13
Nov

How to do short hair in 2013.

In short? (Zzzzing!)

The rule seems to be go real short. Pixie short, if you can handle it.

Cases in pointses:

Ms Pamela Anderson, who may have lost her length, but has gained several metric tonne of elegance as a consolation. So Frenchy! So Chic!

Ms Jennifer Lawrence, whose hair was so ravaged from swinging between blonde and brunette, that the only option was to cut it all off/piss off everyone in the continuity unit at Hunger Games Inc.

Ms Charlize Theron, who is a master of very short hair, and who shaved it all off for a movie role with grace and pistol fingers.

Of course, not everyone has the need or desire to go quite so short. They tend to opt for the bob instead, this lot. Which is a terrific middle-ground for those looking for a dramatic change, without all the shock factor and hair gel required for a pixie cut.

Ms Jennifer Aniston is the most recent and famous example. She revealed the cut was NOT to make putting her motorbike helmet on and off easier as I initially suspected, but rather because Brazilian smoothing treatments had, well, fucked it up, to be blunt. Good lesson here for those addicted to the keratin smoothing treatments: MAKE VERY SURE the one you use is absolutely devoid of formaldehyde and its variants.

The Grand Priestess of Bobs, though, is of course Daryl Somers. No, sorry, I mean Karlie Kloss. She cut her long, runway-friendly hair off to just below her ears and thousands of us immediately imitated. The best part of The Kloss is watching all the way she styles it: straight, tucked behind one ear, wavy and textured, curly and cute…. Some say bobs are dull and impossible to make look sexy and the opposite of versatile. Karlie spits on this suggestion. (Sexily, in a model way.)

I go short every couple of years, when I tire of long hair and top-knots. I feel more ‘me’ with short hair, more stylish perhaps? More something. But when I have longer hair as I do now, I remember how easy it is to just jam it back, or because of the weight and length, let the curls sit semi-naturally and just be themselves and hang out and stuff. I have been pixie short only once, back in about 2006, and because of my curls and cowlicks, I had Japanese permanent straightening first, so that it was smooth and obedient. It was pretty fun, actually. I will probably do it again one day, but will resist the permanent straightening and just do the non-Aniston semi-permanent smoothing instead. (The place I had my handsome new colour done the other week, Xiang, they do it.)

Products that are excellent for short hair:

A texture spray: Something like Bumble & bumble thickening spray used on wet or dry hair is excellent for volume and mussiness. I especially like it on dry hair, roughly blasted through with a hair dryer on high heat.

A smoothing product for waves/curls: Use on wet hair and then blow-dry through until the hair is smooth. Follow with a soft tong job all over. Pantene’s Styling Treatment Mist Soft Curls is perfect.

A wet-style gel for slicked back looks: Short hair is the best length for  sexy, masculine slicked down/back looks and it makes me a touch jealous, in all honesty. On dry, smooth, blow-dried hair, apply a mix of wet-look gel or balm – like Redken’s Hardwear 16 super strong gel- with some water and comb through with a fine-tooth comb. Tuck behind ears, or do a deep side part.

If you have been flirting with the idea of cutting off your hair, now is a great time to take the jump. This is because it’s National Donate Your Hair Week this week, which is part of the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program I am ambassador for, which asks women/men/children to snip off their hair to donate and make real hair wigs for women undergoing cancer treatment. It’s SUCH a fantastic bloody initiative, I love being part of it, and while we’re stoked we raised over 5000 ponytails in our inaugural year, we’re obviously greedy and want to double that this year.

To check if your hair is eligible for donation, head to the Beautiful Lengths website, and don’t worry if it’s not long enough to cut off this week, the campaign goes all year, and we happily accept donations at any time. (Where and how to send your ponytail is also on that website.)

Oh, and if anyone knows this woman, please tell her to get in touch with me.

 

Responses to this drivel: 13 Comments
Responses to this drivel ( 13 )
  • Claire

    Hi Zoe
    Thanks to you – I already have a long bob. I saw your beautiful lengths suggestion a month ago (via instagram) and cut 25 cm off the next day. I was already looking for a change, and this was the perfect way to make it oh-so-worthwhile.
    My MIL had breast cancer 6 years ago, then lymphoma 2 years ago, and lost her hair with the chemo. She chose to wear hats and scarves and it was a very difficult loss for her. So donating my hair was also very close to home.
    I shall now start e-stalking Karlie for style tips.

  • LD

    I think it’s such a lovely idea to go the chop and donate it all. Unfortunately I’m already a pixie girl (cut it off a few months ago). Otherwise I would have donated my lovely long hair. Let’s hope this encourages lots of women to cut off their long hair and donate it to a very worthwhile cause!!

  • Bec

    I’m up the duff, so looking forward to getting the Pammy chop after my wedding.

  • Jess

    I think short hair looks best with a long neck. Haven’t measured and researched, but that’s my theory.

  • Amelia

    I already have lovely pixie hair – I cut it all off before my 21st birthday and was a fabulous new stage in my life. So, here we are five years later, and I was totes prepared to be sad when I read this post, because I have decided to grow it out to a Karlie Kloss-style chin-length wavy asymmetric-fringe bob. Complex, I know. So I was prepared to look at pictures your of other fabulous women with pixie hair, prepared to sigh with wistfulness, BUT THEN you also praise the chin-length bob! Huzzah! I CAN put up with the mullet stage, I CAN be fabulous with longer, chin-bob hair! Thank you Zo, for keeping me hair-growth motivated 🙂

  • Bree

    Oh Zo, would love to see a pic of you in your. 2006 pixie cut!

  • Mitch & Mia

    I like your post. You provided good points and descriptions, that’s really helpful. And yes, thousands immediately imitated Karlie’s bob. I’m one of those, actually… *wink*

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  • Jessica

    I’m so sad to read about the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program tonight! I had long hair almost to my waist that I cut into a long bob a couple of months ago. I would have loved to donate my hair to this worthy cause.
    Thank you Zoe for being an ambassador to this great cause and encouraging everyone to donate their hair.
    You’ve inspired me to grow my hair that little bit longer so that I can donate whatever I can to this great program xx

  • Abby

    Short hair is definitely in this year! I was particularly surprised at how good Jenn Lawrence looked with short hair, esp her latest pixie do. She exemplifies how short hair is sexy and empowered!

    By the way, we’re giving away a GHD hair straightener to one lucky winner. Check it out our blog for more details: http://www.myhaircare.com.au/blog/win-a-ghd-hair-straightener/

  • shoes

    hi good looking your site nice posting thanks for sharing information good color your site i read it i enjoy this blog.

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