The Big Chill

I sit down to write today after spending all morning watching the snow fall, enjoying the quiet peace that snowfall brings while at the same time thinking about how I could find that same kind of peace on a nice warm beach. The need to stay indoors has given me the opportunity to go through the latest issues of all the fashion mags, pouring over the new trends in hair this season. I have to say that I do not see one obvious trend emerging (Short! Straight! Volume!), but what I do notice is an overall relaxing of looks. Hair is softer and less styled. I had already begun to notice this at the recent red-carpet events - hair was less fussy yet not messy, simple but pretty, and dare I say mature?

I think this reflects what is going on in society. Normally in difficult times we look towards the past for comfort, and you see a lot of nostalgic looks reminiscent of the "good old days". But the atmosphere this time around is different - change is upon us, and it brings with it excitement and energy fully on display last week at the inauguration of our new president. We can not help but to look towards the future. Except the future we see is not one of "2001" or George Jetson, but rather one much more firmly grounded in reality. We know we have to get to work the meet the challenges before us.

And what does this have to do with hair? Well, as we pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off (to paraphrase a certain recent speech), we are refocusing our energy, simplifying our lifestyles, and reorganizing our priorities. Of course, we still want to look good. Frankly, I think this is the best part of this "natural yet polished" look - being in style just got a whole lot easier. Work with what you have, simplify your routine, and use products that keep your hair healthy. If you can start with a good hair day, just imagine how much more you can accomplish with that extra time.