Althouse: "Every few years I try to let my white hair grow in, then give up after about an inch. I keep saying I’ll do it when there’s more..."

November 16, 2016

"Every few years I try to let my white hair grow in, then give up after about an inch. I keep saying I’ll do it when there’s more..."

"... when it might look like a choice rather than inevitability. But the collateral benefit to the new trend among the young is that older women are now freer to discover what might be a natural asset hiding under a veil of dye. Some women discover they look better with white hair — who would have thought?"

From a NYT article with the subtitle "Fashion’s fixation with frosty manes has made white locks desirable — even for those old enough to own them."

28 comments:

themightypuck said...: Is this the Bill Mitchell effect?; 11/16/16, 8:13 PM
Comanche Voter said...: I earned my white hair--the hard way. By living into my 70s. And I danged sure plan to live into my 90's. So suck it up buttercups. This is how you do it.; 11/16/16, 8:15 PM
Michael K said...: White/Gray hair is probably genetic in my family. Mine turned gray in my 20s and my older son's in his 30s. I had a cousin whose hair turned gray when she was 16. She was gorgeous and I used to have a photo of her in her high school yearbook with white hair.

I once went to a Halloween costume party at my yacht club. My costume was theatrical hair dye that dyed my hair brown. Most others at the party did not recognize me. A few that did thought, "Oh the poor guy; to think we would not notice him starting to dye his hair."

They did not realize it was a costume.; 11/16/16, 8:32 PM
Michael K said...: That photo in my Avatar was taken in my 30s. My hair was all gray.; 11/16/16, 8:34 PM
Eleanor said...: I think those of us who gray early are rewarded with a pretty shade of silver or white hair. Like it's the color we're supposed to have.; 11/16/16, 8:36 PM
BN said...: It's a real first-world-problem world here tonight, in'it?; 11/16/16, 8:42 PM
BN said...: I'm losing my hair from worrying about the gray ones. Life is hard!; 11/16/16, 8:46 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Yes! I saw a woman once who stopped dying her hair and went silvery white. It was gorgeous! She looked stunning and refined. Then some young idiot told her to dye it, so she did, and the beautiful silvery white was gone.

Some people looked better with their hair dyed, and some people don't.; 11/16/16, 8:58 PM
Wince said...: The NYT promoting "white supremacy"?; 11/16/16, 9:05 PM
Floris said...: The only reason this is a trend is because the baby boomers, the most trend-obsessed generation of Americans ever, now have gray hair. Look for upcoming NYT articles on the hipness of coronary artery disease, the desirability of arthritis ("It allows me to slow down and look at the world!"), and the fashionability of dementia.; 11/16/16, 9:24 PM
traditionalguy said...: One of my best friends and true loves is now called The Silver Fox. She is a master politician and a brilliant person. We love the person inside. On the outside is the Leopard skin pillbox hat, turned silver.; 11/16/16, 9:26 PM
Floris said...: The only reason this is a trend is because the baby boomers, the most trend-obsessed generation of Americans ever, now have gray hair. Look for upcoming NYT articles on the hipness of coronary artery disease, the desirability of arthritis ("It allows me to slow down and look at the world!"), and the fashionability of dementia.; 11/16/16, 9:33 PM
William said...: An older woman with gray hair can look more distinguished and wiser, but there's a loss in sex appeal. Another one of those Darwinian things. The force that through the green fuse flows doesn't drive men to gray hair.; 11/16/16, 9:39 PM
FullMoon said...: Bob Matthews said...

The only reason this is a trend is because the baby boomers, the most trend-obsessed generation of Americans ever, now have gray hair. Look for upcoming NYT articles on the hipness of coronary artery disease, the desirability of arthritis ("It allows me to slow down and look at the world!"), and the fashionability of dementia.

11/16/16, 9:24 PM
Bob Matthews said... [hush][hide comment]

The only reason this is a trend is because the baby boomers, the most trend-obsessed generation of Americans ever, now have gray hair. Look for upcoming NYT articles on the hipness of coronary artery disease, the desirability of arthritis ("It allows me to slow down and look at the world!"), and the fashionability of dementia.11/16/16, 9:33 PM

Umm, yeah, you posted that twice, Bob. Guess you forgot about the first time, eh? Alzheimer tests on the 'net, Bob.; 11/16/16, 9:40 PM
Christy said...: Early on I developed a silver streak that my hairdresser always designed my hair style around. I never began to color it, taking my inspiration from the grace of Barbara Bush.; 11/16/16, 9:41 PM
mccullough said...: Back when HW was president, I thought Barbara Bush should have colored her hair a bit. She looked 20 years older than her husband.I remember SNL had a skit where someone said to Barbara Bush "you must be so proud of your son" referring to HW. That joke turned out to be much funnier in retrospect; 11/16/16, 9:42 PM
David said...: My wife keeps saying she is going to do this but it never gets past the roots stage. Some day she will and it will look good but she is not ready yet.; 11/16/16, 9:42 PM
traditionalguy said...: Who was the 1930 Hollywood sex symbol with the Platinum Blonde hair. She was smoking hot.; 11/16/16, 9:55 PM
Otto said...: The fact that you still read and reference the NYT is interesting. Are you a snob?; 11/16/16, 9:58 PM
Lawrence Person said...: "Who was the 1930 Hollywood sex symbol with the Platinum Blonde hair. She was smoking hot."

Veronica Lake. And yes, she was.; 11/16/16, 10:48 PM
BN said...: OK, straight talk time.

Clue to women: it's not the hair.; 11/16/16, 11:09 PM
Wilbur said...: I remember for years people have publicly complimented Emmylou Harris on not coloring her hair. She's a strikingly beautiful woman, but honestly, I think she would look better with some color in her mane.

Surprisingly, Ms. Harris didn't ask me my opinion, nor was she available for comment. Wilbur is always available for fashion consultations.; 11/17/16, 5:12 AM
Wilbur said...: "Who was the 1930 Hollywood sex symbol with the Platinum Blonde hair. She was smoking hot."

I believe you're thinking of Jean Harlow.; 11/17/16, 5:13 AM
mikee said...: My elderly, saintly mother has been known as the silver fox for decades.

And the hottest 30s actress was Myrna Loy, hair color be damned.; 11/17/16, 10:05 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: I never realized how badly color was damaging my hair until I quit doing it about 15 years ago. Best thing I ever did!; 11/17/16, 10:08 AM
Charles said...: @ Wilbur

Yes, Jean Harlow is correct; 11/17/16, 10:48 AM
Jaq said...: I think that natural grey is hot on women of a certain age, and colored hair is ridiculous on women beyond a certain age. Just sayin'.; 11/17/16, 11:19 AM
Maddad said...: I started going grey at the temples in my early 20's so I had my hair cut short. By my 30's I was salt and pepper all over and now in my 40's I'm gradually going all white. But I have lots of hair. My brothers and my brother in law? Bald. My brother in law lost his hair in college, my brothers lasted longer.

When I go completely white I'm growing it out into a big ass Pompadour and every Sunday I'll sit in the front pew and comb it back.; 11/17/16, 3:37 PM