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?
Related Posts:
Moving Away From, Moving Toward
In the Dressing Room with Brenda (Kinsel). Don’t I wish!
After seeing what books I was going to need for my fall classes the other day, I headed to the used book store. There, I picked up this little book for some light summer reading. :) If you click on the picture of the cover, you may find an offer from Amazon for you to get the book for even less than I paid for it.
Under the header “The ‘Me Glorious Me’ Notebook”, Brenda describes several of what I would term idiom identification exercises, including “Moving Away From, Moving Toward”. Because for me wardrobe development is such a process, this particular exercise described alot of what was going on in my head anyway. So I decided to write it down. Some of these trends in my wardrobe are several seasons old, others are fresh thoughts.
Moving Away From Moving Toward
turtlenecks scarves
vertical & horizontal lines diagonals & tight curves
heather gray pewter
v-necks scoop necks
sweaters vests
green purple
matte shiny
cool colors, esp. black warm colors, esp. peach
Here’s the beginning of my list. This is a great time of year for this kind of thinking. What are you moving away from and moving toward?
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The $250 Skirt
Ever since last fall, when I pulled out my winter skirts only to discover I didn’t like the fit of one and then promptly ripped the lining of the other the first time I wore it, I’ve been limping and skimping in the Sunday wardrobe department. NONinspirational! Basically, winter alternatives can be reduced to:
- wool trousers, which I love. I have been diligently searching for another pair.
- jeans, which I’d rather not wear to church, but I do in a pinch. And believe me, I’m feeling the pinch now!
- dresses. A winter dress is a rarity in my wardrobe. So rare, in fact, that it doesn’t exist.
- which leaves skirts. And with as many skirt options as there are, why is it so hard for me to find even one that doesn’t leave me feeling frumpy and grumpy?
The skirt in my idiom, and I say this more for myself than for anyone else:
- is tapered, pegged, pencil, whatever you want to call it. I don’t mind a little do-flippy hem, but the full skirt on me is downright awful; A-line is a significant compromise.
- falls BELOW the knee, at the “hemline of supreme elegance”.
- has only tasteful and necessary slit(s).
- doesn’t cling to my legs and bunch up and move around when I walk. Also doesn’t have some dorky clash of sleazy underwear fabric “slipping” out from under it.
In desperation, I have begun collecting thrifted skirts, with the hopes of cannabilizing one or more to somehow piece together something that would work. I’ve found lots of cute prints and fabrics, but somehow when it comes time to actually cut or sew I end up painting or blogging instead! So, while I normally wouldn’t spend $15 on a thrifted skirt, when I found one this week that was lined and below-the-knee and tapered, $15 looked like a bargain.
Closer inspection revealed the bargain it really was: brand-new tags said $250 $100!
Admittedly, the peachy color and cotton/linen fabric make it more of a spring wardrobe staple than winter. But it rather looks like spring is here to stay this year, doesn’t it?
How would you define the perfect skirt in your own idiom?
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Are You a Thinker or a Feeler?
Step 3 in my initial rip through the myers briggs personality code brings us to how we make decisions, the T or the F. This one is the hardest for me to grasp. But I wanted to get some thoughts out of my head and into words on the internet (since that’s how I do these things, as opposed to paper) before I go to the library and get more input.
Essentially, the definition of a Thinker is one who makes decisions based on logic. But the Feeler is not what you probably think, a person who makes decisions based on their feelings. No, the Feeler is one who makes decisions based on their own values, or one who bases their decisions on ethical considerations.
One could also describe a Thinker as a person who knows their own mind. On the other hand, a Feeler is easily able to identify with the feelings of others.
How does this relate to how people dress? Let me tell you.
I don’t know.
The only specific I’ve noticed is a slight preference for black leather jackets among Thinking types. Myself, I would never wear one, because they have always felt unfriendly to me. I prefer colored suede. 
In the big picture, I suspect Feelers are more inclined to follow fashion trends, and to care what others think about what they wear. Thoughts?
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Are You a Sensor or an Intuitive?
As long as I’m on a myers briggs roll, with my recent post about dressing as introvert or extravert, the next logical step is a stab at describing dressing as a Sensor or an iNtuitive. Again, this is brainstorming.
The diagnostic question for S or N: Are you interested in what is or what could be?
Revised list 12/18/2009 (still brainstorming)
The Sensor may:
- choose individual items
- place priority on accessories (details)
- wear black for a practical reason (slimming, goes with everything, etc)
- choose geometric or organic shapes
- feel restricted by a very rigid fabric
The Intuitive may:
- organize the wardrobe along some sort of theoretical system
- view the ensemble as a composition
- use black and/or white to create contrast and amplify another color, or really love black
- love abstract or stylized prints
- feel naked in a very drapy fabric
Now, for the stats: 65% of the population is assumed to be sensors, with 35% more intuitive. If my hypotheses here prove true, this (and the coming discussion about thinking vs feeling) explain why I feel so much pressure to wear stuff I don’t like. I am decidedly in the minority. But, I think, not among the readers of this blog.
Input needed! Do you know, confidently, whether you are more of a sensor or an intuitive? Would you express that preference in any of the ways I’ve listed?
Brainstorm with me: What would you add to, or subtract from, the lists?
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Are You an Introvert or an Extravert?
Are you energized by time alone or by time with others? Is it possible to communicate that preference by your appearance? Consider this brainstorming, and brainstorm along with me, as I wasn’t able to find much in the way of concrete information on the topic.
Clues to introversion:
- colors: cool, neutrals, deep and/or muted shades (is that redundant?), monochromatic
- prints: bold or barely there
- fabrics: smooth
- hair: neat and tidy
- accessories: fewer, simple
Clues to extraversion:
- colors: warm, bright or light, used in combination
- prints: fun, lively
- fabrics: textured
- hair: lots of movement
- accessories: more, complex
Throw me some more ideas and I’ll add them to the lists.
Also, recently I have run across the idea in more than one place that, while they may not be outnumbered, our culture is biased against introverts. Do you agree?
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Three Great Reasons to Wear the V Neckline
Three fabulous reasons to wear a v-neck that don’t apply to me and one adaptation that does:
- the neckline echoes your jawline
- the diagonal lines visually break up a larger space
- the geometric shape formed by the neckline conveys something about your personality: activity level, power and purpose, conventional thinking, or … ?
- when combined with a Superman point collar (for some reason, wide point collars that stand out horizontally always say “flying” to me), the v-neck becomes something else altogether: a square? the bottom of a star? This adaptation works for me.
Two bad reasons to wear the V neckline:
- That’s all you can find in the stores. (Thankfully, we are now beyond that.)
- Everyone else is wearing them.
Why do you love v-necks?
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What’s Your Metal Strategy?
(Congratulations if you’re invested in gold, but that’s not what this post is about!)
If you’ve been reading any length of time, you know that I most certainly do not consider myself an accessory person. It’s complicated. I don’t enjoy thinking about accessories, I get overwhelmed looking at them, and don’t honestly think they are all that necessary. They kinda make me cranky. And they do little to cover my nakedness.
On the plus side, I have been able to clear away at least some of the mess in my mind, that mess relating to those extras that so many of you enjoy. This improvement should make accessorizing at least slightly less painful. I’m adding the following to the rules of my personal idiom:
- all metal hardware will be silver
- wear earrings or necklace, not both
- a necklace must be bold
Clearly I’m not there yet. But, since I adopted these guidelines I have had the energy to: clean out my jewelry drawer, biff through my belts, buy a new pair of gloves and a belt, and get dressed every day. Get dressed completely, as in, all the way to the right shoes, belt, and earrings; not just throw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt (just to be clear, in my idiom this time of year that is a casual cashmere sweater), and comfortable shoes. While under the weather.
No doubt in time I will add to my “guidelines”, ever with the intent of simplifying my life. But what’s kept me from this simplicity before? Good question! For one, my favorite metal has always been yellow gold; my wedding and anniversary rings are gold, as is my watch (albeit with brown leather band). But now I’m not going to let that bother me. They are part of me and my earrings and belt buckles are accessories. For another, I find the hardware options on shoes and purses especially to be limited. Usually I’m just happy to find something that works that I can afford. But I expect silver to be easier to come by.
Do you wear a mix of metals or only one? Do you have any helpful suggestions?
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What to Wear to a Casual Christmas Party
Well, I’ll tell you right off the top what not to wear: American traditional holiday knitwear. 24 comments and the most commonly repeated word was “hideous”. Tiffany suggests the following reasons people wear them:
- love of that cutesy, “country” Americana,
- love of crafts and decoration (I’ve run out of things to make and decorate for the holiday, so I’ll decorate myself!), and
- “thriftiness”/pack rat tendencies (it only gets worn once a year, so it’s too nice to toss).
Do you see yourself in any of those?
I’ll be honest; if I were ever tempted to wear that kind of thing, it would be because that’s what my host(ess) was wearing and I wasn’t sure how to translate “casual” + “festive” into my own idiom. But I’m thinking, this year, that my new dark brown trouser-style cords will come in handy.
What’s your Christmas casual formula?
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Boots for Each Energy Type
While I’m cooking on the innovative approach Dressing Your Truth represents, perhaps a pictorial example or two are in order. To learn your ”energy type”, read the book It’s Just My Nature!
A flat boot selection for each energy type:
1. light, upward movement
2. fluid, flowing movement
3. active, reactive movement
4. constant, still movement
BTW, see boot #1? Those are my newest footwear! They are Puma’s and my hero bought them for me (for $45) from an online liquidator. Light colored footwear is generally a no-no for me, as is a mid-calf height boot, but for whatever reason, and I’m sure it’s more complicated than energy movement, they work for me.
Any insights?
