Lessons in Dressing

In honor of Hairstylist Appreciation Day

Everything I know about dressing women (or rather, encouraging women to dress themselves), I learned from dressing hair. I could literally fill a book with all the insights I gathered working behind the chair but I’ll stick to just five for attention span’s sake.

five things I learned as a hairstylist

1. Every single woman has her insecurities and they’re often polar opposites. For every woman that wants her puffy hair to just lay down, there’s another desperate for even just a little volume and umpf. The same is true with curly & straight, thick & thin, short & long, dry & greasy, alllll the colors. Your insecurity is likely another woman’s goal.
2. We all look like drowned rats coming back from the shampoo bowl. Not all parts of the process are pretty.
3. Most women that bring in an inspiration picture won’t be 100% satisfied because, while they often get the hairstyle, they really wanted the inspo’s face, airbrushed skin, a flawless feature, or body. Comparison is the thief of joy.
4. Everyone has something to say, some just say it with silence.
5. Not every trend is intended for everybody and how boring this world would be if they were! Do you.

After spending 15+ years working various roles in the hair insustry, I might be biased but I think hairstylists are some of the most knowledgeable, insightful, empathetic, cogs in our communities. Just take a second to think about all the things, spoken out loud or not, that you and your stylist have been through together. If you haven’t told your hairstylist how much they mean to you lately, today’s a great day.