I was about to lower my eyes to say a short prayer before the worship service began, when I felt my gaze shift to three ladies walking towards their seats diagonal of me. Of particular attention was the second girl. Unlike her companions, she had a distinction among them ---- she sported a dark brown super-short hairstyle which had short, dark caramel highlights on the barber's cut. No doubt she also used if not mousse, a certain brand of wax to accentuate the choppy strands --- it was really a nice touch. Not to exaggerate, but from my view, she had to an extent stood out amongst the rest of the church members beginning from her row up to the front. Its not that members are required to wear their hair long. What I have made of my observation is that my timing in having sat where I sat was a matter of probability, that I just happened to find that all of the ladies (except for an elderly woman or two) wore their hair in that fashion.
With that introduction out of the way, I found my own observation interesting even though I prefer a super-short hairstyle myself. I do have super-short hair, I have in many instances made it fashionable for myself and I have managed to persuade others to want to get their glorious and not-so-glorious locks butchered (just didn't follow through because the cut wouldn't suit the shape of their face). Its different when you get to see it on someone else, and only then was I able to confirm what I usually said about hair, both in conversations with my mom as well as the answer I had provided in our discussion of 'sexiness' in one of my Anthropology classes.
The first apparent thing which would ever come to mind would be that super-short hair signaled non-conformity. There's this sense of image being conveyed, variations ranging from implying 'punk rocker' to 'fashionista' depending on the culture of your nationality. The first has to do with deviance from what the traditional had to say about soft beauty. On the other hand, the fashionista image associated with short hair has really more to do with being able to show accessories better considering that hair isn't covering them. Also, believe it or not, there are certain outfits which do look better if the person wearing them has short hair. The fashionista image also insists a break from the traditional and into the modern. Having hair cut short is a signal of agency, most especially so if the woman has a significant other who tells her his preference for medium to long hairstyles.
Hair can also be a political statement. Man is by nature also a zoon politikon, and a style can say so much about the character and outlook the person has. Ever thought that side-parts are just a matter of combing and fashion? Wrong. A person who wears his or her hair parted in the middle says that he or she is neutral --- it's not impressive, especially if in a business meeting or any event that has to do with mingling. In diplomatic training, the rule is always to wear hair parted at the side -- doesn't matter if its a left-side part or a right. Side parts insist position and decidedness.
Further, the fact that short hair has little (material), having more of the person's head and neck exposed is more than a natural or expected effect. The fact that that person had the courage and will to get such style says to the world that she has nothing to hide. Long hair has been, for many decades, treated by many as a security blanket. Although part of this can be blamed by our socialization towards a false subscription to what I like to call 'Strand Sexiness' --- This would be the perspective that holds long hair sexy and feminine because of all those cartoons we have seen while growing up, most mentionable example of goddesses exemplifying strand sexiness are Ariel (Little Mermaid) and most especially Dolores (Roger Rabbit) who is infamous for strutting around and having half of her face covered with her red hair. Dolores and succeeding characters in history who sport the same style could be the ones responsible for the anger of most mothers upon seeing their daughters hidden behind waves of strands. These, just to name a few. Under the rubric of Strand Sexiness is using hair to flirt with guys, in instances it may be effective, but its the most shallow way to go. There are other things that could be used. Why kill with locks when you can go for personality --- its more permanent.
I am among the very few in the Philippine population that does not subscribe to the perspective that short hair is just for the men. I cast blame on the methods of socialization where we have been oriented to seeing women and gender roles as provided in fairy tales and in the Disneyfication of these. On my defense, having short hair does not make one masculine just as a guy having long hair doesn't make him any less of a man. It just so happens that men were the first to get their hair cut and it suited them more than short hair suited most women.
Hair may be a woman's crowning glory. But in this day and age, so is Agency.
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