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Dominance of long hair vs. short hair as ideal

Preppy Pear

Veteran

Angie’s pics of her long and short hair made me think about how dominant the preference is for long hair on women, at least it seems to me. Short hair was considered glamorous and feminine in the 1950s, but was this the last era in which long hair took a backseat to short hair? I know short has never gone away and we certainly live in an era with fashion variety, including hairstyles. Still, I wonder if we will ever see short hair take over again?

General

29 replies

Latest reply was from Amaranthine

Murph11

Veteran

It'll always be 2nd to long, I assume, but that's OK by me. Maybe my short cut (proudly sporting my natural curls) makes me unique

Anonymous

Actually it seems like medium length hair has been prevalent for many years, lobs and such. Truly long hair seems much more rare.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Preppy Pear, short hair was HUGE in the '80s. The '90s threw it back to looooonnnnng.......like the '70s. That's why I grew my hair in the '90s!

Suntiger, agreed.

I spend a lot of time in Europe these days - go 3/4 times a year - and I see short funky hair making quite the comeback. On kids, teens and adults of all ages. It's fabulous, and I'm very inspired because my preference is for short hair.

In the US and in Asia, longer hair seems to be the norm - especially up to the age of 35.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Actually, I often feel like I’m bucking the trend a bit by being a 50+ woman with longer hair. I feel like a lot of my peers have gone short.

I had short hair in about 85-86, and then again in about 91-93. I never seem to keep it for long. My hair grows fast and it’s too much upkeep. At the time though, in the early 90s, I seemed to be a rarity with my short hair.

Anonymous

I've always been the outlier among my friends , most if not all still have midlength (at least) hair. The young women I work with (mid 20's) ALL have long hair. I grew mine to almost shoulder length when I was 50- mid life crisis etc. It just felt unstylish and made no statement at all.

Carla

Veteran

I live in a community with a higher percentage of retirees than most places. Lots of swingy long silvers and whites (shoulder to bra-strap length) and a few hippy dippy long curls or dreads! Short hair divided between funky short spiked or pixie and cotton candy g’ma do’s. Girls are as long as possible. 30-40 yo’s Shoulder length or slightly longer bob styles. A few exceptions - but not a lot!

FWIW-I used to see a lot of undercuts/sidecuts at the gym, but they were all being grown out over the winter.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

My unscientific observation is that at least 75% of women younger than 40 have moderately if not longer hair, and 75% of women 55 and older have shorter if not really short hair. Personally, I never liked my hair that much - it's straight, fine, limp and a bland color - so now that I feel even less interested in high maintenance grooming, short is a sensible choice for me.

Kathie

Veteran

I hadn’t ever counted, but now I will- something to do while people-watching at the train station:).

I’ve worn my hair short twice while growing up- when I was 4, and as an early teen- and hated it both times. It’s gotten progressively longer over the years, as my hair stylists on (both coasts now) have continued to suggest longer. Not sure if I’ll ever go short again...

Anonymous

In USA Midwest, I see mostly long hair on all ages of women and girls. there are lots of retired folks here. Many of the over 60's wear their hair long but it looks strange. Hardly anyone dyes their hair unless it is an unnatural color, and that is mostly 40's and 50's. Mine is mostly mid length. It is awful short because of several unfortunately placed cow licks.
A new lady just moved in next door. She has very long grey/ white hair which she wears in a long ponytail.

Bijou

Veteran

Yes, lots of long hair where I live and work. There are very few shorter cuts in women under 40 and for those over 40 still plenty of long hair. With the younger girls in their 20’s, having hair extensions is still common and often a reason why they have very long lengths.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Around here long hair is almost universal on younger women and very short to short hair common on older women, with more exceptions on that side.

shiny

Veteran

I think that -- assuming you can actually grow your hair long -- someone with long hair has options. They can pull it up in a pony or bun. Or wear it down.

When my hair was past my shoulders, it looked ratty so I just kept pulling it into a pony or bun all the time. Basically my hair has pretty much nearly always looked ratty the closer it gets to my shoulders, and that's been true since I passed my teens. So for me it's not a factor of aging, but I can see how aging would also affect this.

If your hair is healthy and thick and looks great any length, no matter your age, by all means keep it long -- then you have the options to wear it short (pony/bun) or long.

I do love your question because I would (selfishly) also like to see short hair come in style again. Also watching Call the Midwife I think that period went through the 60s? My mom chopped her (healthy, thick, curly) hair then.

Sal

Veteran

I was a teen in the 80s and many of us had short hair - or long permed hair. Then it seemed to change to long straight hair. Now in our late 40s it is a mix but mid to long hair dominates.

The teen girls I know almost universally have long hair.

I have had quite a range of lengths except super long. My hair is hard to manage when long and needs lots of styling to keep tidy. I could carry off messy waves in my 20s but now it looks unkempt and I am lazy. Somewhere from short to mid length for me.

Gigi

Veteran

I agree that it seems that it's been a long time since short hair was popular, although I am seeing more and more models online with shorter styles. However, as far as what I see on a daily basis, the preference is clearly for longer styles, meaning at least shoulder length.

I think that longer hair is associated with femininity and elegance and sex appeal, which is why it dominates.

Like shiny, I have tried growing my hair long, but it just doesn't look good. I have a lot of hair, but it is very fine, and the weight drags it down. I have always looked much better with shorter hair. My hair right now is almost to my shoulders and is driving me nuts. I plan to get it chopped to a chin-length bob at my next haircut.

Liesbeth

Veteran

I’m in Europe and I still see lots of mid-length and long hair: especially on teens but also on women up until 50 it seems to reign supreme. Usually worn loose too. I agree with it being about femininity: my idea is that we are living in a revival of the masciline-feminine polarity with more pink than ever for girls and men growing beards again. Anyway, real short hair is mainly for 50+ in my circles. Even the traditional rite of passage where moms cut off their hair for practicality is lost :).
I had short hair for about three yearsin my early teens. It does not become me. Mid-length, although sometimes impractical (can’t wear it up), has been my go-to length throughout my life.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Interesting thinking Liesbeth! I’m inclined to agree about the masculine-feminine polarity thing. Don’t quite know why it’s happening. I dislike so many beards on men Long hair is about the only style around here on teenage girls and the percentage of short dos increases with each subsequent decade.

Mainelady

Veteran

Where I live, there seems to be a 3 way split amongst the adults. Teens seem to prefer long hair.
My hair has been short a few times. Each time I had a short cut, I loved it, but it’s my hair type it took a LOT of work for it to look good. After a few months of styling my short hair, I inevitably began to grow it out again. As and adult, I have grown my hair very long three times, so I could donate it. Most often I prefer the short side of medium length hair. I like my current bob, but am now considering growing it a little longer with a few layers, so I can pull it up, or back.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I get so sick of the sameness of hair on actresses and in advertising- long, blonde, waved.
And another peeve: magazine stories on “how to style short hair,” but when you look closer it’s all actually shoulder length bobs. Not helpful.

hereforthecake

I am new to this forum, but felt I had to comment on this one.

I have had (and am kind of known for) very short hair. Have been for years, with the exception of about a decade in my 40s.

I have always felt more *powerful* with short hair. I've always viewed woman with short hair as strong and powerful. I have no idea why, but there it is.

Most of the women I work with (20s) have long hair. Most of my friends (50s) have long-ish hair.

The last photo is the longest my hair has ever been.

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Astrid

Veteran

There were a lot more short haired women when I lived in Berlin. Right now most women around me have long or long-ish hair. In my age group (30 this year) almost all women have long hair. I'm definitely the outsider with my pixie cut.

Preppy Pear

Veteran

I have blonde straight fine hair, and I think it looks pretty limp past my shoulders. In the early nineties I begged my mom to let me get my hair cut like Chynna Phillips. Remember her bowl cut? It looked terrible and even worse on me. In reaction I then grew it out long past my waist, Marcia Brady-parted-down-the-middle, also on trend then and also not a good look for me. It took me awhile to realize that shorter cuts with texture and shape worked best for my hair type and face.

I sooo agree with Jessikams - shoulder length bobs are not short! I work with many women in their early twenties through their sixties, and shoulder length or longer hair is definitely winning. I’m in the Dallas area, which leans towards a pretty traditional aesthetic for women.

Also in the 1950s - interesting how fashion and culture emphasized traditional roles and ultra-feminine dress for women, but the hair was still more likely to be short.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Yep I would call shoulder-length bobs mid-length as well, not short. My pixie cut is less versatile but I have accepted that. Sometimes hair ornamentation or a hat can change things up for me.

Carla

Veteran

DS#2 grew his hair in high school and wore it longer than I ever did! When he went short again the tail measured 2 feet! He plays with hairstyles and beard looks all the time.

smittie

Veteran

Hereforthecake: your short ‘do is soooo good on you

If I thought I would look remotely good in short hair, I’d have it.

It would be fun to see short hair come back in style.

Anonymous

DHs hair is actually longer than mine! Its halfway down his back

Sally B

Short hair looks amazing if cut right. Younger women still tend to wear their hair longer but lobs look good if they are layered and textured.

Ginger

Veteran

I've been watching this discussion with some amusement, I admit. It now seems to be the consensus that shoulder length = long. For me, shoulder length = short. Bra strap length is where it starts getting long. My perspective is skewed so I won't share more about my observations!

Molly Mac

Veteran

I had a pixie cut from 1985-2005. I decided to grow my hair out because with two toddlers and a new born I could not keep up the maintenance on a short cut (haircut every 4 weeks to keep it from looking scraggly). When I cut my hair off in high school it was straight. When I let it grow in my 30's it grew in curly. So weird! I have gone up and down in length since 2005 but it has always had to be long enough to put up in a ponytail (even a stubby one held together with bobby pins). It is currently shoulder length and so much easier to deal with; I just wash and go. This was never the case when I had a pixie. Many people think short hair is low maintenance but I found it requires much more work than my current hair style.

Amaranthine

(deleted)