Let’s talk hair for a minute, shall we? Hair is a big deal to me, mostly because about the time I turned 21 I realized it wasn’t a huge thing to just swap out hair with the seasons like you would a nice throw rug in your home. Easy, relatively painless, and the overall effect is so visually impressive it’s hard to stop.
Aside from the pastel colors, my hair has been every natural color available: red, blonde, orange, black, brown, and currently dark brown streaked with silver. I’ve also done almost every hairstyle: pin straight and long in high school, the Rachael in college (if you’re too young to get that reference, you can Google it. it wasn’t a good look, even on Jennifer Anniston), a short “mom” bob after my daughter was born, long again but with strong bangs this time, then short and layered with side swooped bangs, blonde and short like Posh Spice (again, see Google if needed), short and black (see Katie Holmes) and finally, buzzed on the sides and mohawk on top a la P!nk.
It’s funny to me, as I’m looking back at the last two decades of the evolution of my current hair style to see where I was in life when I made each major hair choice. I would imagine even a perfect stranger could spot my hair and point out which stage of life matches each particular hair style. My super tight mohawk a couple of years ago was sort of a, ‘You don’t get to pigeonhole me as a suburban Mormon mom because I’m more than that.’ It’s patently obvious I’m more than that, but apparently I needed my hair to do some talking too. Funny, that.
I’m at a stage now where my hair is more about looking good with the absolute minimum amount of time in front of a mirror and products and a haircut that make my thinning hair look effortlessly stylish and full. It’s possible, and even though it’s taken me 20 years to get to this point, my current hair style feels more “me” than anything else I’ve tried. Sure, I might decide to do some color at some point to hide the greys, but maybe not. I’ve learned a lot about myself in my hair style evolution and the place I am now is this: take me as I am, or take a hike. I love myself, I love my hair, I love my style, and I’m not really worried about what anyone else thinks. And that’s a pretty good place to be.
So tell me: have you had your own hair style evolution? Are you brave and adventurous or do you stay with the tried-and-true? I
Allison
Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!
I’m right there with you! It’s so funny looking back through photos of me because my hair has been all shapes and sizes. I can almost date my photos based on my hair. I haven’t been as adventurous with color but I may try some funky ones out while my hair is short and easy to change. Currently my hair is short and I like to style it up on a faux hawk.
I love your hair!! I’m blond but my dad was a redhead as a kid and so I always want red hair but it is too high maintenance and so I never keep it for very long. But one day I’m going to pull and Emma Stone and dye my hair and my brows and it’s going to be awesome. Right now I’m into the low maintenance wavy/curly no heat/rarely shampoo or comb look. It needs to never stop being stylish ever.
You seriously look good with all styles! My hair now is Anne Hathaway pixie and I feel like it’s the most me cut I’ve ever had. I’m so happy and confident with it! And I feel like I’m more put together now.
My hair is just there … Long and all one length. I haven’t had a hairstyle in so long because it’s just all so much work! For work it’s either tied up in a knot on the top of my head or in a braid because I need it up and out of the way. I’m always a little jealous of people with actual hair styles but I know me … I’m lazy with my hair and would never do it!
About a week ago I took the plunge and chopped off a good 7-8 inches of hair. It. Feels. Amazing. I haven’t had shoulder length hair in at least 10 years. I’m really loving the new fresh feel, the weightlessness, and the spunk of it all. I feel like my hair is right where it should be! Finally.
Looooove your hair! You’re hip and funky and fun :) your hair seems to fit who I think you are… Awesome :)
My hair… Same as you. Been every style and almost every color. I chopped it off two years ago then went SUPER blonde. I loooooved it! But it got expensive and it damaged my dark brown hair so badly. I went back to “my roots” and it was amazing to look at myself in the mirror again… I felt beautiful and saw a natural beauty within me. I’m growing it out now… I am a tough girly girl. I NEED my hair. Not sure where it will be next week/year.
I LOVED this post… :)
Oh I have had QUITE the hair journey. But I am always happiest and feel most confident and beautiful with a pixie cut. I adore it. That’s what I have now. My daughter begs me to grow it out. Sorry, lil sis, mom’s gotta keep it short. And it’s an added bonus that my husband loves it short. The messier/funkier the better. I love to rock a fauxhawk on days I’m feeling sassy. And smooth it into a chic style a la Audrey on other days. :)
I’ve had everything from hair I can sit on to almost a pixie cut to a ahemmulletcough. I was growing it out with layers a few months ago but I looked at myself in the mirror and said, “Self, you are not that cute. You’ve got to have something shorter and cuter.” And I went in and hacked it off. So how it’s shoulder length. Maybe next year I’ll have long in front and short in back. Just as long as I actually have hair.
I put color on my hair twice in my life: once at 16 I did 2 boxes of platimun blonde on my brown tresses. Only my friend who helped me missed half my widows peak. It was awful. As that grew out I went for magneta streaks which I then let grow out. I have always had medium long hair – save for the time around ages 5/6 when I went through a phase of refusing to brush it out properly and was fighting my MOm so much she cut it off in a little pixie/bob. Lesson learned!
It is currently medium-long again and my ultiamte wish is to have waist length hair once in my life. I will reach that gial I will! My silver-white streaks are getting bigger and I love it. The color is so pretty!
I chopped off 10 inches once around age 18 or 19 and again at 24 after my daughter was born but I wans’t happy either time with short hair so I have always kept it past my shoulders. I like to be able to braids and buns and ponytails. I grew by bangs out in high school and only had them once since then – NEVER again.
Big OGX fans at my house!! We use their products a lot and love them!