That's Not My Age has been feeling a bit hair-brained all week. Two things happened that got me thinking about the mid-life, cut-off point for long hair. A friend emailed me a link to a feature in The New York Times entitled, 'Why Can't Middle-Aged Women Have Long Hair?' - I read it and immediately booked a hair cut. Then on Friday night, Mr & Mrs TNMA went to see The Kids Are All Right. Which is brilliant, potentially Oscar-winning and very funny, you should all go see it. Not only did the TKAAR warm the cockles, but it confirmed my theory: middle-aged women look good with both long and short hair. But good-looking long hair really depends upon the quality of the hair - and what you do with it. So you see, Julianne Moore looks amazing with her glossy, sleek, fabulously-coloured hair - even when she's wearing a khaki gardener's hat. But, Annette Bening's choppy, face-framing blonde crop looks equally gorgeous too.
Personally speaking, the older I get, the shorter my hair becomes. And I'm quite happy about that. It looks smarter and is easier to maintain - and the last time I went out with my one long-haired friend, it took her three hours to get ready! That's Not My Age did have really long hair once, about 20 years ago - but these days, I range from collar-length to shoulder-skimming depending on how frequently I drag my lazy ass down to The Hairdressers.
What the experts say
So, yesterday, whilst getting the chop, I took the opportunity to ask Guy the Hairdresser if he thought middle-aged women could wear their hair long. This is what he said:
1. Yes, sometimes. But it depends on the quality of the hair and how it's styled - long grey hair can look amazing if it's properly looked after. Gallery owner, Victoria Miro always looks good...
2. But shorter, lighter or more layered hair can make you look younger.
3. The texture of hair changes as we age and so a decent cut freshens it up. Sometimes longer hair can make you look frumpy. (No photo to accompany this, That's Not My Age doesn't do frumpy)
4. It really does depend on the person. If they've got a good image and smart clothes to start with, then long hair can look fantastic.
Read The New York Times article here, and let me know what you think. Middle-aged women, long or short hair?
Photos
Julianne Moore & Anette Bening: Alliance Films
Victoria Miro: Suki Dhanda
Mariella Frostup: Contact Music
Tilda Swinton: Getty Images
Halle Berry: Wenn
Kristen McMenamy: American Vogue