Ode to the Pixie Cut

Hello! It’s been a bit, but I hope everyone had an excellent holiday season. 2015 is here, and I’m very excited to see what it brings considering how monumental 2014 was for me. For one, I started this blog in 2014, so I expect that year will be dear to my heart for a long time. Since everyone likes to start off fresh for the new year, I thought I’d post about a recent transformation I’ve undergone: As you can see from the above photo, I finally have a pixie cut.

A few facts about the pixie cut:

The pixie cut was first popularized by actresses Audrey Hepburn and Jean Seberg in the 1950’s.

The trend continued into the 1960’s with models like Twiggy and Goldie Hawn as well as actress Mia Farrow (a.k.a. the voice of The Last Unicorn).

The pixie cut also gets its name from the mythological creature of the same name. Many people confuse pixies with faeries and use the terms interchangeably; however pixies and faeries have been historically portrayed as two different species that are often at war with one another. Faeries are more human-like while pixies often have otherworldly colored skin and hair as well as strange facial features. Pixies are also two inches smaller than faeries, and they prefer to cause mischief rather than bestow kindness upon everyone. Both species have wings, which is likely where the confusion stems from. Pixies are usually depicted as androgynous with short hair (hence the name of the modern pixie cut), whereas the difference in appearance between male and female faeries is clear.

Having a pixie cut is not a first for me. I had a pixie cut in high school when I modeled hair for a hair salon. Here’s me giving my signature “blue steel”:

Actually, this hairstyle is one of the reasons I was not accepted onto my high school’s soccer team. It was too “wild” for the coach. Also, it got me the back row of my high school chorus. My parents weren’t fans of it either, but guess what?

I LOVED it. I really felt this unique hairstyle matched my eccentric personality. Finally I felt like me, and that confidence showed.

Still, as the years went on, I stopped volunteering my head at the local salon, I moved away to college, and I let my hair grow. And grow it did.

Here’s a picture of it at its longest:

Then I got into Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire. Like REALLY into it. I still am, and it’s sort of an obsession.

Naturally, Daenarys Stormborn became my favorite character with her underdog story, her unsurpassed beauty, and her kind nature. Plus she has dragons, and dragons are awesome.

I wanted my hair to look just like hers, so I said, “Bring on the peroxide!”

I think I got pretty close too:

Unfortunately, I became a Targaryen loyalist before I could finish all of the books. Not to spoil anything, but Daeny kind of gets on my nerves now. She’s acting more and more like a spoiled child, and I just don’t abide. Granted, she’s only sixteen years old by the end of A Dance with Dragons; so I guess I can understand her immaturity. But poor Sir Jorah… and her dragons! Isn’t that animal abuse? Just saying…

Enter my new favorite super-blonde GOT character: Brienne of Tarth.

This sword-wielding and honorable dame is the epitome of a well-rounded female character. As strong as she is beautiful (although she is mockingly called “Brienne the Beauty” due to her masculine features and height, Jaime Lannister notices her striking blue eyes), she fights for the most noble causes (rescuing the Stark girls) and practically transforms the character who behaved the most selfishly in the beginning of the series (Jaime). There is a joke that the relationship between Jaime and Brienne is “still a better love story than Twilight,” and I completely agree.

Of course, I love Arya Stark as much as the next person, but I’m wary of loving her too much; because she seems to be slowly creeping into crazy territory (although who could blame her after all she’s been through).

These leading ladies have two commonalities: their affinity for swords and pixie cuts.

And so I figured they were onto something. I don’t think I’ll take up fencing anytime soon, but what’s so great about the pixie cut? How is it superior to flowy princess locks?

One compound word: LOW-MAINTENANCE.

Whether you’re sword fighting in the back roads of Westeros or training for a half-marathon in snowy Rochester (which I am, by the way), you can’t let the daily cycle of wash-condition-detangle-dry-style-and-repeat keep you down. With a pixie, the daily routine shortens to only styling, while the dreaded hair cycle occurs maybe twice a week (which is better for hair health as well). Of course, to maintain a pixie length, more trips to the salon need to be taken, but that’s a relaxing habit I’m fine with repeating.

The way I see it, there are all these things I want to accomplish this year, none of which include winning any beauty contests (although the pixie can be incredibly demure and flattering). To me, the pixie is a representation that I am finally getting my priorities in order. I’d rather spend an hour on my novel than an hour on my hair any day. But guess what? I get more compliments on my pixie cut than I ever did on my unicorn hair.

Not to mention, the pixie is incredibly current and surprisingly versatile. This graphic shows how celebrities dress their pixies up or down:

I’ve had a lot of women tell me they couldn’t pull off a short cut. That’s just not true, because there’s a short cut for every face shape and hair texture. You just need to do your homework. If you’re unsure, just get a consultation with a trusted stylist. Tell her you’re interested in a pixie-style cut, but also bring pictures of cuts you like. Then ask the stylist if one of styles would work with your face shape and hair texture. She may even help you identify what kind of face shape you have as well as give you some styling tips. Most importantly: be brave, and have fun.

Fancifully Yours,

Jess