Conquering A Fear

To most people, getting a hair cut is really no big deal. In fact, it's a regular occurrence. A trim, a change of style, a fresh look...all normal and everyday.

For me, the thought of an accidental hair cut used to be nightmare inducing. It sounds ridiculous and pathetic, I know, but I had invested a great deal of time and love into my hair. Allow me to explain.

Up until the age of 12, I always had very short hair, for a variety of reasons including sports and my mother. However, the last major hair cut I had was when I was 12 and I chopped it back to a cute pixie cut. After that, I personally took control of my hair and decided I was growing it out. I had always dreamed of having long hair so now it was time to make it happen.

When I started, there wasn't really a plan other than to grow it out but the scheme soon became that I would grow my hair to my knees...if I could. Not everyone can grow hair that long because of genetics or whatever. Seems I could, though, because it hit knee length a few years ago and I kept it there. So you can see what I mean by the amount of time invested.

I had done what I set out to do and I enjoyed the attention and notoriety it gave me. Eventually, though, I found myself beginning to get frustrated with it. I didn't wear it down much, because it got caught on things and was physically longer than most skirts I owned. I began talking of cutting it a bit, make it healthier and easier to handle. It took a long time to actually happen though because I had to face my haircut issue and what people would think, would I miss it or the attention it attracted? Would I regret it as soon as it was done?

I finally cut close to 12 inches off of it in September 08 when I was home visiting family. I got pics of it at full length, first, and all through the actual cutting stage. Kept the hair cut off! Afterward...I was glad I did it! It felt good, lighter, clean ends and it WAS easier to deal with! What a relief.

Now, nearly a year and a half later, I found myself thinking along the same lines again. It had grown about 3-4 inches in the time and felt unwieldy again. Plus, I saw a video of myself from the back. Never realized until then how ODD having a braid that long could actually look. So the process began again, the contemplation, the opinion seeking and the second guessing. Until tonight.

A couple hours ago, without fan fair or record, I marked the new length I wanted, tied it off and then had M take the scissors to it. Gone, in seconds! Just 9 slices of the shears and it was off. I laughed right after...part adrenaline, part shock and disbelief. Was I going to panic? Was the regret going to set in?

Have washed my hair, brushed it out and admired the new length. And I have decided I like it! It feels SO good and clean and light! I can wear a normal ponytail for the first time in YEARS! Waist length is where I will keep it from now on...long enough to be unusual and do things with it, but short enough to easily look after.

I'm happy and no longer dread having to consider going to the hairdresser's for a trim. Why didn't I do this sooner? :)

I Fear For The Future!

Okay, maybe the title is a TAD dramatic but you'll understand what I mean in a minute.

I just got through flipping through the latest Shop Til You Drop magazine that I picked up with the groceries this evening.  Now, it's not a high fashion magazine but it's usually a good one to look through to get a run down of current trends, places to look for neat bits and pieces, how to put certain outfits together and sometimes a different point of view on the fashion industry.  It's an overall okay mag for someone with a limited amount of time.

So, I decided to give the current one a quick flip through, to see what catches my eye in case I want a new outfit for the upcoming Christmas parties, or just because, and was horrified by what I found.  Yes, horrified, terrified and wanting to stick my head under a pillow and forget...pretend it was all a bad dream.

I weep for anyone trying to buy clothes for the next season, for those that decide they love the new trends and hop on board this particular fashion train because it's really nothing but the worst kind of TRAIN WRECK.  The styles are pulling up some of the WORST trends of the 80's and combining them with the most ludicrous colors and stylings.  The only people who MIGHT (and that is a big maybe) be able to pull these looks off are stick thin Glamazons with more money than Gates and who probably belong on the catwalks themselves.

I mean, seriously?  Poofy but structured Tulip skirts (which we all know were really a bubble skirt in it's past life) and floppy wannabe blazers with scalloped edges?  The ruffle trend could be fun if done right but most of the dresses I saw had strategically places ruffles intended to draw the eye to the parts of the body most normally built females would really prefer to pretend don't exist.  And high waisted short shorts?  Did somebody forget that shorts aren't the most flattering garements to begin with?  Pulling the waist up to your bra strap and cutting the legs off at your groin REALLY isn't going to help any. *headdesk*

I have a funny feeling I'm going to be relying on my in-closet staples spread out with very selective online purchases from places where sanity still reigns and combining that with garments coming from my very own sewing machine.  You know, ones that fit and flatter me rather than make me look like a balloon float that got lost on it's way to the Macy's Parade. *rolls eyes*

Oh yes, and then there is the final thing.  You know how 'they' like to say Green is the new Black and all that crud?  The color of the season, for both garments and  makeup...is orange.  Ranging from peach to pumpkin, it's the trendy color.  And it makes my want to vomit.  One of the hardest colors to match to most people, it's also just plain hideous under normal circumstances unless you're going to a Halloween party.  Does that sound a bit too narky? I know I really hate the color, personally, but come on!  It's ORANGE!  McDonald's uses orange in everything they make because it's supposedly the most psychologically neutral color and one that spans all socio-economic groups.  It does that because everyone agrees it's a gross color!!

Alright, rant over.  I'm going to go through my fabric and pattern stashes and decide what I'M going to be wearing for the next 6 months because I get the feeling that I really won't be buying anything new anytime soon.

X-posting to LJ