The Elements of Hair Style
Recently, when I was reading In the Dressing Room with Brenda: A Fun and Practical Guide to Buying Smart and Looking Great
Hairstyle should be used to create proportional harmony between the length of the head and the width of the shoulders.
The harmonious ratio we are looking for is 1 to 2, in this case. If, like me, your shoulder width is not quite twice the length of your head, I suggest keeping the length of the hair above the shoulders (I will be asking for a little shorter when I go in later this week for my haircut). Conversely, broader shoulders relative to head length would look appropriate with longer hair, bisecting the shoulder line.
In addition, the proportional ratio of head to total body length is 1 to 8. There are two ways to visually effect this proportion using hair styling techniques:
- shorten the apparent head length by wearing bangs
- add to the apparent head length by adding volume to the top of the hair style
Personality
Why is it that a hair style can look chic on one person and matronly on another? I propose personality.
Today, on the radio, I heard about a kids game based on the DISC model. It’s called Kids Flag Page, and it helps families discover childrens’ native “countries”: Control, Perfect, Peace or Fun. Allow me to borrow that concept and apply it to hairstyles for a moment:
- If you are a Control person - that is, an active, in-charge type - you might wear edgy, textured, or chunky hair well.
- If you are a Perfecter, every hair should be in place.
- A Peace person needs soft, blended hair.
- The native of Fun country may want flippy, almost messy, hair.
Texture
The hairstylist’s biggest complaint is women who come in with a picture of a style which will not work with the texture of their hair. An example of that with my hair would be a blunt bob: there is no power on earth, that doesn’t smell like hairspray, that would make my hair turn uniformly under.
Explaining how to choose a hair style based on your hair texture is beyond the scope of this particular post. Your hair professional should be able to provide you with the guidance you need.
Facial Particulars
Another element of hair style which I am unable to cover here is how to make your hair style perfect for your face shape and features. Unfortunately, it seems that most hair professionals are completely clueless about this as well.
Perhaps the internet has answers?
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August Wardrobe Roundup
Late August, and back to school, is upon us. Since the day I left my retail career, back to school has held little importance for me. However, that does not mean I’m not thinking about wardrobe and related planning issues. Here are some of the things I’m working on in August of 2010:
- Renewing my cosmetic collection. A couple of times a year, it’s good to review and refresh, buy new mascara and lipstick, etc. Last week I bought foundation.
- Taking inventory of my shorts and tank tops. I’ve picked up a couple of items recently on clearance. Plus, I’ve concluded that some just need to be passed on, for the primary reason that they have shrunk. When I stepped on the scale today and saw I was at my “goal weight” (5 pounds above my “ideal weight”), I figured there was no better time to decide whether a pair of shorts with a tight waistband was ever going to fit.
- Performing maintenance tasks on my fall stuff. It’s all back from the cleaners, and I’ve washed my Pumas. Soon I’ll start thinking about when to get it out.
Next up: the fall haircut.
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What Causes Cracked Teeth?
What causes the cracking of molars?
For years, I thought the answer was simple: popcorn. Now that I’m on my third cracked molar and my third crown, I finally have a little better answer: clenching. Simply put, clenching or grinding teeth weakens them and makes them prone to cracking. And up to 80% of people clench, many at night when they are not even aware of it!
I am studiously avoiding blame casting. The fact is I have been able to afford to get the dental treatment I need and I have a wonderful dentist. For that, I am grateful! But I want to share this in the event it could be helpful to someone else.
The math of the matter is this: a $300 night guard may have prevented all of my cracked teeth. If it had prevented even one it would have more than paid for itself, even factoring in insurance. You see, insurance will pay half of the cost of a crown; so for each of my three crowns, my “co-pay” has been approximately $600. Double the cost of the prevention.
As soon as I get this crown paid for, I’m getting a night guard.
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Looking Younger
Looking younger, I’m afraid, has more to do with makeup than I want to accept. But I’d rather accept makeup than color my hair. Maybe I can just find a couple of easy things I can do …
Kathy Peel got a makeover from Robert Jones, author of Looking Younger: Makeovers That Make You Look as Young as You Feel
From Kathy’s website, which also has a list of the 10 mistakes Robert sees most commonly: If you only have a few minutes, Robert says these things will make the biggest difference:
- Curl your eyelashes. This will open up your eyes and make them look bigger
- Apply a little mascara-starting at the base
- Put a dab of concealer under your eyes
- Brush some blush across your cheekbone
- Groom your eyebrows
- Apply lip gloss
Check!
Check! I am currently using the two different mascara method.
Yes. I use Bobbi Brown creamy concealer.
So far, so good. (He also recommends bronzer in the video. In the past, I have used it, but I don’t have any now.)
Here’s my problem. I’ve tried several kinds of magnifying mirrors, but I still have trouble tweezing. Also, I asked my hairstylist last week whether she thought I should dye my eyebrows and she didn’t think I should. (She also didn’t think I should dye my hair.)
Y’know, my hero prefers that I don’t wear any lip product. We compromise. I wear a frosty pink all-day lip stuff which literally will not kiss off. (That is, I wear it when I remember to put it on.)
Here’s my remaining question: how to keep my mascara from melting into my concealer. Suggestions?
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The Oval as Feminine
A glimpse into my brain: is that what it means? I can’t believe I’ve never stumbled onto that path before: oval, ova, egg, egg-shaped …
Am I the only one who thinks these kinds of things?
Recently I observed a female acquaintance, one with very short hair but whose feminine appearance I had never questioned. Until this one day. It wasn’t that I thought her unfeminine at first, but something was definitely less attractive than her usual. After a moment of dissecting her presentation, I concluded that her short, tidy hair combined with a collared shirt and no makeup somehow added one too many “masculine” points to her look. Which lead to wondering whether a quiz could be developed to help pin-point that fine line, because, face it, we all know lovely, very feminine ladies with short hair who don’t wear makeup. What is it that makes those ladies unquestionably feminine? And what is it about taking away some of the “feminine” which equates to less attractive, even somehow boring?
And now for the personal application part. Somewhere I picked up the following concept (any idea where?):
oval = feminine
rectangle = masculine
Tracing my recent hair makeover, what do you notice in terms of my face and hair shape?
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Blogging My Own Comeback: The Final Cut
+ 
+ my habitual styling techniques =
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(I Am a Purple) Velvet Blazer
(Hopefully I don’t get in trouble for using this photo from Banana Republic.)
Considering my present state of mind, this post is likely to be an unlikely mish-mash. Oh well. I’ll try to produce a somewhat organized mash. 
From the top. Hair:
- Presently, I’m okay with my hair.
- This haircut - without the turned under, uniform smoothness of the other - suits me better, both style idiom and hair texture.
- Here’s the problem: hanging across my face, hair would goo up my glasses. Yet Christopher Hopkins would say that asking for this haircut but with bangs is like asking for chocolate chip cookies but without chocolate chips. (I don’t think my stylist would mind doing it.)
- Comments on how this haircut would suit me?
Next: If I were to wear a scarf, unlikely as that is, this application is one I would consider. Thoughts from you accessory people?
Finally, twenty years ago, when I had a fashion retail career, I considered myself a “pink suit”. Daily I wore suits. But they were feminine and colorful, not mannish. Now I am finding myself with a strong preference for velvet blazers. Currently in rotation: blush pink, brown paisley, and grape. My favorite way to wear them is with white oxford button-front shirt, collar flying.
So, all in all, this post was just an excuse for running the photo, which captures the stylistic essence of my personal idiom (me on the inside), everyday-wear. Now, I’m off to the studio. In a little over a week, I have the final for my beginning watercolor class. I need all the practice I can get.
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Are We Hair Yet?
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Beth’s New Hair
Beth before, as seen in this previous post.
And, looking gorgeous and sensational, as well as younger, slimmer, and happier, here is her after:
Isn’t this just the kind of makeover we’re all dreaming of? Congratulations!
Sadly, I am not there.
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Communicating With Your Hairdresser
In Staging Your Comeback, Christopher Hopkins hints humorously at how he interprets what clients say. For example, if you say, “I don’t want it too neat”; he thinks, “she doesn’t want to feel old”. (And isn’t that the truth? And more than that, I don’t want to look like an old man.) If you say, “I don’t want to look frumpy”; he thinks, “she needs more makeup”. If you haven’t already, buy the book and read the rest of the list yourself.
In answer to the question “What is the most effective way of communicating what you want to your hair-stylist?”, Imogen’s comment is representative of the most commonly recommended way of handling it:
If you have a picture bring it - but look for a picture of someone with the haircut you want who appears to have a similar texture of hair - because what you want may not be possible if your hair won’t do the cut you want.
Interestingly enough, I think the second most popular advice was just to let the stylist decide. Lots of other good advice in the comments back there. Describing what you want seems to be the universally ineffective way of doing it.
Anyway, once upon a time, eons ago, I picked up this book - and I mean, picked it up in the bookstore and stood there and read it - which defines and explains the different kinds of hair textures and what kinds of styles work with them. There’s no substitute for understanding your own hair texture.
The most common communication frustration for my hairdresser, and probably yours too, is people coming in with a picture of a hair style that simply won’t work with their hair. Which is probably the reason some hairdressers prefer you bring a picture of yourself when you liked your hair. Which makes no sense to me. How could I then get something new every fall?
And I guess I’m not the only one doing something new: Carrie has a cute new haircut, so does Bee. And my mom (who looks like Shirley Jones). Drop me a line if you have a haircut to share. (BTW, did you know it’s National Makeover Month at ivillage?)
More hair cut(s):
