Mainstream Clueless

[Liss]

Out of curiosity, what is actually in fashion for mainstream hair these days?

Considering my hair has rarely been able to fit with mainstream fashion trends in the past, and I've never had the desire to fill it with gunk to get the necessary lift, etc... I've sort of lost track of the styles, tend and colours people out there are paying a fortune for.

For the record, I'm not planning any major chop or overhaul, I'm just curious of what hair 'fashion' actually entails in differnet parts of the world at the moment.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

i heard somewhere that long hair is once again the trend this season. :D

[countryhopper]

The other day on Yahoo news there was an article called "11 hairstyles we're sick of". It included pin-straight hair, angled bobs (like Katie Holmes, actually, there were about 3 different bob pictures on there), loose beach waves, dark hair with blonde on the top, etc, etc.

I could be wrong, but it seems like I see these styles STILL around even now on famous people... so it couldn't really be that bad... right?

[Bunnyhare]

i don't pay attention to fashion so much, but i have noticed lately that on commercials and in catalogs there are alot more people(women) with long hair than there has been in the past few years..perhaps it is coming back in style for turn..

[Masara]

I remember seeing an article saying that braids were in fashion at the moment. Soft loose ones.

But that was a couple of weeks ago, so it could be bright pink one inch hair now.

[Sabayon]

I think longer hair is in, usually no longer than BSL though ;) Curly hair is also in, but that managed curly hair achieved with blowouts and curling irons. This may be a tangent, but I am always shocked when someone who spends an hour washing, conditioning, blow drying and styling their hair every morning says how much trouble really long hair must be, even though long hair updos take five minutes or less.

[Torrin Paige]

On the fashion runways this past season I noticed a LOT of very, very long rope braids. Clearly most (if not all) of these were hair pieces, as we're talking it had to have been classic length at least, but then the Hollywood starlets (the young un's) started sporting soft braids in their hair (some of which were their own, others clearly hair pieces, as the week before they were shoulder length and the braids were BSL). It gives me hope that we'll be back in style again for a little while. Although, I always argue that long hair never goes out of style as there is just so much one can do with it.

[wookermuffin]

Right now at my high school "longer" hair is defintaly in. Most girls have at least APL lenght hair but there are a lot with BSL and waist length hair. While I know some people with shoulder length hair I have only seen two poeple with shorter hair shorter than that and they have chin length hair.

[spidermom]

I went to a function recently and noted that most of the women had hair between shoulder length and APL, layered, with highlights. One woman had a peacock twist, and there were a couple of pixies. And there was me with my matronly ol' bun. Bleh!

[Anywhere]

at my school everyone's getting their hair chopped to shoulder length or shorter right now. :eek:

[girloctopus]

Around here it seems like Bumpits and pin-straight extentions. I went to my friend's bar waiting for him to get off from work and I counted four waitresses with this look. I asked him about it and he said that the girls all just love the Bumpits!

[Lamb]

In magazines (and quite often, on the street), I see a lot of braids, or hair worn down with one section braided.
Among my peers (late 20s-early 30s, grad students or young professional women), short hair is popular. Shoulder length and shorter. There have been 3 major, dramatic chops lately - three women with APL or longer hair have gone either for a very short bob, or super-short pixie. :shrug:
Not a very good environment for my own awkward hair days, that's for sure.

[Liss]

I guess it must be an in-between moment in hair fashion, waiting for some celebrity stylist to find the right actress to decorate for some major blockbuster movie for everyone to start cloning.

So, if mega straight is out, wavy is out, two tone is out, etc... then maybe the long hennaed curly-wurlys will have their moment next!

BSL rope braids - OMG I'm in fashion and didn't even realise it :cheese:

[ericthegreat]

At this point, literally EVERYTHING is in. Long hair, short hair, hair that is perfectly cut and symmetrical, hair that is purposely cut uneven and asymmetrical, and all different kinds of colours and hairstyles imaginable. It really depends on your personal taste.

There are magazines promoting long hair(altho the "acceptable" version of long in mainstream society is between BSL to waist length), magazines promoting hair extensions, all different kinds of colours and different techniques of highlighting, and magazines that promote cutting off all your long hair in favor of a sassy new pixie or bob.

However, even the kind of long hair that is promoted by the beauty industry is very different from the long hair that is promoted here on LHC. The beauty industry's image of the "perfect" head of long hair always consists of cutting in layers. One-length hair is simply "out". Side-swept bangs are also very popular. The kind of updos that are promoted are also quite damaging, it always consists of blowing out your hair straight first so that your hair "lies sleek and smooth". No slicking your hair back with some healthy coconut oil there! Then, your hair is pulled back into a tight high ponytail, and instead of doing it in a braided or bun kind of style, the hair is curled with a hot curling iron, teased somewhat, and then secured into place with hair unfriendly bobby pins and hairspray that is every drying to your hair.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

However, even the kind of long hair that is promoted by the beauty industry is very different from the long hair that is promoted here on LHC. The beauty industry's image of the "perfect" head of long hair always consists of cutting in layers. One-length hair is simply "out".

That's very true, quoted to add that what we perceive as long is very different in their book. When they say long hair, they mean BSL and when they say very long hair, they mean waist. Here, on the other hand, long is waist and very long is knee :D

[GoddesJourney]

I've noticed that a lot of girls have BSL to WL lately around where I live. It's usually straightened with some kind of side bangs.

[redneckprincess]

I actually had a hair dresser tell me the other day (she was helping me match some {75%off} Jessica simpson clip-in extentions) that ALOT of girls are growing out old bleach and highlites to more natural or darker color

[xoxophelia]

I've noticed that a lot of girls have BSL to WL lately around where I live. It's usually straightened with some kind of side bangs.

Same thing here as well. Also a lot of shorter than that layers hair with some type of bang. Definitely straight with a flat iron. I actually rarely see hair that is not flat ironed.

I believe though, that long straight hair like yours will never be out. Or the "romantic" look of waves or curls on long hair. Long hair of all textures is just classic.

[BlueMuse]

Most of the ladies in my neighborhood have chin length hair or shorter it seems, though all of my girl friends in the area (with the exception of one) have waist length hair or longer.

I guess when you think about it, I doubt that the "in" style will ever be really long, all one length. There's just not a lot of money in that. What would the hairdressers do if they didn't have people coming in every month for a trim and a color?

It would be nice to see long hair come back in the older crowd. Most of the ladies that I know that are over 50 have very short hair. Maybe it's just me, but I think ladies look younger and more elegant with long hair.

[melikai]

I actually had a hair dresser tell me the other day (she was helping me match some {75%off} Jessica simpson clip-in extentions) that ALOT of girls are growing out old bleach and highlites to more natural or darker color

I wish this would catch on here! I've never seen so many horrible dye jobs in my life. Either flat, fried dull black dyed or yellow bleached-from-too-dark-too-many-times scraggily haystacks. Even the one person I've seen with VERY long hair (approx knee length) had badly bleached hair. Makes me sad. :(

[Kris Dove]

Long hair is very IN! A lot of people are wearing extensions so it's not all real. Braiding is also in whatever your length- even lace braids along the front of short bobbed hair. Loose asymmetric English braids over one shoulder are in too- so I've started wearing my sleep-style in public! :)

[Twil]

Vogue says Messy Braids!!! And Fuzzed out Curls.

[Roseate]

I've seen lots of braids on the street and in magazines lately- little lace braids with the rest down, messy pigtail braids, rope braids. I like it!

Also heartening to me, I've seen more people walking around here with intentionally big, kinda messy-curly hair... since this is similar to what my hair does naturally, I'm pleased. Maybe people will stop chasing me with their flatirons.

Bangs are still everywhere- side bangs, thick bangs, wispy bangs, all kinda bangs, on all length hair.

[Yozhik]

I stopped to look at a Cosmo the other day, because it advertised "3 tips to get long hair fast" -- so long hair must be in! Their tips, by the way, were olive oil, extensions, and something else I can't remember . . . it was silly, but I found it funny that long hair has apparently become popular enough in mainstream society to warrant front page on an issue of Cosmo.

[Altocumulus]

Really? Good news for me, then!


Vogue says Messy Braids!!! And Fuzzed out Curls.

[funnybunny668]

I keep hearing the "experts" say "embrace your natural texture", but then they show a model with the usual blowdried, flat ironed style. Lately though, I read somewhere that volume is making a comeback, so maybe flat irons are on the way out.

[Bellona]

Figures that I cut my hair from waist length to super short right as it was finally coming into fashion :D

I'm sure it will be back at waist in time for short hair to be in fashion :rolleyes:

I do hope volume, natural color, and braids gain some popularity, though. It would be fun to see that for a change instead of flat ironed and dyed black or blonde (or both) hair!

[ericthegreat]

The point is, whatever you already have naturally is "out of style". You have to radically change what you currently have to something completely different to be "in style".

If you have short hair, they want you to get extensions. If you have long hair, they want you to cut it into a short and sassy pixie or bob. If your a brunette, they want you to become a blond or a redhead. If your already a blond or you've already bleached your hair to blond, then they want you to go darker and become a brunette. Basically, what the beauty industry wants to create for you is a complete makeover.

[Masara]

I've just finished reading an article on how to do an "undone bun". I saw the title and thought "I'm in fashion!! My buns come undone!!" Then I started reading the instructions...

So basically, you need to rough blow dry with mousse, "vigorously" backbrush, do a high bun held with bobby pins, pull out wispy sections and backcomb them "until you've got wispy bits sticking out from all directions" Using velcro is suggested as well.

I think I'll stay unfashionable.

[Lorien]

That's so funny, I never think about these things! Couldn't care less really but it's funny to know whatever people think is cool at any particular time.. Over here hair gets short in summer due to the heat, then everyone wishes they had long hair in winter, hehe..

[myrrhmaiden]

On the ones that look like they're trying to keep up with fashion, I see lots of angled bobs, lots of emo fringe, and plenty of extensions too. I don't see much natural color, or much hair past APL. I'm seeing a lot of light coppery reds too lately...

[Leena7]

I can explain the trends around where I live. Among the college kids in the northeast, most of the girls have hair between APL and Waist length. Some have shoulder length hair or bobs. Most people tend to wear their hair either wavy, or sometimes straightened when they are going out. Ponytails and braids are popular. No one really has extensions. Not many girls dye their hair, but if they do, it's usually something purposely unnatural looking for effect, like bright blonde or purpley red. I feel like most of these trends stem from the lack of money that most college students have. Having long hair requires less trims than having a pixie therefore it is cheaper. Many girls don't wash their hair every day in order to save time also and it is easier to stretch washes if you have long hair.

I really don't think that there are any hairstyles that are terribly not in fashion. The inverted Posh bob may be dying only because so many women copied the hairstyle so now people are sick of it. On celebs and people on the street I literally see every kind of hair style. Waist length hair, layered hair, bobs, pixies, highlights, gray hair, etc...I have seen it all lately. I think natural hair texture is "in" in the fashion world. Lots of fashion models are getting bluish gray highlights for some reason.

The only hairstyles that I think are completely "out" are the mullet and the 80's style puffy hair with the little layers everywhere. I see a lot of the latter and I personally cannot stand that style. Its the style that usually has bangs and tiny 2 inch layers at the crown. The layers get gradually longer down the length of the hair. Ladies then spray the hair until it is all stiff and weird....

[Leena7]

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/archive/hairstyles-beauty/hair-care/0/16

here is the link to the cosmo magazine's hair page from their website if anyone is curious as to the current "trends"

[JenniferNoel]

Trends make me sick to my stomach, in a universe where and when you can be anything, what is so wrong with being/dressing like yourself?
There's just so much pressure (especially in the US) to "fit in", to be accepted, especially for teenagers and younger kids, so much pressure to be like everyone else, to be one with the herd, hence, you walk down the streets of say, Chicago for instance, and few people stand out anymore. Always heavily product-filled hair, outfits more fit for a circus than an every day woman, and many more impractical things.
Who wins when the magazines/ads portray this "perfect" woman with "flawless" skin, no cellulite, shiny/flashy hair, and they tell you what's "cool to wear"?
The companies selling the products to suck away your cellulite, turn your skin in to plastic, cover your hair in chemicals, and provide over-priced clothing.

Rant over. :D
I'm not trying to start any kind of argument or disagreement; it is just a little thing I casually observed over the years.
And in no way am I bashing or trying to persuade anyone who finds these kinds of things appealing.

[maxzeen]

In magazines (and quite often, on the street), I see a lot of braids, or hair worn down with one section braided.
.
I have seen this too. Where they have a section of hair braided and the rest down. It's kind of cute actually :D

[Leena7]

I think in the U.S. there is always a tension between the desire to fit in and the desire to stand out. We all want to fit in in some way, yet at the same time we all want show our individuality.

[bumblebums]

I've just finished reading an article on how to do an "undone bun". I saw the title and thought "I'm in fashion!! My buns come undone!!" Then I started reading the instructions...

So basically, you need to rough blow dry with mousse, "vigorously" backbrush, do a high bun held with bobby pins, pull out wispy sections and backcomb them "until you've got wispy bits sticking out from all directions" Using velcro is suggested as well.

I think I'll stay unfashionable.

Aaargh! That sounds horrible. I'll stay unfashionable, too...

I see a lot of college-age women every day, and they do for the most part have longer hair--at least armpit length. This is strikingly unlike what was popular when I was in college myself--back then (mid-1990's), everyone had a pixie cut or a (gasp!) Rachel.

I sometimes take note of what the waitstaff do with their hair in restaurants that employ struggling actors. On struggling actors, I've been seeing a lot of loose braids, often asymmetrical. And of course milkmaid braids and the ubiquitous elastic hairband bun.

[TiaKitty]

I don't care what's in fashion, as long as it isn't that hideous Kate Gosslin cut!!! The women around here all have spiky back hair with those loooong straight bangs. The bangs are dyed blonde and the tips of the spikes on the head are dyed blonde. At least 10 women at the PTO meeting the other night had the same exact hair. I felt like screaming "Kate Gosslin got hair extensions so she wouldn't look like you!"

I kept to myself, though. And, I refrained from poking anyone in the Bump-It...

[frodolaughs]

I've been noticing more longer hair around here, even some updoes like peacock twists. Of course, last weekend I also saw a flattop fade, a very authentic(?)-looking mullet, a full afro, calf-length dreads, and a little boy with hair suitable for boot camp, so I think it's really anything goes.

TiaKitty--congratulations on your impulse-control, poking anyone in the Bump-It is probably a bad idea... but so tempting!

[Unofficial_Rose]

I've just finished reading an article on how to do an "undone bun". I saw the title and thought "I'm in fashion!! My buns come undone!!" Then I started reading the instructions...

So basically, you need to rough blow dry with mousse, "vigorously" backbrush, do a high bun held with bobby pins, pull out wispy sections and backcomb them "until you've got wispy bits sticking out from all directions" Using velcro is suggested as well.

I think I'll stay unfashionable.

Oh yeah! I saw something the other day about how to get waves. Basically put a shedload of product in and blow-dry it to death. Follow it up with some toasty-hot curling irons. Flip over head, run fingers through. Then spray. :spitting: The natural texture of one's own hair didn't come into play, apparently.

[Liss]

Entirely in the name of research (and nothing to do with the last of the 70% off sales) I decided to hang around a shopping centre or 3 today.

Pleasantly surprised to see quite a lot of long hair around, although it was around BSL at the longest. Loving the hair's natural colour doesn't seem to be the thing to do around here because practically everyone had blond streaks.

Most of the ladies over about 60 had hair to just above shoulders, styled with a natural texture, yet the yonger women were about 90% straight.

Trying not to obviously stare at anyone, there appears to be a lot of people submitting to the straighteners from the waves I could see along the hairline. Almost everyone had layers cut into the hair, the majority were with layers cut into the ends, rather than all the way down the length. In fact, I only saw a handful of younder people with curly hair.

Only one ultra long hair sighting at about tailbone length on a gypsy, very thick hair but I couldn't help cringe that is was in that two-tone style, with the worst blond dye job underneath that I have ever seen. Basically, it was mustard coloured. Although, maybe that was the colour she was trying to achieve.

One pixie cut sighting and only a few women with the old 80s style of 2" cut and permed.

So, from my research I discovered that locally I'm not quite in style until I cut some layers into the ends and blowdry some body into the crown. Since I have no desire to do that ever, I'll just be happy being almost stylish!

[MandyBeth]

At work, it's a lot of above the shoulder cuts and weird long pixies that I think are attempts at the Kate Gosselin horror on wavy hair. Plus, it's either bleach, bleach, bleach - so you get monkey butt orange hair - or it's dye it a weird vaguely greenish dark brown. Some people combine those also. I swear, I work in one of the few places were chin length hair gets "Wow, your hair is long, when are you going to cut it." I just pat my poor hair and go no, I love you too much, I won't do that to you, I'll give you your henna only, ok? Sad part is the "best" non-standard style is the girl who has emm, shoulder almost hair, dyed black and flat ironed, with the bottom half shaved to about 1/2" long and dyed various colors. It wins best not because of condition (because I keep wanting to suggest conditioner....), but because it's not what is everything else.

The other popular style here seems to be the fussy ponytail - either bleach monkey butt orange or that two tone effect. First, hair must be BSL or so. Then, you flatiron the life out of the hair. Then you pull it into the tightest ponytail possible with everything mashed flat on your head. It's quite the look....

For fancy-dos, you take sections of the tail and curl and backcomb till it looks like a rat's nest. I'm not sure of the logic behind flatironing your hair, THEN curling it.

Otherwise, for grocery store visits - it appears that you backcomb the heck out of your hair and spray it stiff. We practice the theory of "The higher the hair, the closer to God" around here apparently.

If you aren't backcombing your hair to look like you stuck a hairball on your head, you chop it all off into a pixie.

I'll just not follow suit, and keep looking at everyone's lovely long hair here, and showing my hair examples of how nicely hair gets treated by normal people :)

[tralalalara]

On my campus, everyone I see seems to either have what I like to call "sporty girl hair" or "teacher hair".

"sporty" = shoulder length to APL. up, but loose, in either a ponytail or bun. as if they've just changed out of their workout clothes before class. Seen most commonly on med/nursing/dental students.

"teacher" = APL to BSL, layered. blow-dried and curled with a 2" iron. Usually has highlights and sometimes lowlights. Seen most commonly on education majors.

[Fiferstone]

Wonder if the great recession is encouraging the trend to longer length hair? People are cutting back and doing without, and that may mean longer intervals between trips to the salon...or just growing out the dang pixie and trying something longer, that doesn't require repeat visits every 3-6 weeks :shrug:?

[MandyBeth]

Hrrmm, not here, tho' we do not run towards the most current of fashions. Here, people are starting to chop their hair off.

While not all hair cuts here are bad - apparently I just keep seeing the $5 cuts. Yipes!

[ArienEllariel]

At work, it's a lot of above the shoulder cuts and weird long pixies that I think are attempts at the Kate Gosselin horror on wavy hair. Plus, it's either bleach, bleach, bleach - so you get monkey butt orange hair - or it's dye it a weird vaguely greenish dark brown. Some people combine those also. I swear, I work in one of the few places were chin length hair gets "Wow, your hair is long, when are you going to cut it." I just pat my poor hair and go no, I love you too much, I won't do that to you, I'll give you your henna only, ok? Sad part is the "best" non-standard style is the girl who has emm, shoulder almost hair, dyed black and flat ironed, with the bottom half shaved to about 1/2" long and dyed various colors. It wins best not because of condition (because I keep wanting to suggest conditioner....), but because it's not what is everything else.

The other popular style here seems to be the fussy ponytail - either bleach monkey butt orange or that two tone effect. First, hair must be BSL or so. Then, you flatiron the life out of the hair. Then you pull it into the tightest ponytail possible with everything mashed flat on your head. It's quite the look....

For fancy-dos, you take sections of the tail and curl and backcomb till it looks like a rat's nest. I'm not sure of the logic behind flatironing your hair, THEN curling it.

Otherwise, for grocery store visits - it appears that you backcomb the heck out of your hair and spray it stiff. We practice the theory of "The higher the hair, the closer to God" around here apparently.

If you aren't backcombing your hair to look like you stuck a hairball on your head, you chop it all off into a pixie.

I'll just not follow suit, and keep looking at everyone's lovely long hair here, and showing my hair examples of how nicely hair gets treated by normal people :)

:spitting:

[Rapunzelwannabe]

Braids and bangs are big on my college campus these days, especially those little braids that get your too-long bangs out of your face and the blunt eyebrow length bangs. Shoulder length hair seems to be the consensus around here too

[Keildra]

Well my neice and all her friends are begging for extensions and she says she going to grow out her hair so I'm thinking long is in, although I brag to her and her friends that my hair is all natural.

[Wicked Princess]

At this point, literally EVERYTHING is in. Long hair, short hair, hair that is perfectly cut and symmetrical, hair that is purposely cut uneven and asymmetrical, and all different kinds of colours and hairstyles imaginable. It really depends on your personal taste.

There are magazines promoting long hair(altho the "acceptable" version of long in mainstream society is between BSL to waist length), magazines promoting hair extensions, all different kinds of colours and different techniques of highlighting, and magazines that promote cutting off all your long hair in favor of a sassy new pixie or bob.

<snip>


I can't agree with this more! :D In the last several years it's fairly rare to have a hairstyle that isn't "in" in some way, or that hasn't been seen on a celebrity. I've seen braids of all sorts (loose, rope, over the shoulder, lace, etc) at some point. The braids that are in this season I saw published in vogue last year. As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, styles that people were "tired" of still make their appearance on celebrities and in magazines.

On people outside of magazines, I normally see people with hair at BSL or higher. Very few people do anything more elaborate than use hair accessories, put it in a braid, or put it in a pony tail. Some of it is colored, some of it is streaked, and some of it is natural, or a color so natural it goes with their skin tone very well.

[MandyBeth]

I don't see the humor in monkey butt orange hair. The poor hair, think of how it feels to be bleached and tortured to that extreme!

Hrmm, I think braids are in here, but apparently they aren't easy to get in one's hair. I will admit to being a failure at French braiding, but I can Dutch braid my own hair easily enough. I managed to get a lace braid that I took all the way around my head, but that looked a little weird - but hey, it was up and it was practice.

The reverse mullet (long in front, spiky in back) remains popular as 3 people came into work on Monday with the same haircut. I'm sorry, if 20 people look like idiots with that hair cut, you will also.

[ravensinger13]

I work occasionally in a pet store located in a small college town, and apparently it's cool to either bleach your hair to death, or dye it black. Not really much in between, but have spotted a few that do both (black on top, blonde on bottom). Not too many super-short hair cuts, mostly between chin and shoulders or a bit longer.

[slz]

I second - third - fourth the emo side swept bangs. The "in" thing here, on males as well as females.

[Ballerina_Boo]

Well if you look at the models on the catwalk right now colour wise its one of two things. A drastic colour change or the models natural colour and mostly quite long. But then a lot of actresses are chopping their hair into the "new bob" which is basically just a long bob and mostly wavy. But pretty much i think healthy long hair will always be in.