wendy house

It’s normally at least 4 times more expensive to get a haircut in a unisex salon compared to a barbers. Barbers tend to turn women away. Not because women’s hair is different, because they are women. This has happened to me on several occassions – I went in with a short ‘boyish’ cut and asked for them for a trim to my short back and sides with number 2 clipper. A cut they can easily do

After some negotiation one UK barber on the south coast took on regularly cutting my hair as long as I kept quiet so that the other customers wouldn’t be ‘disturbed’ by the presence of a woman. Seriously! This was in 1999

This clear discrimination for haircutting pricing and access rights has always struck me as being blatantly against the ethos of equality. It feels rather sad that the practice continues today and everyone tolerates it, complicitly accepts it. I use a Unisex Salon because I am welcomed and treated well – aswell as getting a good haircut – the extra price makes it worthwhile. But I resent being explicitly  excluded, treated badly because I am a woman and having to pay more because I am a woman. Hurumpppfff

Mia Farrow’s Vidal Sassoon haircut in Roman Polanski’s  ‘Rosemary’s baby‘ influenced my teenage hairstyle choice – a short crop. Smart and easy to manage. Since then I’ve rarely bothered to grow my crop to reach my shoulders despite some misunderstandings this raised when I lived in the USA

Young UK based girls predominantly sport long hair. The trend seems more widespread now than any other time I can recall. An informal survey of ladies with lengthy locks uncovered factors that influence this choice:

• Versatility – I can wear it down, in plaids, in pony tails and twists. What-ever suits my mood, the event, my outfit
• Aesthetics – several women had tried short hair but didn’t like the way it affected their looks. Some thought that it made them look fatter – long hair emphasises vertical lines making them look taller and slimmer
• Pleasing others -  my ‘significant other’ really likes it long, and I don’t have any strong feelings about the length so it might aswell be long
• Cost – it’s cheaper than having a short haircut that has to be trimmed regularly to maintain its shortness and shape.  Some people trimmed their fringes (USA: bangs) themselves, others didn’t have a fringe. Most people with long hair would pay for a professional a trim two or 3 times in a year
• Auto erotica – I like the way it feels on my neck, running my fingers through it, when the wind blows it around…

There appears to be a shift in this preference for women over the age of 50. Just by looking at people on the street, more mature ladies appear to prefer shorter haircuts. It’s not clear if this is a

• cohort effect – these ladies also preferred shorter hair when they were younger,  or
• an age effect – as women get older their preferences shift to shorter haircuts

“I love cutting your hair“

She whispers to herself as she trims a neat edge over my left ear. Always doing an outstanding job, taking her time to look, think, chat and trim.  She is fascinating as she talks about her school days, her friends, her child and the way Proctor and Gamble have involved hairdressers in their product development process.  Unrushed, she proudly shows her staff my finished cut

“I wish I’d bought my camera in today”

Popular conversational topics #6: hair changes

girlfriend: what have you done to your hair?

wendy: what looks different?

girlfriend: it looks longer

wendy: I’ve grown it?

I’ve had over 6 conversations of this ilk in the last 2 weeks

It’s as-if my hair length has recently passed some plateau that shifts peoples’ perception of it from not-long, to long

The stylist listens to my verbal description of the multi dimensional experience that I hope she will be able to create

I actually like it as it is now,  can you make it even more like Rod Stewart in his longer hair days,  sort of shorter on top, whispy, and longer underneath, exagerrate how it is now?

like a mullet?

errrrmmm, yes, YES! a MULLET, I want a mullet with a sort Noel Fielding feel to it.

 The stylist is confident, calm and clearly caring about making sure people around her get what they need, or want. She trusts that I know what I want. I do. The stylist lifts my hair and shows me how much she plans to cut off from where then guides the intern who’s about to wash my hair on what to notice and how to deal with it.

 there’s a lot of it, but its fine…

It’s fine, my hair is fine, yes. I like that, mighty fine, mighty boosh

Wendy:   Do you remember Rod Stewarts haircut in his early years? When he was in The Faces?  about the time of Maggie May?   No.   Silly question. You are clearly way too young.    It’s an  early ’70′s cut, short on top and longer at the back,  it was called a feather cut

Alan: like a mullet

Wendy: Yes! That’s what I want,   a 70′s kitch mullet

Alan:   you’ll need a lot of product

Wendy: Oh <mindful not to argue with the hairdresser before he starts cutting>

I got exactly what I asked for.   Hoorah,   it certainly turned heads on the street

Rod Stewart sang the first cut

Hairdresser Business Owner (HBO): you’ve been in before haven’t you?

Wendy: yes,  only once  several months ago,   its grown a lot and kept a very good shape, it was a good cut

HBO: yes,   I remember. Lucia, the Phillipino lady, cut your hair really short.   She’s in the Phillipines as the moment,   she owns a bed and breakfast there and its their peak season,   its alright for some!

HBO: your scalp is a bit sensitive,   do you have a stressful job?

Wendy: (giggles) Sort of because…(unpublishable)

While the assistant washes my way-past-its-cut-by-date mop the HBO checks her records.  

HBO: you came in here  last September, no wonder its grown so much

Wendy: I’m impressed that you recognised me

We talked about her business,   she hasn’t been hit by the credit crisis because ‘everyone needs a haircut’   and her business has been established for over 9 years.   We both agreed that we liked Reading a lot because of the nice people we’ve met here.   She was born in Reading,   studied in London with Vidal Sassoon,   travelled the world then came back to Reading to set-up her business.  

It’s the best haircut I’ve had in over a decade.  

I’m a very happy bunny

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive  and  handsome, former professional-brick-layer, young product-dispensing hairdresser are temporarily on hold while I investigate cheaper less product-pushing alternatives.   This tip is bought to you courtesy of Lucia from the Philippines  in her own local family business salon:

keep your hair short in the winter

Before I could consider the merits of this tip,   Lucia had launched her scissors into the remnants of my mop which is now,   indeed,   short for the winter.

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive  and  handsome, former professional-brick-layer, young product-dispensing hairdresser:

you want asymmetrical

As usual,   I’ll be taking Alan’s tip very seriously and following up on this gem of wisdom

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive  and  handsome, former professional-brick-layer, young product-dispensing hairdresser:

treat your mum to a night in the Mallard suite at the Malmaison,   it has a ground floor patio,   an en-suite train-set and wooden sinks which look like you can pick them up and walk away with them

As usual,   I’ll be taking Alan’s tip very seriously and following up on this gem of wisdom

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive  and  handsome young product-dispensing, ex-pro-brick-layer,  hairdresser:

Your job should be something you are passionate about

As usual,   I’ll be taking Alan’s tip very seriously and following up on this gem of wisdom

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive  and  handsome young product-dispensing hairdresser:

If someone has been shouting at you for playing football near their house and generally been grumpy and verbally abusive whenever they see you,   don’t get into their car when they follow you along the street and start insisting that you accept a lift from them while smiling and being uncharacteristically smarmy

As usual,   I’ll be taking Alan’s tip very seriously and following up on this gem of wisdom

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive and  handsome young product-dispensing hairdresser:

If you’re looking for a good winebar the best place in Reading is the Forbury Hotel restaurant bar

As usual,   I’ll be taking Alan’s tip very seriously and following up on this gem of wisdom

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive and  handsome young product-dispensing hairdresser:

“I picked up a newer model of my current phone,   after one night’s use the pictures were terrible,   all fuzzy.   I took the phone back and they said they couldn’t exchange it because it was working probably properly*,   I asked what should I do? and they said,   Vodaphone support said, change to another service provider they even recommended one!”

He certainly  knows a  thing or thirty-two about almost everything.

*editted multiple times post-publication to remove the superfluous, random, and just darn wanton spelling mistakes

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive and  handsome young product-dispensing hairdresser:

Have you tried Nirvana?   you should, you deserve it

After all the  cleaning,    box unpacking and furniture moving excitement of this weekend Alan’s clearly a fellow who knows how to point a Wendy in the right direction.  

Words of wisdom from my outrageously expensive and  handsome young product-dispensing hairdresser:

Legend, even with Will Smith in it, it’s just another zombie film