I love your waves, but I agree that *this* cut is looking best in the slightly wavy (not entirely straight) version to me. If you're looking to have an easier time on a daily basis, would you consider getting a new cut just for the waves?

Though if rocker hair is what you're after, I do think you're already there, au naturel. A cut specifically for wavy hair may not be messy enough, I fear --- this looks a lot more careless, daredevil-ish to me, to let the existing cut get overshadowed by the curl.

Wow, great feedback and ideas! It's really nice to see some validation for my recent embracing of the waves. I agree that a more dramatic cut could make the curly treatment more edgy -- I pinned a photo on Pinterest that is a bit shorter in back but long in front. I'm not sure whether it would work on me. I like having something over my forehead so I like bangs (I have a lot of lines in my forehead and no desire to Botox), but guess longer side swept bangs would mostly hide that too.

Funny that Angie and I associate straight hair with rock'n'roll style more than curly. I see Mo's long waves as more romantic too! But I did pin a couple of photos with a bit more edgy feel to a wavy style, so I'll be thinking about this more as I head into my next hair appointment. My stylist is great to work with, so I'm sure he'll steer me in the right direction too.

Marley, I'm intrigued with the idea of a long-term straightening process, and I was going to ask the same thing Elisabeth asked. I wonder if I should try something like that before Christmas so my hair will be straight for the Hawaiian vacation...

In the meantime, I think I'll keep up what I've been doing, alternating straight and curly depending on my mood. It's just so funny to me that I'm starting to like the curls, rather than just tolerate them, for the first time in 30-something years!

(I still think I was traumatized for decades by the girl in my fouth grade class who used to torment me by yanking on my hair and saying "boing boing" -- oddly enough, she friended me on Facebook last year.)

Hey, was just checking out Karla of Karlascloset and thought of you because her current hair is wavy and so pretty!

http://www.karlascloset.com/20.....owers.html

Oooohhhh! I love that style. That's exactly what I want for MY hair ( which is also curly/wavy/unruly.

I'm starting to see wavy/curly hair as edgy now for the first time in *decades*. I love your waves, WITH your current cut. I think it's perfect. If I could get my hair to do that I would (actually I'm trying to grow it a bit longer so maybe I'll try again in summer). I think you look very tough and cool, not at all "cute and cuddly" --sorry to disagree Angie! Especially with the style provided by your modern and edgy wardrobe. I absolutely love the waves!!!! Just wanted to be clear about that, lol.

I think you have beautiful features and can pull off almost any hairstyle. Having said that, I really love the softness of the curls on you.

Thanks again to everyone weighing in! This is so interesting to me, how there is no clear consensus -- I think we all have certain associations with straight vs curly vs wavy hair, and I seem to remember an article or essay about how women with straight, sleek hair are taken more seriously than women with more unruly styles. Fortunately, I'm an artist and don't have to worry about that so much.

Strange to say, I'm actually feeling a bit sexier with the wavy unruly thing going on. This is not exactly a primary goal of my style, but I'm finding it interesting. This is something I usually find when I make a significant change in my hair -- when I've gone significantly darker in color or had a dramatic cut, for instance. I suppose I thrive on changing things up from time to time!

Thanks for all the feedback. Una, I love Karla's hair! I have noted it before as a possible inspiration, and I think it's very similar in texture to mine. If only I had her youth and body too.

Janet, I sympathize. I love your hair curly, and I tend to lean toward the "don't fight what you've got" camp. I think your natural hair looks artistic and sexy and interesting. But I totally get the desire for straight hair!

I know exactly what you mean about the perception of straight hair being more polished. I feel that too, sometimes, but I have very curly hair and don't have the patience to straighten it daily. I love it when I get it straightened for a special occasion, but there's no way I could do it every day. (I also love Karla's hair - but have to remind myself that I've got several decades on her, so even if I go short again, I'm never going to look like her!)

I second looking into a thermal straightening treatment. I know several people who've done it and they've loved it. (Of course, go to someone who's experienced with it.) It's expensive, but if you crave straight hair, I think it makes sense!

I've been growing mine out for almost a year and it's past my shoulders at this point - so naturally I'm longing to cut it now. The older I get, the less complicated I want things to be. (If I can't get sophistication from straight hair, maybe I can get it from a curly bob?)

I've been going through this dilemma as well! But I love a good 1960's 'do, and cannot pull off rocker AT ALL. I like my hair curly because I think it suits my face and my body type the best....but it's just too much work so instead I've got a cut that tends to be easy to work volume into but still be straight or at least good with just my natural wave.

Personally, I think your face shape, body, and personal style are better suited to the straight style, but you can probably find a new (shorter?) style that would work with your natural wave and still be funky and cool.

Janet, your hair looks amazing in its natural state. This is so timely for me as I've been having a real inner dilemma with my hair and after a hair-raising Thanksgiving where I received unsolicited and very strong comments of opinion to cut my hair as I was growing it out, I can understand how personal this can be. (That's why I haven't posted WIWs lately as I've been so bummed with the way I look.)

I recall a hair stylist, long ago, saying that if you have curly hair, embrace it, and if you have, stick straight hair, to embrace it, and to cut it according to your natural design. Why "perm" hair that is straight and why "straighten" hair that has a natural curl? It makes no sense. Let's love our locks!

These photos of you are beautiful, especially the close-ups and I am on Team Curl for you and think you should go natural and love it. Rock 'n' Roll embraces it all, my love!

Being a devotee of Japanese straightening, I'm hardly an unbiased observer. That said, my kneejerk reaction to your straighter look was more rock and roll. And then I looked at your curly/wavy look and the first thing that came to mind was Rene Russo in The Thomas Crowne Affair. Which, IMO, is a smoking hot look:)

Janet, I really love the way your hair looks in the curly photos you posted. I think it looks great styled straighter too but I think I might like the curls even more! I struggle with the same thing and usually go for an in between look using a large barrel curling iron to smooth and "straighten" slightly. I find that good leave in conditioner is wonderful for helping me keep it in order. But you mentioned Hawaii and I remembered when we went to Mexico one year and the humidity mixed with my curls was like "Wow - that's CURLY". lol.