This page was like a blog that was continually updated with late 2010 looks and previews for '11 until the start of the new year... Click the Page 1 link above for all new pics since January 1, 2011.
April
The focus at the start of the month switches from style to color. Check out which ladies are getting haircolor makeovers and who is going Ombre. P. 48 is for redheads.
March
The latest buzz is Jennifer Aniston's new 'do (see page 31) and Hillary Clinton needing one. Early reaction among her peers (women her age and older) is strongly in support of Jen's new look (45% give it five stars), while 40% aren't impressed. Meanwhile 92% agree that Hillary Clinton needs a haircut.
February
As we begin a new month we still haven't seen any new hairstyles trends. Nobody can say yet with any certainty what length, texture, or color is "in." That's not unusual, however, at this time of the year. Most celebrities last month were focused on Hollywood award ceremonies and only showed off their updos and other formal designs which are typically classic, not new.
Furthermore, the previous style leaders such as Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham, who set the last big trend, have nothing fresh to offer. Jennifer lately has actually been dissing her old style while not revealing an alternative. Victoria has been less visible in recent months while focusing on her family. She is pregnant with her fourth child; therefore her locks are probably the last thing on her mind.
The next big thing may be just around the corner. Meanwhile you have to pick and choose from the various recent looks of the stars. See them via the pages linked at the top of this column. There are already over 40 photos taken this year.
Jennifer Aniston Controversy
This site has recently had a spike in traffic with visitors who wanted to learn more about the Rachel Haircut. Why? Jennifer Aniston recently slammed it. Can you believe that? She didn't just say it wasn't her best cut ever; she completely trashed it: "I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen."
Huh? Say what? It was the most popular design in American and even world history, and it was on her head. And it may have been part of what made her famous. So why did she want to say anything bad about it?
Jen may owe many women an apology. She clearly didn't realize that in making the disparaging comment she insulted thousands of women all around the world who got the hairstyle in the 90s not to mention those ladies who have it now!
Is her very surprising statement which appears to be some kind of emotional self-mutilation a legitimate reflection of how she truly feels? Or was she just having a bad day and made an emotional outburst that would draw attention to her?
If she really felt it was hideous, why didn't she ask her hairdresser to change it in 1995? If you were sitting in your hairdresser's chair and had just got the worst style you'd ever seen, would you have kept quiet or demanded changes? At the very least anyone feeling diplomatic or reserved would say nothing then and there, but immediately go to another salon and get somebody else to fix it. Or they would simply get a completely new cut if it were too difficult or too short to salvage.
In any case, even if Aniston really thinks the Rachel was awful, she is wrong. When 75-80% of women in this site's poll give it five stars and only 6% rate it one star, feel free to take her words with a grain of salt. The style isn't one of the worst ever; it's one of the best! (Almost no other haircuts receive more than 50% five stars.) It's her latest comment that will go down in history as one of the worst ever on hairstyles.
Just from a PR perspective, she should have said nothing. If your haircut had been so much in demand and helped millions of women become your fans, would you have said anything bad about it even if you hated it?! Why undermine part of your legacy or offend many fans? You have to feel bad for Chris McMillan, her stylist. His cut made him famous. Will he fire her? How is she going to do damage control?
Well, that's the face palm moment of the year so far. She can't even deny it as gossip because she said it to Allure magazine.
"Grunge Glam" Color
"I loathe this new hair trend of purposely dyeing the roots dark! It is so beyond awful and I don't get it."
In narrow cirlces during '10, socalled Ombre Hair was fashionable. This is where there's a gradual change in color--usually two tones--such as blonde to brown. Not to be confused with "hombre," the Spanish word that means "man or youth," ombre is French for "shadow."
The origin for glamour use may be traced to a creative advertisement a few years ago where a white model with long hair and pale skin had the blunt ends of her straight hair dipped in red paint.
To say it was a fashion trend at first seemed like a bad joke or weak sarcasm. It was more likely some lazy people couldn't be bothered to get their color redone, so they just let it grow out. But then they claimed, "No, it's supposed to be like that. This is a fashion statement!"
Really high contrast (e.g., dark brown to bleached blonde) makes it seem as if somebody dropped a bucket of paint on your head. The color transition can be subtle, but does that make it much better?
Critics of Ombre say it's flattering on very few heads. The funny thing is the vast majority of women say roots showing is the most offensive neglect other females allow to their tresses. They hate it even more than locks which are unwashed or lack personality. So why should they like anything which is so similar to that!? Well, the reality is many don't.
Who would want to pay for it? When you see an Ombre girl in the street, you may wonder if she is on her way to a salon, not coming from one (after shelling out lots of money). It's as if she got her roots done but used cheap color. Then she got caught in the rain, and all the dye got washed out.
In an online discussion for entertainment news and gossip, there were pictures of Hilary Duff which caused confusion. They showed her standing outside a salon; half her hair was dark and the other half was light. Some girls thought she had just got a hip Ombre job; whereas others said, No, she's on the way to her appointment!
One person online described the new coloring style as "a little dirty." Another suggested Ombre works for wavy or curly hair, but on straight she would "resemble a piebald pony!" (Hilary Duff had it with waves, however, and she looked like a mess.)
"Hate the Ombre hair thing on her," complained one chick. "It looks like she dipped the ends in a bucket of bleach or something."
Ombre has appeared on long locks and even short bobs. Without the right makeup and clothes it is extremely difficult to pull it off. To be frank, it is an all-or-nothing style. You need to fully commit otherwise blank stares and puzzled looks will follow you. The public will wonder if you just came from a hair show where all kinds of rare and exotic hairstyles and colors are found.
There are trends that come and go, and America has certainly been overdue for a new coloring trend, but this one can't leave quickly enough. Not surprisingly, it didn't catch on; only a few celebrities got it, making it a quick fad. It's still not clear who had it on purpose and who didn't.
Ombre may only work for folks who are usually very edgy and regularly choose alternative haircuts and colors. It is so far on the other end of the spectrum for clean, polished looks. It is messy and grungy. If you are not already anti-establishment, save your money for the next fashionable colors and avoid a two-tone disaster which could get you sent home from work.