Thursday, February 07, 2013

BEAUTY AND SHORT HAIR

The prettiest girl in my class back in the olden days of the late 70s was Amy Fitzpatrick. She had this adorable, short bob, with shiny black hair and a natural white streak just to the side of her face. In fact, when I think about it, most of the pretty girls in my class of 78 at Northville High School had short hair.

I was thinking about this because when I attend events at my kids' high school or when I watch TV shows with teenage girls and young women I almost NEVER see girls with short hair. And that got me thinking about the fact that not only did we have short hair but we didn't really wear much makeup. And we wore overalls, a style I am very thankful to say has not really made much of a come back over the years (although I did think I was adorable in my white painter-pant overalls and YES Andie Conder you WERE adorable in yours too).

Here's a nice example of a cute, short-haired girl who is my age, back in the day. She's Lady Grantham now in case you wondered:



At dinner the other night I mentioned this observation to my two long-haired, well-made up teenage daughters and Lilly said, "So, like what makeup did you wear the day you got married?"

"Mascara," I replied.

"And what else?"

"Just mascara. But I think I used a curling iron," I said, feebly.

This was kind of shocking and a bit hilarious to them both.

"Not even some eyeliner?" Grace asked.

"Nope. Even the girls who did wear 'a lot' of makeup did not wear eyeliner. Just a lot of blue eyeshadow and  lots of lip gloss."

Now-a-days even the youngest teen girls (not all, but many) have a working knowledge of eyeliner.

And then there is all that hair. Long hair was still popular too in my day but not tons and tons and tons of it. Extensions had not been invented so except for the odd slightly freaky girl who was going for the Crystal Gayle look (below) hair didn't go much past the shoulders.



I noticed that cute little Hayden Panettiere on "Nashville" plays a character who routinely wears her hair in three different lengths--her own (I assume), her longer going-out-in-public extensions, and then her even longer performing-on stage-extensions.

When she wears them at her longest, especially given she is petite, she kind of looks like Cousin It. Actually, so does her co-star, Connie Britton. That is a lot of hair between the two of them. You could coif half of St. Jude's with those extensions.



I believe you are always attracted to the look that was in when you came of age. That is probably why I still find boys with feathered hair kind of foxy. Like Shaun Cassidy. Just kidding, NO ONE has that hair anymore. By the way, do yourself a favor and DO NOT GOOGLE what he looks like now.


And why I think the most beautiful women in Hollywood are Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway (with short hair), and Heath Ledgers girlfriend.

This short hair, no makeup thing was really only a "thing" for a short time and if you look back at the past century really was the only time it was in for women to dress like ten-year-old boys.

Come to think of it, this also explains why I had no idea what a Lesbian looked like until well into my 30s because we all looked like Lesbians.

I'm not saying one way is better or not. I enjoyed the low-pressure almost non-existent grooming days (don't get me started on teeth whitening and body-hair removal) when I was a teen and in college but on the other hand, I kind of wish I had worn a little makeup and not sported a mullet in my wedding photos.

How about you? What look is still adorable to you because it was "in" even though it is most decidedly "out"? And what looks kind of ridiculous but is very "in" right now?

11 comments:

  1. I never liked anything much that was 'in'.

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  2. I tried very hard to have a Dorothy Hamill haircut. The problem was? I had CURLY hair. and no 'product' to form the hair the way the cut was intended. For the past 2 years, I grew my hair from a short pixie cut. With a daughter getting married in September, I thought perhaps I could also sport an 'up-do' at the wedding. Last month, I cried 'Uncle'! I allowed my hairdresser to chop it off. I've never had so many hair compliments in my life! (I must have looked realllly bad for the past couple of years)
    I did wear makeup in high school and college. I didn't wear it WELL, however. Always the wrong shade of foundation and cheapo eye shadows that creased and wore off as soon as the disco ball was turned on.
    Getting 'dressed' to go out in college meant- a clean pair of jeans, a white turtleneck and a monogrammed 'Fair Isle' wool sweater. We'd stand around in smoky bars for hours, then hang those sweaters in the window to air 'em out. I don't ever remember seeing cleavage on ANY girls. And skirts ABOVE the knees? nope.

    What's still adorable to me? A girl who ties a bandana around her head like a handkerchief. I did it at least once a week to cover dirty hair. What's ridiculous now...even though it's 'in'? face piercings and tattoos on the neck. oh, and those silly looking fuschia colored hair strands.

    PS...I 'created' the makeup look for my wedding day. It was the same stuff I always wore...just more of it. Also, one of my bridesmaids informed me that I needed color on my lips- instead of my Strawberry Lip Smackers. She followed me around all day with a hideous shade of pink- reapplied at her will. Lovely.

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    1. Ha, ha thanks for sharing all of that! I of course remember your curly Dorothy Hamill because that is what you had the fabulous summer of Europe! And it was cute because you were/are cute!

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  3. Several thoughts: I remember Amy Fitzpatrick well, and agree she was so cute (in a late 1970s way). Amys notice each other, and Amy Armstrong and I, I think, bemoaned the lovely hair of Amy F. As an older adult (after about 50), I decided that fairly short hair was just easier and thus the best for me. Lately, I've been growing it back out and I'm getting SUCH compliments that I'll have to go with shoulder-length for a while, maybe always. But I did like sticking my head under the tap, towel-drying and being ready to go in minutes. (Can you tell I'm lazy?)

    Money quote: "You could coif half of St. Jude's with those extensions."

    Of course I HAD to google Shawn Cassidy to see what he looks like now--not that bad. The young SC reminds me of Justin Bieber a bit. But google Sean Cassidy (different spelling, because I didn't know the celeb's spelling)--a huge number of beefcake shots. Just FYI. I was more of a David Cassidy fan myself.

    Makeup: I would say at least half, maybe more, of our highschool class didn't wear makeup on a regular basis, and those that did--just as you say, lip gloss and cheapo eye shadow. And blush. For my wedding, I took a coupon I got from a wedding-planning gift-bag and used it the day of to get makeup done at the mall. (Their idea was to come try out a look with the coupon, then pay to come back on the big day. I was way too nonchalant and cheap for that.) But I got compliments on my makeup that made me feel that everyone thought I was totally ugly the rest of the time. For a brief while, I did makeup regularly, but then I got bored or valued my morning time too much. I too am STUNNED at the expertly applied makeup of tweens/teens, and am thus very relieved not to have given birth to a girl.

    I too tried a Dorothy Hamill that was wavy/curly and thus not very flattering. That's what I seem to have in my senior picture, actually. And I totally agree that we still find attractive the look that was in when we were that age. Exactly like music tastes I think. Of course, I do wish overalls for girls had never been acceptable attire, and if I find a photo of myself in them (from high school) it will be burned up before the minute is up.

    THANKS for this trip down memory lane!

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  4. My sisters and I had that scraggly long, straight hair in high school. I first had mine cut after college and have worn it short since. It is easier, lighter and more like the real me.

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  7. Glad to know my painter pants are embedded in history. I had to sneak them out of the house and change into them at school. As for what looks ridiculous?.....the huge Lady Gaga shoes many are wearing. I have tried them on and found they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. So, I sell them on my web site and they are helping me to put 4 kids thru college. Sometimes, ridiculous is good!
    PS. Shaun Cassidy ROCKS!

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  8. Oh gosh yes, the HIGH HEELS! I did not even address that one. I stil cannot wear anything higher than 2". The GaGa shoes are COMFORTABLE? Really? Hmmm.

    Yes, you and your short hair and your overalls...dang cute. Actually we were all pretty cute because we were YOUNG!

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  9. Although short(ish) hair DOES look good on you, Judy. There are exceptions.

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