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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Shorn

Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself.
~ Hubert de Givenchy, Vogue, July 1985


***

Me (last night) : I was thinking... I know you're not going to believe this [dramatic pause]. I'm bored.
Kat (smiling knowingly) : I was wondering when that was going to happen. So what do you want to do?
Me : I have no idea. You tell me. Just don't make me look like a boy.

***

For the first time in my life (that I can remember), I had finally cultivated what I inwardly called my Signature Style. That means I've had the same haircut (my Louise Brooks) for almost two years. That's the longest I've ever had my hair one way and I finally felt happy that I had found something that really worked for me.

I had embraced my Inner Flapper and it felt good.


Every four weeks or so: Same cut, same color.
Whenever I can manage to make it look the way it's supposed to, I get lots of nice compliments.

***

The haircut made me feel kind of settled, like those older ladies who have their "look" down: their signature fragrance, their classic red lipstick, their pearls. You know, kind of like making yourself your own icon.

Until last night, when I decided that as much as I loved being my own icon--I was super bored. The boredom was casting a little grey pall over me (or supplementing the one I already have from my recent overdosing on political brouhaha) and that was making everything else seem a bit blah, too.

Hair can do that to you.

***

So, because Kat is a genius and knows what to do when you don't even know yourself, she has turned my Inner Flapper into my Inner Gamine.

Shorter, darker and sassier. And with asymetrical bangs so I can do an Audrey Hepburn sweep to the side, a la Roman Holiday. Hey! Audrey cut off all her hair in that movie...maybe that is the subconscious leap right there. Which means that I should be bumping into a Gregory Peck look-alike any moment now!


Woo hoo! This haircut is getting better all the time!

***

When I first thought about sharing my new do with you, I thought I would try to make this into a quasi-educational/philosophical post and do some research into the symbolism of hair and maybe look at some ancient myths and fairy tales, like Rapunzel, where hair is a metaphor of the psyche, and then that just didn't really go anywhere.

I think it's just a haircut. There doesn't always have to be a hidden, deeper meaning, does there?

And I realized that maybe I just wanted to say that Tangobaby's got a new look and now things aren't as blah as they were yesterday.

Sometimes hair will do that to you.

***

ps. If you ever want to read a great book about flappers and the Jazz Age, pick up a copy of Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz

And my favorite book about Louise Brooks, the book that lives on my nightstand, is Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever by Peter Cowie.

Very cool flapper photo from atticfullofclutter. The other one I swiped from wikipedia.

16 comments:

Tess Kincaid September 10, 2008 at 6:47 PM  

Fun, fun! Happy new hair! There's nothing like a great new hair style to make you feel like a million bucks! :D

P September 10, 2008 at 9:08 PM  

Pictures please! I love short hair on women. My head is a huge rectangular block, so I can't pull it off, and that makes me sad.

Roman Holiday is one of my faves. So incredibly charming.

Mtnhighmama September 10, 2008 at 10:54 PM  

Oh! Do please post a picture!

Anonymous September 11, 2008 at 5:26 AM  

I'd love to see a picture :-)

christina September 11, 2008 at 7:34 AM  

I just know you look marvelous! I am at the point where I don't care if I look like a boy! I just want it cut off, all the straightener gone!

I feel the need to be chemical free! Let the curls be curly! Wow, see you have influenced me more! ; )

Wait! This is one of my most fave movies!

We really are good together aren't we? Hee

My Castle in Spain September 11, 2008 at 12:07 PM  

any photo...sweet girl ?
:-)

tangobaby September 11, 2008 at 4:40 PM  

Thank you, everyone! I promise if a decent photo of me can be taken where I am not agonizing over certain features, I will certainly share it.

Thank you for all of the girly enthusiasm! You knew what I was getting at, didn't you?

xoxo

studio wellspring September 11, 2008 at 5:10 PM  

oh yes it IS adorable ~ kat did an excellent in bringing out even more of your natural beauty & charm.

Relyn Lawson September 11, 2008 at 6:16 PM  

Isn't it fun? The way we all get it. The way each woman who reads your blog knows exactly what you mean? And, Kat? I'm sure she'll be fielding phone calls for weeks asking for a new 'do.

Looking forward to that picture.

Elizabeth Brinton September 11, 2008 at 7:34 PM  

Dying for a picture!
I know you look cute.
E

ELK September 11, 2008 at 7:39 PM  

short hair rocks Tango Baby it is sassy and I cannot wait to see a pic of the new do ~ it makes you have a lighter step Yes?!

Anonymous September 11, 2008 at 7:48 PM  

I bet you look amazing!!!

ps~ nice gams!

julochka September 12, 2008 at 7:30 AM  

a hair- and rapunzel-related quote from sara bareilles' fairytale song: "a tall blonde lets out a cry of despair, says, 'woulda cut it myself if i knew men could climb hair.'"

tangobaby September 12, 2008 at 3:27 PM  

Hi ms. wellspring,

I think Kat is my little back-pocket secret angel, and thank you!

Hi relyn,

Yeah, it is great. You guys are great. YOU are great!

And if Kat gets some business too, then I'll be thrilled!

Hi elizabeth, ELK, katie--well, the photo's there, so now you know!

And katie, thanks!

Hi julochka,

I love that quote. How funny! My little sister used to love to tell her own version of the Rapunzel story when she was around three or four. I can still picture her saying,"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, RIP DOWN YOUR HAIR!" And we would all get hysterical.

I think I'll be keeping my hair short. I have one Boy who is already a handful.

Anonymous September 18, 2008 at 9:40 AM  

i think i am one of those 'older ladies', all grown up but i don't have my signature hairstyle down at all. and being my own personal icon... i love that idea. i do think i have that one down even if just on the inside. but what i really wanted to say if how good you are at telling a story! i just kept reading the blurb-like thoughts you had and loved it!
XO

Anonymous September 19, 2008 at 6:17 PM  

Sometimes a hair cut is just a hair cut, TB. Except when it's on you. Then it's an event.

Looking forward to a peek!