Revisiting the hair question - YouLookFab Forum

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Revisiting the hair question

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Ok, as rabbit suggested in my last hair thread, I took a few quick photos with my hair pulled back on one side, just to get a bit of an idea how an asymmetrical mullet-ish look would work on me. My hair would obviously be cut to a better shape if I were to do this, but this gives an idea of how the basic concept might work on me.

You're getting to see why I smile for photographs if I can at all help it. I have serious RBF and the asymmetry in my face (and all of the lovely signs of aging) are extremely apparent when I let my face relax. Yeah, I'm one of those people who look years older when I don't smile. :-/

But i thought you'd get a truer picture of the reality of my face this way. The unsmiling photos will probably self-destruct within the day.

I've been mulling over this change in the back of my head for the last few days, and I realized I am starting to feel like I'm hiding a bit in my longer hair. I have a smallish head and I'm always a little worried about looking like a pinhead if I go back to wearing my hair short (especially since I'm not as small as I used to be -- last time I had short hair I was 10-15 lbs smaller), but I'm tired of making decisions based on what I fear. Time to do something bold.

What do you think? Inspiration pics are 7-8, from Wendy Brandes' blog (thanks for the idea, Anna!).

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31 replies

Latest reply was from Olivegreen

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Of course I love it. I think you need some length on the short side, somewhere between 7 and 8, a bit towards 8.
But yes I'll think you'll rock this.

Kat

Veteran

FAntastic--wow, makes your beautiful eyes really pop. LOVE this for you.

Helena

Veteran

I agree with Kat - your eyes are amazing! I think you can pull this off for sure. Can't wait to see it!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sorry to be a spanner. I'm not feeling the asymmetrical mullet.

FWIW, thinking ahead, it will be hard to maintain with your curls, Janet. The bloggers look is for sleek hair - which your hairdresser can achieve in the salon no problem - but is hard to do at home. Especially in your humid Summers. And how different will this look actually feel from what you have if you don't make it as lopsided?

I feel like I'm spoiling the fun, but I can't be dishonest about it. At the very least I've made you think more about the maintenance of the style post hair salon.

Anonymous

Could you go somewhere in between your photos and Angies suggestion? It's just that I love your hair and don't think for one minute that you are hiding behind it. Take this with a big pinch of salt though, from someone who would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to get a pixie cut...
( I did have a pixie cut a few years ago BTW)

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Interesting, Angie. I have to admit, though, your response confuses me just a little because the examples you posted on my original thread were angled layered bobs with straight hair too. The wave in my hair tends to relax when the layers are longer, so i have found that a little length makes it easier to manage, but I'm curious to know why you think those styles will translate to wavy hair better. The blogger whose photos I posted actually has wavy hair, not dissimilar from mine.

I'm not ruling anything out, and I haven't even made an appointment with the salon yet. My hair guy has known me for over a decade, so I'm sure he will not let me do something that will leave me fighting with my hair.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Apologies for sounding inconsistent, Janet. In my experience with working with clients who have wavy hair similar to yours - the styles I posted are more forgiving of that type of kink (unless they spend time straightening it daily). I haven't seen other pics of the blogger with the great 'do - just these - and her hair looks much straighter than yours - if it's naturally straight? Perhaps it's straightened each morning. You really think she has the same type of hair?

At the end of the day - it's just hair that can grow back - thankfully. I am ALL for taking a risk with our hair. You are right not to rule anything out. Do what feels best in your heart.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

The more I look at it Janet, the more I'm agreeing with Angie. And I also liked some of the looks Marley posted.

Also I really like these for wavy, slightly curly hair:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/270145677622308814/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/270145677622308668/

catgirl

Veteran

I'm not a fan of the mullet - I think it's a poison eye for me, even on the lovely Wendy B. So I'm just popping in to say you are stunning and don't be hard on yourself - we're the same age and you look fantastic!

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

The reason I suggested the asymmetrical mullet is that it was truly different than the variations on the bob.

Heck if Janet doesn't do it, I'm tempted myself.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Lol!

I mean absolutely no disrespect to the bob, but I kind of want something more unexpected, you know? Around here, everyone and her sister has a bob.

Hmm. I welcome all the opinions! It gives me lots of food for thought for when I finally do go to the salon. Thank you for all the candid responses!

catgirl

Veteran

What about an asymmetric cut? The best way to combat perceived asymmetry is with more of it, right?

I'm not dissing the mullet - I'm saying I'm unqualified to vote on it as I have a deep, irrational reaction to it, probably from 80s hair trauma.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Go back to my original assymmetrical short cut suggestion as an option. You would look great with a shorter cut. No pinheads I promise. Will bring out your beautiful eyes.

rabbit

Veteran

It's tough isn't it? I will say for the asymmetrical mullet that I have seen it in action a fair amount, I'm pretty sure most of the hairdressers at my hipster barbershop do or have had it. I've seen it look best on folks with very dense hair (straight or with some wave) which tends towards smoothness/sleekness - as in volume that curves downward in defined sections rather than outward randomly. For example the folks that look good with a strong defined bang (including the super short bang) tend to rock the nu-mullet as well.

It hasn't looked as good to my eyes on thinner or more flyaway longer hair, it tends to be kind of hard to read the shape, and just looks RATE rather than intentional and kind of straggly and thin in the longer parts.

I think that's the advantage of a bob, including an asymmetrical one, the overall shape is easier to read even when your hair decides to be super wavy or flat on a particular day -- it all pretty much works. This is all of course coming from my own perspective of having various layers I couldn't control forever, and then as soon as I lost the length and layers being much happier with my options.

ETA: otoh, going from a nu-mullet to an asymmetrical bob might be fairly easy? The hard part might be getting the framing pieces the right length and to lay right, if the hair-dresser can do that, than losing the back length later if the first look isn't totally working for you might work? But I might be off base, you would have to talk to them. What about just having a consult appointment where you show pictures of your thoughts and get their take?

Peri

Veteran

I think I'm a spanner too. I know we have just been talking about feeling the same angst...softening jaw line is the sweetest way to say it. And the RBF. Yep, I look older, more tired and really kind of depressed unless I'm smiling. And you just can't go around beaming all day long! Hey, we have the right to look B if that fits the mood, don't we. We just don't like it when it is so contrary to the mood.

Anyway, this is the preface to say that I think hair around the jaw line softens said issue. For me, anyway...the longer in front cut is helping me more than I realized it would. So of your inspiration pictures, I like the 7 brushed forward styling better than the 8.

But...that is so similar to what you have now and you want a change. So I'm no help! Sorry. I really like Texstyle's first picture, but I think you want something more edgy?

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I have a poison eye for the asymmetrical, but I can clearly see the value of how much your eyes really do pop styled off to one side.. Looking forward to the final results.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I prefer you with longer hair. Maybe you could do the Demi Moore thing.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I kwym about the bob - I have a love/hate relationship with them. If the mullet is calling then I say go for it. I thought about one briefly but, at my age, I thought people might think I'd kept it

Marley

Veteran

Here's another idea:

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

UmmLila, what's the Demi Moore thing?

Caro in Oz

Veteran

This (I think).

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Gaylene

Veteran

Well, at the end of day, it's just hair. As long as you are OK with transitioning back to something else if you don't like it, then maybe a change is better than just sticking to the tried and true if you are feeling antsy.

For what it's worth I think your current cut is totally gorgeous--worn both wavy and straight. I also understand your pinhead fears because I have a small head and broad shoulders. When I decided to go curly, I let my hairdresser decide on the length. The cut looked great while I was sitting in the chair, but I really didn't like the way it accentuated the difference between my body and my head when I stood up. After trying to tweak the cut several times, I finally gave up and started growing it out. Even though, it's currently at the awkward stage, it's such a relief not to think pinhead every time I glance in the mirror.

I think short hair looks amazing on many women, but I've always thought your hair was a key element in giving you that sophisticated, cool, rock chick look. I'd be sorry to see it go, but, hey, it's only hair--and experimenting with our hair is an inalienable right of being female.

AM

Veteran

Perhaps chin length on one side, collar bone on the other. And the back at the nape of the neck at the back. Shaggy.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I meant loong hair. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....33179.html

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Janet

(website)

Veteran

LOL -- Demi can pull off those extremes. If I were so blessed with that bone structure (and yeah, pretty sure she's had work done too), maybe I could. But that's a lot of hair to deal with every day. I've never let my hair grow longer than a few inches below the shoulder, and that was in my teenage years.

Sal

Veteran

Lol Caro, people thought you had kept the mullet....that really made me giggle!!

Marley

Veteran

Janet - I've been thinking alot about you today - and I've just got to say that I really think you are waaaaay too hard on yourself. I think you look really pretty whether you or smiling or not! And, what is RBF?????

So - back to your hair. That first pic that you posted of yourself in your last hair thread - the one where your stylist blew it out straight - to me, that one looks like the shape is fairly similar to the long mullet that you are thinking about - for what it's worth! Ha!

Also, I didn't realize that Wendy's mullet was assymetrical! I have a hard time wrapping my head around an assymetrical mullet - I think maybe one or the other but not both!

Also, about the bob. There are zillions of different styles and cuts of bobs. Some of them are much more conventional than others. A few years ago the most popular type of bob was the stacked back - at the time I thought it was cool - now I think it looks too much like a helmet. I have explicitly told my hairdresser in no uncertain terms that she is to never cut my hair in that style! She just chuckles, but she knows I'm serious! Take a look at the different types of bobs on pinterest - many of them are soooo cool! Or take a look at Kilie, the blogger of 'One Little Mama' and how she used to style her hair when she had it cut in a bob. ALSO, look how she styles it now - in an assymetrical pixie type of cut! So. Cool. I think you would really rock one of those styles - especially since you have some natural curl in your hair!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Thanks, Marley! You're too sweet. I feel the same way about the stacked bob -- not for me. And yes, actually, you're right -- my last cut was going towards the shag treatment, as we've been experimenting with keeping some length while adding something interesting to the cut with the layering. My hair grows fast too, so the shorter I go, the more maintenance I will need.

I know I'll figure it out with the help of my hair guy. I appreciate all the ideas and feedback here.

Oh, RBF...
http://www.urbandictionary.com.....bitch+face

i think I had it even when I was young. One of my high school teachers -- who I really enjoyed -- thought I was never believing a word he said because he thought I looked so skeptical. My husband regularly thinks I'm ticked off about something when I'm really just deeply considering it.

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