I was digging the short hairdos at MTV’s Video Music Awards last night. Of course, Pink has been a devotee of short hair for years.
Pink. Photo from BellaSugar. Click for source.
But she had more company than usual at the VMAs. Miley Cyrus went short last month, and her hair looked great glammed up for the event.
Miley’s hair looked a lot like Pink’s. Photo from Huffington Post. Click for source.
I’ve adored many of Rihanna’s long-haired looks — especially the long, Raggedy-Ann-red braid she wore in May — but she’s equally gorgeous with her new pixie cut.
My 4 1/2″ Cleopatra earrings would have looked fabulous on her. Photo from Huffington Post. Click for source.
These haircuts — combined with the recent trend for high-fashion sneakers — made me wonder if we’re going to break away from the sexpot-with-extensions look that’s been around so long. The styles definitely gave me happy flashbacks to the ultimate pop-star rebel, Madonna, who had short hair in 1986 (her “Papa Don’t Preach” video) and 1993 (“Rain”).
Through most of the ’80s and ’90s, I had very short hair too.
My pixie ‘do in 1992. I was already a fan of red lipstick! Click for my original post of this picture.
I always felt bad-ass with short hair because it bothered people, especially men. For years, guys asked me why I had short hair and when I would be growing it out. My red lipstick got similar reactions — dudes told me it was “intimidating.” I still like styles that somehow say “fuck you” to everyone’s expectations. Sometimes I express that literally …
My sterling-silver swear rings. Click to purchase.
My “Shut the Fuck Up” necklace. Wish I had this during my short hair days. Click to purchase.
… but most of the time it’s more subtle. It definitely affects all the jewelry I design. For instance, I started working with yellow gold specifically because white gold was more popular at the time. I also make some unusually heavy jewelry because it’s fun to see people’s shocked expressions when they learn what an ounce (or more) of gold feels like in a ring.
My one-of-a-kind 18K gold Nuit ring has a 33-carat blue topaz set in more than an ounce of gold. Click to purchase.
Other pieces open and close; swivel; whistle; or do tricks.
You can pull the silver stake out of this gold heart ring. Click to purchase at Broken English.
See? The stake comes out.
My urge to defy shows up in my wardrobe too. When I worked in conservative environments, I was always a little too fashion-y. (Usually that only took red lipstick and heels but I threw in the occasional scandalous suit.) Now that my job means I spend time with a fashion-conscious crowd, I gravitate toward jeans and a black t-shirt. And when I expect to be surrounded by little black dresses or goddess gowns, I favor LOL-worthy clothes.
My vintage dollar-print dress in 2010. Click for original post.
Vintage Moschino dress in 2010. Click for previous post.
Giant butt bow in 2007. Click for original post.
My leopard Patrick Kelly dress became one of my favorites just because it made a magazine say, “Mee-ouch.”
I’ve probably posted this 100 times. I need to get on another worst-dressed list so that I can retire this photo!
As for my hair, I’m at an age where short hair is more acceptable. That means I prefer to wear it longer than I did when I was a kid. Hmmm. Have I finally come up with an answer for the perennial “describe your personal style” interview question? Maybe I’ll model it after the motto of one of my favorite historical ladies, Elizabeth I. She chose “Semper Eadem” — Latin for “Always the Same.” What’s the Latin for “Always a Little Wrong”?
UPDATED TO ADD: I meant to mention that Alicia Keys was one of the short-haired wimmins of the VMAs. She cut her hair in July and showed it off on Instagram.
A bold move for a singer who was well-known for her long, beaded braids!
UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD: People Magazine just did an interview with Pink in which the singer said she’d been trying to grow out her hair for years and would love to try a “ballerina bun.” Don’t blame her! Super-short hair is easy to style in the morning, but scheduling the haircuts needed to maintain it is a bitch!
I’ve always loved Pink’s hair. Great photo of you in your pixie hair. I bet you still have that jacket!
You bet correctly, Sulky! Why haven’t you blogged lately? Is the lack of opposable thumbs getting you down? Too hard to type?
I’m totally in love with Miley’s hair. I think it was a smart move on her part!
It really separates her from her Hannah Montana days!
Short hair — as seen here — is so sexy! Love your pixie too, and your Personal Style Motto. Better trademark it!
I’m ready to trademark ANYTHING these days! LOL.
Well you know I have a “fuck you” attitude about my hair, always have. Even when I used to get rocks and bottles thrown at me for being “different” in the late 70s — only made me go more extreme. Fuck them! And yeah I have to laugh, I’m at the same point — I’m “supposed” to go shorter, but I’m growing mine out and want it back waist length like it was 10 years ago when I also “should have” gone shorter! WTF I’m getting more rebellious as I get older? Ha! I guess that’s one constant in my life, being a rebel, so maybe I should adopt Elizabeth I’s motto? Nah, no fun, I reserve the right to change my mind at any given second! XXX Suzanne
I love your hair and your overall attitude!
I love this quote: “Short hair removes obvious feminity and replaces it with style.”
I’d tattoo that to my forehead if I weren’t so scared of needles. Oh, and if it went with my outfit. Heh.
OMG! I wish I had said that! That was exactly how I felt during my short-haired days. Hmmm. I need to add a photo of you with the Cleopatra earrings on to this post…
So funny, I read this post and thought (while admiring my short hair, of course), “What can I wear tomorrow so that I can also wear the Cleopatras?” Ha!
I cut my hair short a few years ago and I was surprised at how many guys at my job felt free to tell me they disliked it. I have curly hair. It looks great short. Kiss my buns, haters!!
I’m always amazed that people think it’s appropriate to say shit like that! You need my STFU necklace 😀
I don’t think I can ever bring myself to chop off my long hair, but do they look hot with short hair! Really shows off their sharp facial features.
I guess Halle Berry set the trend years ago and revived the pixie.
It’s funny, I always thought Halle looked great but I got bored of it on her — like I did of it on me — and was glad when she went for longer hair. Sometimes it’s just change that’s appealing! Longer hair is definitely more versatile. I’m enjoying that now but who knows what I’ll do in the future. I saw an amazing ugly/sexy weirdly cut short ‘do just the other day…
Short hair is so chic. You need to have a great face to pull it off and these girls (and YOU) have that in common. I adore, with a capital A, that pic of you in the motorcycle jacket! Reminds me of the one I had… but I never had the balls to wear it with a pixie.
I love it. My security word is “beyoself”. Can you program that thing or something?
Funny, I know they say you should have shorter hair when you get older, but it was aging me. I had extremely short hair for the last 15 years or so. Just started growing it out. Get massive compliments on it now, but it takes getting used to. LOL.
A change is always refreshing, and yes, I pick my spam words!
rhianna’s hair is adorable
not sure i will ever jump back on the pixie cut bandwagon since most of my elementary years i wore my hair that way lol
brett
I got tired of the maintenance. Cuts every four weeks! And my hair guru does a lot of editorial/advertising work so he’s always traveling and hard to get an appointment with. The stress was killing me 😀
not really loving these short hairdos (or maybe it is just that i don’t really like the singing/personalities of some of these people — lol), but i think ALMOST ANYTHING IS BETTER than doll hair/extensions. work with what you have, people!
then again, i get my hair colored, so i am not exactly 100% authentic. humph.
p.s. i just love your blue topaz ring. if/when i win the lottery i will be ordering it. but i might want it with a silver setting. hell, if i win enough we can do it in platinum. HA! 🙂
Tweeted you about the silver ring!
I had really short hair in 1984 –was cut for a fashion thingy– and guys were always so *relieved* when they learned that. Sigh.
Asshats!
Wendy, I love your contrary nature, observations of subtle and major shifts, and super-smart responses. Awesome way-back photo and context for your fabulous work.
Oh how I love Miley’s hair! I felt the same way with short hair. I loved that it bothered a lot of men. A great litmus test to weed out the a-holes, if you ask me!
Forever sad that I just dont have the face for a short pixie style cut. If I did, I’d have already cut it off like those ladies!
You always look fantastic! Love Pink’s hair, Emeli Sandé has a similar style – and I had a short back and sides as a teenager but kept getting mistaken for a boy. I keep it shoulder length these days.
That heart with the removable stake is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Wow.
And don’t even get me started on that dollar dress… WANT!!!
Your ‘urge to defy’ is a very appealing characteristic.
I have had a pixie on and off since I was about 2. My hair has always done what it wants to regardless of what I do with it. Not too many years ago one of my friends told me that someone thought I was gay because of my hairstyle. That made me want to punk it up even more! (How dare anyone judge someone by a hairstyle?) And yeah, now that I am of a certain age, I want to wear it longer.
You look gorgeous in a pixie and with your hair like it is now (which I adore.) I like your FU attitude! I’m betting when you are a woman of certain age, people will not forget you and that is a good thing.
You had a BUTT BOW? I love it!
I don’t even know where to start with the short hair. The celebrities look great, and I’ve always loved Halle Berry’s loyalty to her signature short hair. My oldest daughter cropped hers just as short, and I thought it was stunning, but she told me that men don’t like it. Which made me mad because I think she’s stunning. Stoopid men…
LOVE pink <3