Femme Economics: Economy Falls, Hair Rises
Last week, I cut off seven inches of my hair and my partner cut hers butch-shorter than I’d ever seen on her. We shocked one another- and neither of us are used to it yet, but we both had a strong urge that ‘œit had to be done’. And then the other day I was watching a news segment on how haircuts get shorter for men in the recession as they strive to look more clean-cut to land (or keep) that scarce job. I began to wonder if the same was true for women.
I thought I was personally just tired of finding random bits of fuzz and food in my long femme mane, but maybe there was something economically subconscious going on.
As the stock market fell in ’29 and a depression fell over our nation, women’s haircuts got very short (and men’s even shorter) and their skirts got longer- though more sleek with less fabric.
I happened to have asked my stylist who works mostly with women how business was doing in the recession. She noticed that business was wonderfully steady, noting that a ‘œfreshening’ haircut would not be something women were not willing to give up in hard financial times. We all know haircuts give us a confidence boost, and these days that’s something most of us could really use.
I’ve seen ridiculous sales for just about everything these days but cheap haircuts has not been one of them. In fact, just one block away from my house, a cute hair salon just opened its doors in a strange corner building which has been vacant for years.
I am buying ‘œnothing new in 2009’, but I’m spending plenty on services and entertainment. I couldn’t give up a new haircut (which can now be fashioned into a fabulous ‘œstepford wife’ flip. I am, however, waiting for my vegetable hair dye to go on sale. Or maybe I’m still trying to decide if it counts as the off-limits ‘œsomething new’ or just falls into the pile of ‘œtoiletries.’ Speaking of hair color; I’ve seen a lot less of the neon punk hair these days in Seattle- is there really a correlation or is it coincidence?
I’ve also come across countless articles on women dying their hair blonde in a recession. Keeping blonde is very expensive, and the fairly short and dumb articles all said it was a confidence and mood booster having to do with attracting males. Do lesbians dye their hair blonde because other women are attracted to it? Have any of you gone blond due to the recession and do you have any insight on any real financial or job implications of dyed blonde hair?
Readers: What is going on with your hair in this recession? Are you growing it to save money on haircuts? Will you dye it less often? Have you changed your hair (taken out piercings, covered tattoos?) to get a job or find one? Please do tell!
Photo credit: stock.xchng.
I’ve cut back on coloring my hair so that I can keep seeing my stylist for haircuts. I used to cut my own hair, but that was back in the days of shaving my head.
I was reading about the recession/short hair thing in a beauty blog. Doesn’t make sense, though, as shorter hair costs more to maintain.
Money is very tight at the moment, and I just called my hairdresser to change my cut and colour appointment to a cut-only appointment (thus saving $$).
I debated postponing the cut altogether, but it’s getting very shaggy, and I will have job interviews soon.
Plus, short hair makes me feel more capable.
Most of my co workers seem to be growing out hair.
My hair is the longest it has ever been my whole life. Let me also say that I have had just about every hairdo there is, thanks to my close hairdresser friends. Now, I am finding new and interesting ways to wear it all the time now. My favorite is what I call a modified Princess Leia hairdo. NO- not the crazy cinnamon buns style! At the end of Star Wars, and in Return of the Jedi, she wears this ponytail that goes into multiple braids, then the braids are looped back around. (Am I a geek girl or what?). When I braid my hair like this, the braids are still a bit too short to loop back around- so I just make lots of braids once my hair is in a pony tail. I have gotten a lot of compliments and copycats. I also have been experimenting with scarves in my ponytail or wrapped around a bun. I noticed the bun wrapped with a scarf style in the movie Working Girl recently (a co-worker of Melanie Griffin’s in a big group scene) and loved it.
I went really short in late August (maybe I sensed the recession??) and now have gone back to coloring my own hair with a nontoxic product. The nice thing is, since it is short, one kit (around $14) can cover 2 colorings.
My stylist has helped me expand the time needed between appointments by going a little shorter than normal with the cut so that I would have more grow out time. She also advised me on how she could tweek my normal cut so that it would look better as it grew out.
Like Serena, I’ve cut back on the color or have gone more natural with the color so that I can continue to get my obscenely expensive haircuts :c)
It does seem people are going shorter- I’ve been hearing here and out in the world that some are tapering down the coloring.My sweetie surprised me again by going fully blonde with her new short hair- she feels better blonde. And after writing this I also found my hair color on sale and went back to my usual very dark brown. Will go slightly lighter again for my wedding in may. To help a new color blend I’ve taken to putting strands or uncolored hair in foil and those become my free lighter highlights.
I use a set of 20 clippers I picked up to tidy up my haircut every two weeks or so. I haven’t paid for a haircut in over two years now, and I have the benefit of cutting my hair however I want. I had always had a hard time finding a stylist who cut my hair well, so this is cheaper and more satisfying.
I’m giving up my ridiculously priced NYC haircut for a barter with a friend. It hasn’t happened yet- but I’ll report on whether or not it was worth it!