Why do men like long hair on women and daughters?

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Nothing is worse than to have a wman come in a say, "I'd love to cut my hair short, but my DH would have a fit." Esp. if it is unbecoming on her. Same for little girls. I have never been a fan of little girls with super long hair. Unless it is kept and neat looking (or braided, pulled up somehow) but to leave it stringy and in their face. Ick. Pet peeve. Do something with it, please!!!

ITA. I went in to have my haircut. It was below my chin and I wanted it cut..short and sassy. My hairdresser asked me what my DH said when I told him that I was getting it cut. When I told her nothing because I didn't mention it she said "uh oh". I said who cares my hair will look great and I will look great and I wouldn't be married to a guy I had to ask if I could cut my own hair. If a guy likes long hair he is more that able to grow it himself.

 

[hentob]

You can't be serious?


Ever see a picture of Catherine Zeta-Jones?

The thing is, very few women over 40 have the access to multiple stylists like KZJ

Show me a normal, everyday 40+ year old woman that has great hair like KZJ and I will change my mind

Also, when women start going gray, the wiry hair looks awful once it gets a certain length….even if it is color treated. So, I think that is where the “older women look silly with long hair” comment came from.

 

[corndog]

Ah, yes Dirty pool

Good memory!

 

[Camicar]

Also, when women start going gray, the wiry hair looks awful once it gets a certain length….even if it is color treated. So, I think that is where the “older women look silly with long hair” comment came from.


I have never understood the over-forty, must cut hair rule.

It goes along with the rule that (was actually told to me by several people) that once a woman becomes a mother she has to cut her hair.

With today's products, there is no reason why any woman cannot make their hair look good, even without CTJ's resources. So it's not about texture. And frankly, speaking as a woman over 40 who colors her hair, my hair is WORSE when it's short -- it just frizzes up like crazy, whereas when it's long, I can use a straightening iron on and it calms right down and I can do whatever I want with it.

So, it's not about practicality. It's all about antiquated notions about female sexuality. IOW -- women over forty or women who are mothers are no longer allowed to be sexual beings and therefore they must cut off a signifier of their sexuality, their long hair. Because, YES, the fact that men/society like longer hair on women (see it as more attractive/feminine) is ALL about sex.

On a more prosaic level, the fact that I hit my 40th birthday did not make me suddenly look good in short hair. I didn't look good in short hair when I was 17 and I don't look good in it now that I'm 47. So I'm sure not going to cut it to satisfy some ancient notions about female sexuality. The key at any age is to find the color and style that suits your hair, your face shape, and your lifestyle, as well as being reasonably fashionable.

 

[Liberty Belle]

No maybes about it. Longer is always better than shorter. No bangs is always better than bangs. Yes, always. (you have to take as a given that effort is made--no fair showing pictures of that awful Dugger woman).

DW would be on the curb if she ever came home with bangs.

Wow. I hope that's a joke.

Besides, I thought we've been through this before - bangs to you aren't necessarily bangs to everyone else.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I think by saying long hair looks bad on older women is more in terms of those that grow a hair cape. Let's face it, nobody but Cher can really pull that off. For most they either look like a leftover from a Whitesnake video or they look unkept. I don't think you have to cut your hair off but at a certain point in everyone's life their hair (whether short or long) requires a lot more work to make it look good. Color and textures change over the years. You need to change with and most of all get a good cut that looks good with your face.

 

[hentob]

Good memory!

And I didn't even look it up I remember laughing so hard at your response.

It was a DIS Classic to me

 

[hentob]

I think by saying long hair looks bad on older women is more in terms of those that grow a hair cape. Let's face it, nobody but Cher can really pull that off. For most they either look like a leftover from a Whitesnake video or they look unkept.

 

[Aisling]

Raquel Welch looks great with her longish hair. She must be in her 60s by now. You have to have the right face, either natural or with makeup, to pull it off.

 

[hentob]

Raquel Welch looks great with her longish hair. She must be in her 60s by now. You have to have the right face, either natural or with makeup, to pull it off.

Raquel Welch is big into weaves and wigs. She even has her own line.

Either way, she looks great. Again, not many people have the resources that she has.

She will be 70 years old.

Any cute, modern short cuts anyone wants to post?

 

[Aisling]

Here she is with shorter hair. What a great style!

 

[Aisling]

No offense to Rosie's fans, but I'd bet most men wouldn't find her hairstyle attractive. I know I don't think it looks womanly at all.

 

[HunnyPots]

No offense to Rosie's fans, but I'd bet most men wouldn't find her hairstyle attractive. I know I don't think it looks womanly at all.

Pssssst... What men think of her hair is probably the least of Rosie's concerns...

 

[PaulaSB12]

Long hair after a certain age just looks silly, IMO, of course. An inch or two past the shoulders maximum if you are over the age of 30. I can't think of a single person I know personally that looks good with hair longer than that.

Women have been wearing their hair long for generations now we are told that we should lop it of as soon as we hit 30. Isn't that as daft and as controlling as a husband who will not talk to a wife for cutting their hair off? I am over 30 with long hair and it doesn't look silly neither does my mothers hair it looks nice so while I still want it long that is how it stays.

 

[Macca1111]

Long hair a pain in the butt? I always found short hair to be that, always having to get it cut never being able to do much with it. I decided many years ago to grow it long and found it so much easier to keep it like that, though I have had people suggesting I donate it its not going to happen.

Long hair is a big huge pain in the butt! I absolutely hate hate hate having to do my hair in the morning. Its yucky wavy but doesn't look good wavy so every morning I have fight it with a hair dryer and a flat iron. It looks GREAT when its straight and smooth, but it take 30-45 minutes to get it that way. By the time I'm done I'm so hot and sticky, I feel grosser than before I took a shower. When I had short hair it was no muss no fuss. I'd wash it smoosh some pomade in it and I was good to go. I absolutely loved the ease of short hair. Unfortunately my husband feels it isn't feminine on me AND I agree with him. Even though it was easy, I never felt less feminine and "pretty" than when it was short.

Angelhalo answered for me...when my hair is long, I go through twice as much shampoo, 3x the conditioner, it takes longer to clean, it takes longer to dry, it takes more styling products...there are lots of fun things you can do with it, but that takes time too. If you have a good short cut all of that should be easier and much less expensive and time consuming. Also I agree with the other posters...my dance teacher had awful long hair that she though was awesome because she had been growing it for 10 years, but the last foot or so just looked terrible, because you're supposed to cut the dead junk at the end to keep it healthy. It also looked like what several people have mentioned above, just gross. We kept suggesting she donate it too...

No maybes about it. Longer is always better than shorter. No bangs is always better than bangs. Yes, always. (you have to take as a given that effort is made--no fair showing pictures of that awful Dugger woman).

DW would be on the curb if she ever came home with bangs.

Wow. I hope that's a joke.

That's what I was going to say. Otherwise corndog is the dude we've been talking about this whole time...

 

[DebIreland]

Okay, not to sound too Oprah-ish but this isn't really about hair, is it? It's about his (your brother-in-law's) power trip. If I were his DW I would give absolutely zero credence to his opinion - in fact, just to spite him I'd go bald. Whether it's hair or clothes or careers or friendships, I would never want to be with someone who told me what to do.

Not many of us could pull this off (Sinead O'Connor who is certainly beautiful enough to pull it off) ....

... but his DW should definitely threaten to bring that pic to the salon (as a guide) next time, if he doesn't shut up.

 

[SanFranciscan]

We were taught in some secretarial classes that I was taking that hair below the shoulders is rather looked down upon in office jobs so hair length does affect employment opportunities.

 

[wvjules]

You can't be serious?


Ever see a picture of Catherine Zeta-Jones?

I'm 40 and I have stylish long hair. I don't look silly.

Yes I am serious. As always there are exceptions to the rule but most women with long hair(as in way past shoulders. I consider Raquel Welche's first pic to be medium.) don't look as good as they would with a shorter cut/style.

 

[AustinTink]

We were taught in some secretarial classes that I was taking that hair below the shoulders is rather looked down upon in office jobs so hair length does affect employment opportunities.

Only if the interviewer is a woman with short hair. I'm kidding, of course.

 

[Justanopinion]

Hi all. OP here. Wow to all the responses. I haven't been on here since I posted this and thought I would come back and have to search and here it was on the first page. Wow.

The brother that got mad at his wife, well, I just don't know about him. But his hair is long also and he keeps it in a pony tail.


Now, for the brother with the young daughter who won't let her hair get cut. If they would at least pull her hair up in some way it might be cute. It's just not cute because her head is always tilted and you can't see her eyes or face.

My DD has sorta long hair. It's about to the bottom of the bra strap(if she wore a bra, which she doesn't). But I like to do different things with it. Just yesterday I french braided it and that look is really good on her. I love the high pig tails in back on her also. But I usually let her decide how she wants it.

Again, it's the child with long string straight hair in her face and eyes and they won't do anything with it that bothers me. And that didn't seem to get addressed much in this thread.