Monday 16 July 2012

A cut above

How do you choose a flattering hairstyle when you reach a certain age?  Should you go grey gracefully or are you dyeing to try out a new colour?  There are certain rules, but my mantra is that rules are made to be broken and we are all individuals anyway.

Rule number one is to go several shades lighter as you become older.  I have tried this however I prefer myself darker, as somehow that is more "me".  My daughter Kate also feels that I look younger when my hair is darker, even though that is against the rules.  What do you think?


A lighter shade of pale
This is my natural colour - more or less!




Rule number two is to keep your hair shorter, which is what I do.  The reasons I follow this rule are: my hair is very fine, so if it's too long it loses any shape; I am vertically challenged and long hair doesn't suit me as much. However many older women keep their hair long and it suits them. Jane Seymour, Raquel Welch and Goldie Hawn spring to mind.

Rule number three is to spend the most money you can afford on a good cut. This is certainly a rule that all chic Frenchwoman follow religiously.  Living in a Spanish town for the last four years, this has proved to be challenging at times, even apart from the language difficulties.  No self-respecting Spanish hairdresser will let you leave without blow drying your hair into submission, adding as much volume as possible, and emptying most of the contents of the hairspray onto your locks.  I have found a new hairdresser who so far seems willing to listen to my requests, and who limits the amount of hairspray - though this may be more to do with the financial "crisis" here than the whims of her customer.

 Rule number four is to listen to any advice, but reject it unless it resonates with you.  My Spanish hairdresser is a case in point.  When she suggested cutting my hair even shorter I thought it might look a bit harsh on me, however as it is now very hot here in Spain I agreed, on the basis that I can grow it back again.  My friend Lesley's daughter told her in no uncertain terms that her hair looked dreadful and to get it sorted!  She was exaggerating, of course, but now that Lesley has had a decent cut and her hair is a flattering light shade she looks years younger.


4 comments:

  1. I love your blog, Sue. So many interesting issues you bring up! I think you look pretty hot in that darker color hair.

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  2. Many thanks! Any suggestions for future posts are more than welcome. Sue

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  3. I agree that darker hair suits you better. The light is nice, but I feel like it washes you out a little, and that can make you look older.

    I FOR SURE agree that you should spend as much as you can on a high quality cut from a great stylist. But I think that's a must for all ages, not just older folks! A good haircut not only looks good right after, but grows out nicely as well, which means if you can't get in for a trim as soon as you'd like, it's not as bad of a look if you're a little overgrown. It's also wonderful to have a stylist who understands your needs and opinions as well, and listens to them before snipping (and spraying) away. Nothing is more frustrating than paying for a cut that you don't like and can't maintain because your stylist ignored your concerns.

    I'm also generally a fan of short hair on older women, largely because of the thinning problem. But then again, I'm also a fan of short hair in general, so yea :)

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  4. You are so right - sometimes a haircut looks good at the time, but a week later that's not the case. So far, fingers crossed, this new stylist is proving to be very good.

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