Stefania and I receive a lot of interesting products to review. One of the most intriguing was a book called How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp. I've never had so many guests walk in, pick up a book and read it cover to cover while the ice melted in their drinks. And that's including the couple of times Chief and I had porn on the coffee table. (It was the vintage kind, with real boobs and hipster appeal, but still, naked ladies!)
Charla has a slightly more traditional approach to "age appropriate" than we do here -- if you love black fishnets and torn jeans, then Stefania and I believe that's what you should wear. And we take our clip-in hair extensions off to the gals who can still shop in the junior section!
However, we do agree with one of Charla's rules, that a grown up lady needs a good haircut. If you have long, religious-fanatic hair, like Crystal Gayle or romance novelist (and a total idol of mine) Johanna Lindsey, then you must Cut That Shit Off.
Waist-length -- or longer -- hair on anyone over the age of 15 just looks odd, unless you're the bound concubine of Duke Leto Atreides.
That's right. From Dune. In other words, none of you reading this right now. Snip-snip!
Look, the hair shaft gets thinner as you age, and more brittle. No matter how much conditioner you use, or how many horse vitamins you take, as your hair gets longer it gets duller, and split ends are inevitable. Plus, a quick (but harrowing) ride on the 1 California bus in San Francisco will prove to you that women do experience pattern baldness in their later years.
It doesn't have to be an $800 visit to the Vidal Sassoon salon, but if you want to keep your looks, you need a relationship with a hairstylist. Think shape, think grooming, think "not looking like a crazy old hippie."
The Cut That Shit Off rule also applies to Gents With Grey Beards. Dear Sirs: do not bother buying boxes of beard dye, just shave. Sure, Sean Connery looks good with a salt and pepper lip caterpillar. But he's James Bond. Most of you are not. Accept it and pass the Barbasol.
- Cat/BadKitty
Exactly.
Now I'm wondering where you stand on (now don't get defensive, ladies) when it's time to stop bleaching one's hair blonde. In nature, blonde doesn't last long, as we can see by the far fewer number of older blonde men (who are less likely to color their hair). Down in SoCal, lots and lots of women bleach well into their 60s, and frankly...it looks not so good. Even in the 50s, I think it's hard to pull off. It makes me think of the woman who let their hair grow long. So...what say you?
Posted by: dgm | 04/08/2009 at 05:49 AM
I say if you're going to color your hair -- and this is true for blonde, pink or black hair -- get it done by a pro.
As reality show contestant once said, "Did it in the kitchen, quit yer bitchin'!"
If you use a box from Walgreens, eventually you will have dry, brittle, and mono-color hair. Blonde is especially difficult to do at home because done right, with toner, it's a multi-step process.
So my ruling is this: if you are "older" and want blonde hair, yay you. Now go pay someone who went to beauty school $200 to do it right.
Posted by: cat/bad kitty | 04/08/2009 at 07:03 AM
Is it wrong to just let your hair go grey? Somehow I think I have earned them :-)
Posted by: LizP | 04/08/2009 at 04:32 PM
Liz, grey is fine, especially if it's a choice between that or box color. The important thing is the cut and the care. Condition-condition-condition!
Posted by: cat/bad kitty | 04/08/2009 at 05:40 PM
I suddenly feel the urge to defend my long locks (which btw are really long). It was either cut off 8 inches or let it grow a couple more and donate it to Locks of Love. Seriously though, I can't wait until this summer when I chop a chunk of it off and have short(er) hair again.
Posted by: Robyn | 04/09/2009 at 09:42 AM
OMG, Robyn, you have PRETTY hair. That is HEALTHY and CARED FOR. And STYLED!
If all long hair ladies were classy like you, I wouldn't have had to write this post.
And you rock for doing Locks of Love!!!!
Posted by: cat/bad kitty | 04/09/2009 at 09:47 AM
A couple years ago, I told a friend in her late 50s that I was torn between growing my hair out, and cutting it short.
She said, "You'll have short hair when you're old, grow it out!"
So I did. When I told her about this the next year, she'd forgotten the conversation, and just wanted to know: are you happy with it?
And yes, I am!
Now, granted, I'm only 32, and I still get carded more than half the time at the grocery store, so, I've got awhile before these rules apply!
I do have a *great* layered haircut, and professional highlights, too, so I've got that goin' for me.
I'll check back in with you ladiez on this issue in a few or several years to see how we're all doing! :P
Posted by: Al_Pal | 04/09/2009 at 04:37 PM
My hairdresser understands my desire to be like Caroline K-S because (a) my hair is thick (b) I'm lazy and have a hard time spending more than 15 minutes on drying/styling my hair and (c) she is prettier than similarly "tressed" cousin Maria (no offense)
Posted by: Sharon Castellanos | 04/12/2009 at 04:15 PM
"...unless you're the bound concubine of Duke Leto Atreides"
I TOTALLY got the reference.
Your pal (and science fiction geek)
Gunfighter
Posted by: Gunfighter | 09/04/2009 at 10:04 AM