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The hairstyle often referred to as the “boy cut” (basically the shortest of short hairstyles), recently sported by the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Stewart on the red carpet, is often still viewed as “undesirable” or rather “against the norm” for women.
Even the name indicates that it’s not very female friendly.
In my humble opinion, lots of women avoid cutting their hair for fear of being considered less attractive by their boyfriend or husband; or perhaps they think that they might come across too boyish.
To that I say: bollocks.
I had a step - yes the infamous - in pre-school and I cut my hair really short in both Matric and then again (even shorter) in university. Sure, I sported an uneven mini-fringe that looked like it licked my forehead for a while, but the crop itself was super easy to manage and it made me feel very pretty.
I felt so liberated, especially after years of sukkeling with long hair: the constant washing, conditioning, masking, the blow dries, the overpriced high-lights I convinced myself I needed every 2 months and the split ends that would appear but a week after paying R280 for a simple trim. I was done.
The reaction from my peers, my boyfriend and strangers after I made the cut was fantastic. And even though my boyfriend told me much later that my short fringe made me look like Caesar’s doppelganger, I didn’t care.
Yet, I still wonder whether I could pull that same look off again today.
Sure I have an oval face which apparently works with most haircuts; but as far as the media tells me: short crops like that usually only work on those in their early 20s, the very attractive (like models or movie stars) and girls who work in fashion – cause they can “pull it off”.
So not for me then, since I am 30 after bloody all.
As a woman, short hair in your early childhood is seen as normal. Sure your pre-school teacher might confuse you with your playground buddy John every now and again (based on true events), but that’s no biggie.
The only other time I can really think of short hair being “no biggie” on women is when tannies start sporting the cropped ‘do in their early 40s – for most Afrikaans women this style tends to carry them through to their 80s. Dis mos lekker maklik.
Just the other day one of my 30-something male friends asked:
“Why do tannies always have short hair? Is it easier to manage or do they just give up on their appearance at that age?”
He also noted with disdain that a female friend of his, in her early 30s and a recent “boy cut” convert, now looked like a tannie.
It’s subtle ways like this that brainwash women into believing their femininity lies in their tresses. The social norm has always seen women conforming to the beauty standards of their time.
Were we too busy primping our luscious manes in order to attract a man that we failed to stop and consider the alternative? Perhaps.
The bottom line is, in a patriarchal society, where men still rule the roost there is one truth: gentlemen prefer women with long hair. This needs to change. And chopping it off (if you so desire) might be your biggest contribution to changing some fundamentals of mainstream beauty standards.
WIN! A beauty hamper filled with products if you email us some pics of your most embarrassing haircuts!
Follow Marisa Crous on Twitter.
Even the name indicates that it’s not very female friendly.
In my humble opinion, lots of women avoid cutting their hair for fear of being considered less attractive by their boyfriend or husband; or perhaps they think that they might come across too boyish.
To that I say: bollocks.
I had a step - yes the infamous - in pre-school and I cut my hair really short in both Matric and then again (even shorter) in university. Sure, I sported an uneven mini-fringe that looked like it licked my forehead for a while, but the crop itself was super easy to manage and it made me feel very pretty.
I felt so liberated, especially after years of sukkeling with long hair: the constant washing, conditioning, masking, the blow dries, the overpriced high-lights I convinced myself I needed every 2 months and the split ends that would appear but a week after paying R280 for a simple trim. I was done.
The reaction from my peers, my boyfriend and strangers after I made the cut was fantastic. And even though my boyfriend told me much later that my short fringe made me look like Caesar’s doppelganger, I didn’t care.
Yet, I still wonder whether I could pull that same look off again today.
Sure I have an oval face which apparently works with most haircuts; but as far as the media tells me: short crops like that usually only work on those in their early 20s, the very attractive (like models or movie stars) and girls who work in fashion – cause they can “pull it off”.
So not for me then, since I am 30 after bloody all.
As a woman, short hair in your early childhood is seen as normal. Sure your pre-school teacher might confuse you with your playground buddy John every now and again (based on true events), but that’s no biggie.
The only other time I can really think of short hair being “no biggie” on women is when tannies start sporting the cropped ‘do in their early 40s – for most Afrikaans women this style tends to carry them through to their 80s. Dis mos lekker maklik.
Just the other day one of my 30-something male friends asked:
“Why do tannies always have short hair? Is it easier to manage or do they just give up on their appearance at that age?”
He also noted with disdain that a female friend of his, in her early 30s and a recent “boy cut” convert, now looked like a tannie.
It’s subtle ways like this that brainwash women into believing their femininity lies in their tresses. The social norm has always seen women conforming to the beauty standards of their time.
Were we too busy primping our luscious manes in order to attract a man that we failed to stop and consider the alternative? Perhaps.
The bottom line is, in a patriarchal society, where men still rule the roost there is one truth: gentlemen prefer women with long hair. This needs to change. And chopping it off (if you so desire) might be your biggest contribution to changing some fundamentals of mainstream beauty standards.
WIN! A beauty hamper filled with products if you email us some pics of your most embarrassing haircuts!
Follow Marisa Crous on Twitter.
