Journal

Hair Forecast: New Lengths

Hair Forecast: New Lengths

There’s perhaps no bigger toss-up in the hair world than the battle between long vs short. Are you a fringe and bob kind of girl or one for center-parted, elbow-reaching hair? There’s a common assumption that shorter ’dos are opted for by the braver, more daring individual, whereas long tresses are all about femininity, acting as a bit of a safety blanket we can hide under. With a bob, everything’s on show.

We’re not ones to slip into stereotypes, which is why we’re pleased that long hair is shaking off it’s ‘boring’ connotations and proving that there’s no beating a classic. Although length can come in various shapes and forms, we’re less concerned with the over-styled long look, and much more interested with fuss-free, natural hair - left loose to hang low down the back with zero need for extra flounce. Think a young Sofia Coppola or Grace Coddington’s mane of red frizz.

Image: Oyster Magazine
Image: Oyster Magazine

Writer and critic Leandra Medine recently asked the question “Is Long Hair Back?” on her popular site Man Repeller, admitting that she’s recently grown her hair back long and is relishing in it. “For a long time, I think, having long hair made me feel too girly - delicate, flimsy, not serious or something.”

Leandra’s train of thought is definitely a common one - and probably largely the reason behind those badly thought-through ‘impulse haircuts’ we’ve all had at one point or another. In the media, long hair is associated with every corner of culture - from red carpet stars to reality TV show characters, it’s the go-to for easy, glossy, traditional girly-ness.

Image: Zeit Magazine
Image: Zeit Magazine

Although this is a look that will never completely disappear, we believe there’s more to long hair than this outdated assumption. From ancient mythology to catwalk interpretations, long hair is often a symbol of power and strength.

Whether it’s Samson in the Bible drawing all his strength from his long mane, or actress and artist Jemima Kirke in full earth-mother-mode, with a fuss free mop of hair lying untouched and reaching great lengths – there’s something about long hair which is imposing, acting as a natural extension of the individual, rather than an accessory.

Unaffected by trends and taking its inspiration from nature, the long-haired look fits our ethos at Glasshouse down to a tee. We’ve been offering our thoughts recently on the current ‘back-to-basics’ mentality sweeping hair and beauty, and this style is probably as stripped back as they come. It’s hair that revels in its non-show-y-ness, but still manages to make (arguably more of) an impact than you’d expect from a style so simple.

Leandra hits the nail on the head when describing how growing her hair has given her a new persona, “Lately I’ve been wearing a lot of men’s suiting with thick, gold hoop earrings. I feel like an Italian woman who closes deals at lunchtime. It feels pretty awesome.”

Whether you feel like a deal-breaking Italian or an earth-loving purist, long hair has far more hidden dimensions than you may have thought. If you’re um-ing and ah-ing over a drastic chop for fear of looking predictable, we say think again - long hair is far from dead.

Image: Refinery 29
Image: Refinery 29

Words: Lucy Vincent
Cover image: Hunger Magazine