In typical MPB ripped-from-the-headlines fashion, I present Helen Mirren at last night's BAFTA's ceremony in London. Can this sexagenarian (not sextagenarian, I looked it up) rock pink hair or what?
Readers, I must ask: do you think unnatural hair color, still largely associated with the pop music and "alternative" style scene, is best reserved for the young, or has the world changed enough that anything goes? Please note: this isn't about what we can do to our bodies -- surely whatever we want -- but rather what works to our best advantage as we perceive it in ourselves and, by extension, in others.
Not so long ago, candy-colored or neon hair adopted by the senior set was strictly for laughs: the realm of the aging eccentric or drag queen (not mutually exclusive of course), whose way-out grooming habits were the stuff of parody.
For rock/pop stars, on the other hand, the rules have always been different. Cyndi Lauper has been associated with unnatural hair color for so many decades, it would feel like a letdown to see her look otherwise.
So too, clothing designers with punk and alternative roots (no pun intended) like Patricia Field and Vivienne Westwood.
Today, while we celebrate the rare birds featured prominently on the Advanced Style blog, is anybody actually taking styling cues from them, or are we just cheering on women like carrot-top, doe-lashed Ilona Royce Smithkin from the sidelines?
The boundary between natural and unnatural hair color isn't clear, of course. Lucille Ball sported an orangey-red rarely found in nature (though she toned it down later in life), and many women dye their hair shades that, while found more frequently in nature, are no longer natural to them, my mother included.
And then there's cousin Cathy...
What do you think, readers? While I suspect that most of you admire these trendsetters' chutzpah, is the "Manic Panic" look too outré for the real world? Assuming you like it, what holds you back from giving unnatural hair color a try, or do you already dye your hair green or pink or purple -- or all three?
Other than extreme self-confidence, what does it take to pull this off? What do you think it communicates to others (one way or the other) -- and do you care?
Jump in!
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I dyed my hair purple in my 20s... but I wasn't willing to fully commit to it--it was non-permanent dye, and I didn't bleach out my natural color first. The result was purple in some lights and gray in most others. Cured me of wanting my hair weird colors! (I was much, much too young for gray hair... and still am.)
ReplyDeleteWell if you do a half a**ed job,of course it isn't going to look good! Go for it or don't. My hair has been every color under the sun, and some colors, like reds, look good with a partial bleaching, but you really have to go all the way to have decent results. PS, my hair is a natural color now.
DeleteI am of a certain age and have purple hair, but I think it is more accepted here in the UK than it is back home (I got LOTS and LOTS of comments when I was home). I happen to like being different, but I know not everyone appreciates that. I say that if you are comfortable with it, go for it!
ReplyDeleteHope
I don't really care, but I would say it is great if you're eccentric or an artist... but if not, it looks crazy, and kinda immaturely vain for an older person, whether man or woman.
ReplyDeleteI went through a considerable part of my twenties as a redhead (of a shade that was said at the time to be "natural," but which now very clearly reads "mid-'80s triple process") and I have to say that I love to see older women with wildly artifical hair, whether it's the traditional violet rinse of yore or something more of-the-moment stylish like Dame Helen's lovely pink. I'd love it more on elderly gentlemen if they didn't so frequently seem to rely only on black shoe polish...
ReplyDeleteWho cares what people think - if you want to have unnatural hair colour then do it. I'd love to be able to have the ultra violet colour in my hair, that I had as a teenager - but I'm not allowed to have such extreme hair colour where I work, so a more subtle shade is required! One day though I will go for the brights again!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I'm currently pondering a blue dip-dye... It would take a while because I have darker brown hair with a few coats of henna, and a strand test showed that I will need at least two bleaching sessions to get it blonde enough, which means orange ends for a few weeks. I'll probably go for it in March, when I don't have to go out much for a while!
ReplyDeleteAs a semicentarian? (50s) I haven't yet felt the need to dye my hair, either natural or non-natural colors. I think the non-natural colors look best on older people when they're soft pastels. The bright colors don't flatter older skin.
ReplyDeleteI love it when I see older ladies and gentlemen rocking colored hair. Be it intentional or not. It shows that they still have spunk and do what they like.
ReplyDeleteI had always been conservative about hair color growing up. It was mostly to my father not wanting me to "look like a whore." Once I started gaining my independence I began experimenting with hair color. Not almost at 30 I do what I want. I have red hair and a blond chunk. If I don't like it then I can dye it back.
After all, it's just hair.
I live in Montreal where anything seems to go as pertains to women's hair: natural grey, the typical ash blonde over-50s, wild neon colours, vivid chunks of highlights....it's a great place to be a woman of any age and look however you would like.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that Helen does a very classy pink that is probably going to catch on quite quickly!
I'm 40, although I do look younger. I dyed my hair a dark pink just before Christmas, and I *loved* it. My boss didn't love it as much, but I don't see clients or customers. I would have kept on doing it, but I am preparing to look for a new job, so I'm letting it all grow out. It's also kind of hard on one's hair.
ReplyDeleteMost people loved it. And if they didn't, well, it's not their head, so who cares?
From my early to mid-20s I sported 3 shades of pink, neon orange, cobalt blue, silver (or whatever color that was after the blue washed out over the bleach), and all shades of natural and unnatural red.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to dye my hair again to pink, sky blue, mint, or platinum blonde/stawberry-blonde but I am going into Criminal Justice and part of the gig is representing the department and field. Though it is not a sworn position, it still represents them and unnatural hair is not part of that look. I already cut my hair much shorter than is usually done by females (more masculine, less pixie) though I am growing it to do pin-curls again.
When I am able to go back to art full-time later in life, I would probably experiment with hair color again (unless the CJ world still has me). It is a way I express my artistic self without having to orally communicate, which I lack skill in.
I think the move to unnaturally colored hair in older generations is quite fun and great. It shows personality, a bit of relaxation, and the wisdom that it doesn't matter what others think as long as you are true to yourself.
Things may be changing my civil procedure professor was a public defender and she had a pierced nose. Don't know if she wore it in court though.
DeleteI think the age barrier started to crumble a bit when Samantha (of Sex and the City) channeled her inner 'lil Kim and sported a pink wig while undergoing chemotherapy in her late 40's.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the world is a much more glorious and happy place when seen thru a fringe of purple bangs. It never fails to change my attitude or outlook toward the more positive. And I love seeing people of all ages who have fun with their personal style - I would be tickled to meet a turquoise haired senior.
But exotic hair is definitely not for everyone and, for me, not for every day which is why I, so far, stick to my wigs. It's hard to maintain the color and roots, and there are career concerns. When I go out with purple hair it attracts LOADS of attention. I've never had anyone say anything nasty and I've always assumed that the glances were all positive. But I can see how that kind of attention is not for everyone. You do need some chutz-pah.
as a 42 yo someone who currently has black and blue hair (the black part is natural) i say YES. i love love love it. i mostly get compliments, sometimes a snarky comment, but i don't care either way. what does it say about me? probably different things to different people. some people probably look at me and think "you go girl!" while others probably think "grow up" or "why?".
ReplyDeleteit is a pain to maintain the roots, so i've learned to just not let them bother me so much. next up, fading the blue into purple....
I think it's all about the individual's attitude and personal style. Lots of older women can get away with it, and some will never be able to (no matter what their age). My mom actually used to have hot pink highlights. She loved her grey, but the parts of her hair that had turned a dull, mousy brown she didn't like so much. She had those sections bleached and died pink. Then for a while she went almost all grey with a teal, green and purple peacock feather dyed into her bangs. I think Helen Mirren looks great with pink hair, and I believe that styling as much more to do with whether or not it becomes comical in many cases.
ReplyDeleteI second this!
DeleteOf course, it probably helps to have a personal stylist to perfect the look as HM looks flawless. :)
I have a purple streak off the left of my head. It's very noticeable, especially when I wear it parted on that side.
ReplyDeleteMy mum had always been against colouring one's hair (she said, if you do it once, you have to keep on doing it, which she wasn't prepared to do) but when she was in her final few weeks of life she decided to go for it, and had her hairdresser of many years visit her in the hospital. He dyed her hair with patches of lavender and aqua before he left in tears.
She was an art teacher and those were "her" colours.
I LOVE IT! I have had hair of every color, but I think it looks so amazing on older women! I am so going to rock the pastel hair someday when my hair lightens. Fun fun fun.
ReplyDeleteI don't care what people do with their hair; vanity is accepted, even expected, up to a certain age, so why wouldn't it be ok after a certain age?
ReplyDeleteThat picture of the four ladies in their suits and crazy hair colors is adorable. It made my heart melt and put a smile on my face. Saying that is mostly why I commented at all.
I went pink about 20 years ago (in my 40s), instantly making me the coolest mom at the middle school. Some kids started asking my daughter if that was her older sister who picked her up the day before. I did pink again about 6 years ago, but didn't bleach first, so it was more maroon. I'm just waiting for a little more white to settle in on top so I can once again do real pink without having to bleach. Who says age has anything to do with style (oh, I remember... those people who want older people to remain invisible).
ReplyDeleteI have waist length black and (unnatural) red hair and I love it. So do a lot of other people because I often get comments. I would love to change to pink or purple or something like that but it's the damage it would cause and the likelihood of having to chop half of it off that stops me. I love all hair colours on all people and I for one can't wait until I go grey so I can have a lilac rinse :)
ReplyDeletePeople can be so forward with comments about one's hair. I suffered lots of negative (and positive) attention when I gave up dyeing and went to grey in my 40s! I say, if you can carry it off, go with it! Some people might want to rethink their choice of shade however. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite colorful people are Larkin Van Horn and elinor peace bailey.
Love all the comments! As a disclosure, I should also say one of the reasons I gave up coloring my hair is the nasty chemicals. One of the folks who thought I was crazy said, "We're all going to die of cancer anyway!" Sheesh! What an attitude! But anyway, I use only baking soda to wash my hair and castille soap on my skin. :-) No perfumes and no itchies!
DeleteI'll be 53 this May. I have rocked crazy color hair, no hair, Mohawks, and everything in between since I was 17 years old. Right now I'm a blue silver color (not natural though I suppose somewhere I am gray, lol). I can't imagine not having some kind of candy colored hair at every point of the rest of my life. Dame Helen looks magnificent!
ReplyDeleteI'm 65 years young, with deep, vibrant and extremely red dyed hair. I love it and feel perfectly natural in it. I think that's the key-being able to own your hair color and feel comfortable in it. Who cares what anyone else thinks about it anyway? It's 30 minutes from one hair color to another.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone pulls it off, honestly. I believe that THEY think they do. I've always considered that sort of thing to be done strictly because one wants to draw attention to themselves. No matter what age, they all appear silly to me, but then I'm ultra conservative and what I find attractive is a classical elegance like Jackie O.
ReplyDeleteWhich I guess raises the whole question of whether someone who dresses a certain way primarily to draw attention to themselves is problematic. Not sure how I feel about that one!
DeleteWell, some of us, I must say, don't really think about"pulling it off"or not..we just do as we please, either it looks better or it doesn't. I'm a hairdresser, and of course I am of the belief that the hair we have naturally may not be the most flattering to our skin, in some cases. .generally, the more matchy matchy the skin and hair are, the more washed out your features tend to be. The more washed out they are, the more makeup you tend to need. A truly great color can save you time and you might spend less on makeup, if you use it. At the end if the day, a lighthearted attitude always works best... after all, barring extreme circumstances, color can be changed, so you might as well have fun with it..if your identity rests with the color or lack of color in your hair, maybe a reality checkisin order.
DeleteLove the topic! I am 63, and have very bright red/auburn hair. I adore Dr. Schwartz, a teacher at McGill dental clinic for children, mainly retired, but comes in. She is over 70, has terrific posture, is super interested in people, dresses amazingly, and has pink streaks. She looks terrific. Cathie, near Montreal....
ReplyDeleteAs my mother said to a relative once, "Vencie, NO HUMAN ever had hair that color!" Why would anyone want people to stare?
ReplyDeleteDame Helen can do no wrong in my book
ReplyDeleteNope, I have never like it on anyone. It distracts me - much like tatoos. A friend of mine took up salsa/ballroom dancing. she has a full back tatoo. The judges told her to cover it up because it distracted them. They were interested in seeing them dance as a couple, the costumes, the whole package but the tatoo took center stage. Same with the pink hair. It's harder to notice someones eyes or great clothes. Those neon colors clash with just about everything. I think it's cartoon like. Reminds me of graffiti.
ReplyDeleteOK, slightly off-topic, but I feel the need to step in and give a little Yiddish lesson:
ReplyDeleteDyeing one's hair pink at age 65 does not take chutzpah, it takes self-confidence, moxie, and disregard for what others may think.
What does take chutzpah is walking up to that 65-year-old pink-haired lady and telling her what she should or shouldn't do with her hair.
Chutzpah is a negative. It means "gall" -- say, something to which a Southern lady might respond, "Well, I never!" And then the person with chutzpah replies, "Well, then maybe you should!"
Oh, and I agree with Marsha. The softer colors can look wonderful, provided they are flattering to the individual's skin tone. Harsher/deeper colors -- whether neon or "natural," are less flattering to older people (myself included, I'm discovering of late)...
ReplyDeleteI dyed my middle school-aged daughter's hair a beautiful purple just before school started this past September, so I'm not adverse to colors that are "unnatural". And I'd continue dying her hair those kinds of colors if it weren't for the fact that she competes in Irish dance and those sorts of hair colors aren't allowed in competition. I wouldn't mind doing my own hair (I'm 41) a fun color, except that it requires significantly more maintenance than I have time for to go full-on with it, not to mention that my main method of exercise is swimming, and chlorine pools are unkind to colored hair.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think what makes the color work for Dame Helen is that it's not an in-your-face pink, but rather more of a subtle wash of color over her natural color. It's soft enough that it doesn't overwhelm her or make her look like she's trying too hard and I think that's what makes people do a double-take when they see older women on the street with aggressively colorful hair. Helen Mirren's hair actually is kind of echoed in her dress - you can see it on the Tom and Lorenzo website, which is where I first saw the pictures: http://www.tomandlorenzo.com/2013/02/helen-mirren-in-nicholas-oakwell-couture.html
If she had gone the route of Cyndi Lauper or Pat Field, it wouldn't have worked because it just wouldn't have matched her personality or personal style; they have a personal style whose volume is much louder when compared with Helen's. The softer color is more in keeping with her personal taste. I've seen a couple of older women with strongly-colored hair; it suited some, but their personal style matched their hair in volume and, I think, balanced it out. The only time I ever questioned it was when I saw a woman whose hair was 2-toned black and cherry red - it was an okay combo but she'd chosen to dye it in a pattern that was so reminiscent of a skunk's markings that I couldn't un-see it.
Pink seems to work incredibly well with a wide range of skin tones. You have to wonder why God did not include it in the "natural" range of human hair colour.
ReplyDeleteLove coloured hair, love those four lovely ladies above with their beautiful suits and gorgeous hair. Love Helen Mirrens hair, always loved Cyndi Lauper. Some older people rock grey or white hair, but I hope that I will be this adventurous once I get to this age bracket.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother has had bright pillar box red hair for as long as I can remember! as a child I actually thought it was natural (she never had any regrowth,EVER!)
ReplyDeleteYour mom can do whatever she wants - all women do, anyway! I love Helen Mirren and Cyndi Lauper!
ReplyDeleteI had this discussion with my hairdresser last week. I wanted to try Julia Gillard-red hair (Australian Prime Minister, of flame red tresses which she admits is out of a bottle). My hairdresser talked me out of it, largely on upkeep grounds. I don't have the time and the dollars to visit her twice as often as I do for a touch up. She also noted that Julia Gillard's partner is a hairdresser by trade, so she probably gets him to touch up the roots every few weeks after a hard day's Prime Minister-ing.
ReplyDeleteIn fact Dame Helen's pink locks are nothing new or avant guard. Tinted hair was once a pretty tame look for older women.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't anyone remember the blue rinse. Back in the 70's
"blue hairs" was a term for rather dowdy elderly women caught in a fashion time warp. In the 20's Antoine de Paris, who did the hair of the most elegant and fashionable women in the world came up with a formula for decorator Elsie de Wolfe. Elsie was a trend setter, but her wardrobe and decorating epitomized understated elegance and impeccable good taste. Elsie's gray hair had an unflattering yellow cast to it. Antoine's idea was to add a light blue rinse,similar to the blueing that laundresses traditionally applied to whites to deal with yellowing fabric. Elsie's blue hair was a huge success, and was much imitated by society woman who wanted to freshen up their looks without actually covering the grey which was still considered "fast". Antoine also experimented with different tints, lilac and rose being among them. The shocking locks of Dame Edna are just an exaggeration of what had come to represent a demur and acceptable fashion. Going back further, Elizabeth I wore vivid red wigs in later life Witnesses at the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots reported that the doomed queen's hair was scarlet. When the executioner lifted up her severed head, it tumbled to the ground, leaving the axeman with a wig in his hands.
The blue rinse (and other pastel shades) were popular with older women from at least the 30's. I remember my Grandmother dying her hair a mauve colour (it was almost the same hue as Dame Edna), I guess it became an object of derision because it was so ubiquitous.
ReplyDeleteI think Helen Mirren looks great, mainly because the pastel hair rinses were designed to mask the yellow colour that grey hair can become.
My Nan also had a blue rinse. She had one until she was about 90. She had white hair, and hated it. It was a lovely blue hue. I say if you like it, then do it.
ReplyDeleteI'm no fashionista. I dress like a communist librarian and I don't put much effort into my hair style. Needless to say, dying my hair is not going to happen anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I *love* it when I see my friends rock an unnatural hair color or daring hairstyle. What does it take to pull it off? I don't know personally but some of my friends have said "this haircut was a total mistake" and "I'll never do this color again" but they didn't cry about it. They just moved on and waited for their hair to grow back. So I guess a willingness to try something new and, at worst, chalk it up to a learning experience sounds like its part of what it takes to pull it off.
I forgot to say earlier that I LOVE Dame Edna and Mollie Sugden.
ReplyDeleteHelen Mirren looks awesome and she's obviously having fun with her style. I don't know why this should be a big deal- if she doesn't like it, she can always dye it back or chop it off. It's just hair!
ReplyDeleteOh, Peter, you're tempting me... 40 is sneering at me from just around the corner, and maybe a wild and whimsical haircolor would be just the thing to distract everyone from that dark and dismal birthday? I just am not sure which color, though. I might not be cute enough for pink, but I'm too pale for purple. You know what I'd love? Red hair like the crazy villainess in the Disney movie The Rescuers -- you know, she steals the little girl's teddy bear to smuggle diamonds in the stuffing. Pippi Longstocking and fast-food Wendy have the same shade of red. Like ketchup. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI'd start with a wig and see how I liked it.
DeleteI had my hairdresser put fuchsia streaks in my dark blonde hair for my 40th birthday last October and I've never loved my hair more! Every comment I've received has been complimentary (or envious).
DeletePeter's recommendation of starting with a wig, though, is a good one. I tried a few cheap wigs to see which color worked best with my skin tone before committing dye to hair.
I love seeing unique hair colors on people of any age. Even if it clashes a bit, it's great to see someone rock a new look.
ReplyDeleteHow about the other end of the spectrum? My aunt graduated high school without a single gray hair, but by the time she turned thirty it was all pure white, it just happened that way. She's kept it the same ever since and continues to look fabulous.
For me it's similar to men and receding hair line. If you style it properly and own it, you'll look good. If you deny it or try to cover it up somehow, it always looks bad.
For nearly 30 years I dyed my hair a very blue black. Then in my early 50's I decided it looked rather harsh and very fake so I started tinting my hair a vibrant purple. (The reasoning of course being that if my hair was going to look fake it may as well be fun fake) I have my hair cut in a very classic bob, and it's really no trouble touching up the roots. I think of it as one of the perks of being self employed and my own boss. It's also an age perk.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the most miserable comment I've gotten was a man lamenting that his wife wouldn't wear a fun color wig when they went to Las Vegas. How sad is that?
Cathy looks terrific. Oh, and Helen too.
Perhaps I was ahead of my time when, at 15, I colored my hair with a cheap temporary color. (Roux Rinse-In or something similar is still available, I think.) The Black rinse over my then bleached-blonde hair resulted in a very unusual deep navy blue in the front over dark green on the back of my head. I then resorted to a Clairol stripper product that produced a quite mature-looking steel grey in my hair. I got an awful lot of very strange glances on the Astoria line when I went to school at Hunter College High School; this was in 1963.
ReplyDeletePuh-leeeze, wacky hair colour has long since lost its 'edge' ,,just like body-piercing and tattooing, so what's the big deal? Just do it. Me, I am extra-outrageous and a trend-bucker: I don't dye my hair AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteThough I admit to considering a henna treatment this summer; no toxic chemicals (there is evidence that Jackie Kennedy died of hair-dye-induced non-Hodgkins lymphoma; black and brown hair dyes are implicated in n-HL) and it lasts a long time.
After seeing Mrs. Slocombe, I'm wishing I could watch some "Are You Being Served?"
ReplyDeleteI watch it on PBS?
DeleteI saw Helen Mirren on the Graham Norton show talking to one of the members of little mix about her purple hair and the upkeep on it - it was obvious she was drawn to the look, and I think if anything being older should give you more license to play around and be bold! I feel like HM has earned the right to do what she likes and give no fucks about what people think of her - this new hair just makes me respect and admire her more!
ReplyDeleteDame Helen was the best looking female out of the whole bunch. Her pink locks are fab. Coloured hair says to me, 'I don't care what you think, I'm chuffin well going to do what I like with my hair'.
ReplyDeleteI have been all colours in my lifetime, at the moment blonde, but not so long ago it was plum red. I love Ilona Royce, I am aspiring to be like her because my name is also Ilona xxx
I am a 50 year old woman sporting an unnatural hair colour a la Annie Lennox glow in the dark white (I am of Italian descent with very dark natural hair). When I am 60 I aim to have an even more unnatural hair colour. Billy Connolly had a purple beard for a while. I do believe I was a drag queen in a former life.
ReplyDeleteI haven't given it much thought, but I have to say, I love the photograph of the four ladies in the Easter-egg suits and the pastel hair. They have an 18th century, powdered wig thing going on, and they look like rock stars.
ReplyDeleteThe Dame can do whatever she wants! Whenever she wants! I thought she looked great as usual. I would love to dye my hair green because I love all things green but I would look like the kid in The Boy with Green Hair. My hair is so thick and coarse I just can't see it happening. It seems the older I get, the more nerve I have and maybe that's why older woman show up with colors outside nature. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteIf a lurker may delurk...looking at that picture of the four older women with pastel hair, it occurred to me: maybe when your hair is white is the ideal time to dye it funny colors. When I was young and punk rock, I dyed my hair with manic panic all the time and I always had to bleach it out first since it was dark - I actually had giant buckets of developer and bleach creme because I did it so often. Obviously, if your hair is white, you don't have to put toxic chemicals on your head to get it ready to take manic panic-style dyes. And of course, as you get older your skin tones change (now that I am not old but old enough to see old on the horizon, it is reasonable for me to be aware of this stuff)...and the pinks and blues and violets that were actually pretty flattering when I was young would probably look even better when I am older. I mean, maybe we should actually advocate that when one is older, funny colors are not just a possible choice but an actively good idea.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
DeleteAn older lady that I remember from my youth had pink hair due to years of work in the Kool-Aid factory. I wonder what Crystal would think if someone called her "alternative"...
ReplyDeleteI think it can look great, but it has much to do with personality or presence. Some can carry it off with aplomb. Others just look strange.
ReplyDeleteI recall when I was reading about the late Jennifer Patterson of "The Two Fat Ladies". A producer (I think) who worked with her said Jennifer wore a lipstick that was a vivid orangey-red, called "Gay Geranium". It's a colour few can pull off, and fewer still when in their 60s and 70s. Yet it suited her somehow and I think it was because she had a forceful, bigger-than-life personality.
I agree with Lark in that when one's hair goes white, it's the perfect time go have fun with it. Isn't that what the Red Hat Society is all about?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was really surprised that Helen Mirren went pink but she did a light shade and nothing too stark. So, it kind of works.
As a natural blonde, I've gone dark brown lately to cover up my gray and I love the change. But, I would love to go pink. I just don't have the nerve yet.
I think the trick is in coordinating your whole outfit and outlook on life accordingly, which does not work for everyone... would not work for me. I'm a natural haircolour kind of girl (who also washes her hair with soda), though I do enjoy the occasional glimpse of someone more daring than me in that and similar regards. Like you. I mean Cathy...
ReplyDeleteI'm in my 30s and I've had two streaks in my long, blonde hair for about five years now- they started off pink, went purple-magenta, and now are a reddish-pink - I switched regular semipermanent dye because I was tired of vegetable dye leaching on to everything.
ReplyDeleteI am a professional, and I go to the office wearing anything from a pencil skirt with a sweater to jeans and tshirt, but no one mistakes my hair choices for some sort of license to treat me like an amateur. It's all in the presentation. Then again, I learned long ago that I can't deal with ultra-conservative workplaces that put too much emphasis on appearance versus actual work.
I think it looks fantastic on people in all ages, personally i love my bright red hair (think disneys little mermaid, or thats my goal anyway) and are not planning on giving it up.
ReplyDeleteWear it like you own it all is what it takes to pull off anything. If you can't have fun in this life, then when?
ReplyDeleteI first dyed my hair pink when I was 15 and it has been various shades of pink and purple since then. My hair is (well at least was when I last saw enough of it) a grey-ish blonde. I am now 23 and I don't feel I should have grey hair, so as I have to dye it anyway it might just as well be in fun colours.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a problem for my job or at University, but it can be problematic in public.
I get hit on a lot because of that, and I regularly get rude comments from passersby.
On the other hand I often get to talk with new people because I stand out and that tends to be very interesting.
There is one thing that really drives me crazy though: It happens frequently that I am dressed well, sporting a new dye job … And suddenly I find myself next to some person in trainers, sweatpants and badly bleached yellowish-blonde hair with inches of undyed roots that is staring at my hair and shaking their head and givin me strange looks because I obviously look like the worst criminal ever or something?
I don't know, does this happen to other people too?
The best moment ever was when I had pink hair, and I was standing at the bus stop, wearing a dress with flowers on it and a little girl saw me and got all exited: "Mum! A fairy! See, there is a fairy! Can I be a fairy when I grow up? Pleeease!"
My point is … it has pro's and con's, but I really think society should be over things like strange hair. Everyone should be free to look the way one desires without weird comments or other people even noticing it …
My two cents...I think that women should rock whatever hair color they want whenever they want. If it makes you happy, do it.
ReplyDeleteMy job and not wanting chemicals on my hair holds me back. I'll have to make due with weeks
ReplyDeleteI have had many colors of hair through my 20's - I currently have purple and green streaks. I turn 30 this year with no plans to change that, ever. :) I love colorful hair on all ages!
ReplyDeleteI've had a magenta streak in my hair pretty much for 7 years now (since I was 19) it's so much a part of my style that when I grew it out a couple of years ago I missed it terribly! I think it's a matter of finding a colour that goes with your skin tone, and your wardrobe! I have so many items of clothing that match my hair, I love being matchy, and people always comment on it (positively) so I'm going to keep on keeping on =)
ReplyDeleteMy natural hair color these days is gray, and I leave it natural since it grew back. I donated all my 'regular' wigs back to the hospital, but I kept my pink wig, and I love it. I don't think it's aging, nor do I look at it as my trying to vainly capture some youthful somewhat or another. It's a fun statement, and I think women like Cathy and I look great in it! What does it take to wear it? A playfully bad-a$$ attitude and the right makeup.
ReplyDeleteIf I thought it would be accepted at the office, I would have blue or green or red streaks in my naturally brown hair. As it is, I buy clip ins and wear them on weekends. : )
ReplyDeleteMy hair is white , but in my mid 50's i'm too young to be a white haired little old lady, so I dye it a "natural" colour, trouble is I can't find a colour that feels natural to me, more and more I hanker for Lavender blue hair, So I have decided, when I retire from my professional career, and rather than become that white haired little old lady, I'm going to be a Lavender lady.
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