Day 60, July 18

Just as we can trace history by lingerie styles, so can we document it by hair styles.  The 50s gave us tightly bound curls a la permanents.  In my mind, I can still smell the permanent solution.  It's a wonder I didn't lose my hair as well as fry my nostrils.  The early 60s gave way to the beehive.  The beehive was a helmet of hair, teased to within an inch of its life and then sprayed in place so that even a blast from a supersonic jet would not muss it.

The late 60s brought the natural look with long, straight hair as we all tried to emulate California girls.  When the 70s arrived, the natural look was in  full force.  This extended not just to the hair on our heads.  We were encouraged to let our arm pit hair grow long enough to braid.  (I could never abide this and eschewed this particular style dictate.)

By the 80s, we were slaves to such shows as DALLAS and DYNASTY.  Big hair was in.  Texas hair, some called it.  Of course we all wanted to look like Joan Collins and Linda Evans.   Princess Di was a trend-setter, so we copied her as well.

The 90s and into the new Millenium, we worked to have career hair.  This was a professional look, where we tried to look like men who looked like women.  Along about this time, someone told us that we should wax "down there."  Can you say "ouch?"  Yet another fashion I have ignored.

There you have it.  Sixty years as seen through hair.