanel, I am lucky to have had straight, thick hair for all of my life. Now I am in my fifties my hair is thinning slightly, but I regard that as a part of this wonderful ‘circle of life’ i.e., not much to be done about it? ( yes, I too love that Lion King song) I will start to take vitamins and make sure I eat my greens but I always have done that, so nothing much will change. I am embracing my age this year and thanking my body for bringing me this far. Allow me to urge you to do the same? It feels so good!
I am not precious about my hair, I have worn it permed in the 80’s and had a pixie cut in the 90’s just like Victoria’s spice girl style after her bob! In-between it has been bobbed, layered and of course I lived in the ‘Rachel’ cut for a while. I have to admit to even being partial to a ‘fergie’ bow or two…
“From Crayola to Chanel, I am lucky to have had straight, thick hair for all of my life”
However, for most of my life my hair has swung happily below my chin. I prefer it that way. It is easy to look after and extremely versatile. I rarely blow dry it as the heat dries my ends. I find the longer it is the less it needs washing, dry shampoo or a pony tail will suffice. A good conditioner and some frizz ease spray takes care of the fluffy bits.
Colour vs grey?
Let me just say, I will fight the grey until my grave, but having said that I have seen some stunningly beautiful silver/white/grey women and I include my Mother in this list.
Whilst researching this subject I even found a model agency that specialises in these stunning older women I guess they would be beautiful what ever colour their hair is. Grey is just not a colour that would suit me.
I have noticed that now I am in my Fifties, I am no longer afraid to try new things including colour for my hair, after all if I don’t like the cut, it will grow out and if I don’t like the colour it can be changed, right?
“I am embracing my age this year…”
It also feels good not to have worry about what your friends/peers will say, do you remember the first day back at school after a new haircut or style, the comments from everyone sharing their unsolicited opinions, oh the horror!
Fringes
The trend for fringes come and go. I will throw some controversy in here and say that straight fringes can slightly date an older woman whereas perhaps a flicked, softer longer, layered fringe is far more flattering to us as we age! I realise straight fringes are easy to hide behind if you are older, you may even think they cover those frown lines but I disagree! The older I have become the softer my fringe, but please do remember this is only my opinion, I do not mean to preach at or offend anyone.
Pic of me at 6 and 21…with fringes and growing out a perm!
Celebrities with long hair, leading the way into their 50’s and 60’s
My two favourites are: Susan Sarandon now age 70 (who I once saw along with Tim Robbins when I was visiting NYC, she is as beautiful in real life as in the movies) and Julianne Moore 56, both redheads!
Look at these amazing women: talk about long hair don’t care…!
So where do you stand on this subject? Let’s discuss…
PS you can see more of my early hairstyles in this post (no laughing Ok?)
bestest
I always thought when I turned 50 I’d get it cut short. Well, first when I turned 30, then 40, THEN 50! No can do! I’m a 70’s girl and us 70’s people like hair!
Darlin’, give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair, shoulder length or longer
Here, baby, there momma, everywhere, daddy daddy
haaaaaaiiiiiirrrrr
Remember the Cowsills?
Yep, the 60’s and 70’s, when I grew up, was all about hair!
So, I did get mine cut last year, and a couple of times the year before. I found some styles on Pinterest. And I do like it, for now. But it’s still shoulder length. And I usually let it grow back out. I HAVE to be able to put it on my head when I beekeep. And, You know what….I don’t let a number define my hair length/style no matter what people say! And I don’t think that I have to get it cut by a certain number anymore. I turned 59 this year and I said I am embracing my 60th year of life. Thank you God, thank you body, for giving me this long. I want 20-30 more. I don’t have my yarn stash used up yet!
Author
Ha! Cindy, my sentiments exactly! Love that quote too, and you keep bees wow, you are amazing. I’m with you on the yarn stash I would probably need another lifetime to use up mine? However this year i have decided to sort out the bits I really wouldnt use and donate to charity. I will then have more space and will feel smug that i did something good with it. well thats the plan!!
best ashley xx
Smashing post, Ash, loved it. I would say, enjoy the long hair as long as you feel comfortable!
I have the wrong hair and head shape for short hair but shoulder length serves me well these days, as thinning reduces choices like long hair. When I semi-retired at 57 my hair was getting lifeless at the ends and I couldn’t handle living with grey roots so I stopped the colour and let my hair enjoy its retirement! These days my hair gravitates to shoulder length and retro 80s 2-Tone, mid brown and gunmetal, back and front respectively. Ten years on and instead of being a desirable silver vixen, I’ve morphed into a skunk!
Author
Haha Mary I am loving your skunk style and you do make me laugh (always a bonus) maybe one day I will give in to the gray but not for another 50 years or more eh?
bestest
xx
I feel better about my air now than at any other time in my life! I have embraced the hair thinning situation with open arms. I no longer look like Hagrid! (although some days that’s a lie!) I wore my hair cropped up until the last five years because of this. I do like a well cut short style on a woman, it just shouts out more style. But for now, I am enjoying my hair being the right fullness to be able to wear it long. And I don’t care about my age! xx
Dear Ashley,
Last year I decided to let my hair grow. So I started with a pixie cut and today I’m able to wear my hair straight as they are ore with beach waves.
I’m a big fan of fringes and I have the straight ones…
One of my style icons are Caroline de Maigret and her undone hairstyle is my “goal” for the next 12 months!
Oh, my age :-)!
I’m 47 and a half with some silver ” Highlights” in my hair but I dye my hair every three months. I use a brush and a product called bronzer so everything looks very natural. My teenage daughter is very proud because it’s “so ombré style and your hair shines in the sun, mum”!
I always loved to see a good haircut and never thought about the age of the woman only if the cut fits her face and her style.
In my opinion, today woman should do what they want to look and feel good without permission of society!
Bestes, Ria
Author
Hello Ria!
… how lovely to hear about your hair story, isn’t it wonderful when our kids approve too?
Thank you also for the Caroline de Maigret reference, I looked her up and love her style so I am now following her on Instagram too!
bestest wishes
Ashley x
Well, I totally agree with you. I always thought that it was ridiculous that you reached a certain age and suddenly you were supposed to chop all of your hair off. The length of my thick, very fine, wavy hair has bounced around between down to the middle of my back to a pixie cut although I’ve always favored longer rather than shorter hair for ease of care. However when I hit 55 and menopause, my hair started thinning dramatically and has become newborn baby fine. I had to admit that it was no longer attractive. So I’ve gone to an extremely short cut and am trying to learn to love it. Shorter hair does counteract the number gravity is doing to my face so that’s one thing in it’s favor, lol! And I’m about 70% grey and will probably keep coloring it until I hit the 90% mark but who knows? My grey is a fairly pretty silver white.
I also don’t let age dictate what I wear or the things that I do. After all, age is simply a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!
Author
haha I love that saying!
You are lucky your grey is a silver white mine would be mustard yellow!
Short cuts are easy to handle, but when my hair was short I remember my neck being cold in the winter, have you noticed that yet?