If I had a dollar for every time that I’ve tried to grow out my hair only to give up as it reaches that awkward medium length, I’d be sipping mai tais on a beach in Aruba instead of working for a living. Because as every woman knows, growing your hair past your shoulders, after living for years with a shorter style, is practically impossible. Success in this area takes patience, prenatal vitamins and a good ponytail.
But while the awkward length is the nemesis of women everywhere, it is no excuse to break out a silver banana clip and wear a hairstyle like this:
By far the biggest news to come out of the United Nations in recent memory, Hillary Clinton’s bad hair day is being talked about on every channel and website on this side of the Atlantic and beyond. And while I feel that this hairstyle–coupled with her recently back slide into her mid-90s headband addiction–is cause for rebuke on a fashion blog such as this one, I don’t understand why media outlets that are supposed to be reporting the news care so much.
After all, how does Clinton’s follicular faux pas trump her work on global aid initiatives or progress being made in the Middle East peace negotiations?
So while I would usually be one of the first to jump on the Secretary of State’s case for not seeking professional intervention for her hairdo(n’t), the media’s massive over reaction to a single bad hair day makes me want to defend her. And as a card carrying member of the Grand Old Party, defending a member of the Clinton family is unblazed, forbidden territory for me.
Yes, Hillary had a bad hair day. No, she should not wear a jaw clip outside of the workout room and I hope to never see that little silver doo hickey again. BUT, she’s the chief diplomat and negotiator for the world’s greatest superpower so her hair probably shouldn’t be the only headline story that a visit to the UN generates.
So let’s leave the debates about pant suits, hair styles and her overuse of the color blue to the fashion blogs, and turn to CNN for discussions about flooding in Pakistan and Haitian relief. Because while this hair style is positively cringe worthy, I don’t think it’s headline worthy.
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e says:
Hi Belle, this is a bit unrelated, but this post reminded me that I wanted to ask you about pulling hair back – half up. Do you have any suggestions for what to use when pulling my hair back – at work or in a casual setting? Elastic bands turn into a tangly mess. Some kind of barette? Thanks!!
Lou-Ann says:
The one positive thing about her half-up do, is that it draws attention to her face and her make up actually looks really pretty.
Leah S. says:
She needed to win your Goody's clip giveaway!
natlyg says:
I would pull it back with bobby pins – either just to the side or your head or all the way back to the crown. You can also use the elastic and wrap about 1/2cm of hair around the band – that helps my thick hair from getting too tangled in the hair below the band.
CJ says:
Bravo, Belle. I think we can agree bi-partisanly that while this hairstyle faux pas is egregious, we'd have much rather read about Secretary Clinton's meeting with Ahmadinejad.
Chris says:
I'm really glad to see you addressing national news channels covering non-news items. I agree with you whole heartedly on both parts, and I while hope Hilary doesn't wear this kind of thing again the bottom line is it doesn't really effect her able to do her job. (Though I do have to admit she was unrecognizable to be with her hair that way.) Way to call out the big “news” on their obsession with covering little things that the entire nation doesn't need to know or debate about.
ack says:
Thank you! I agree 100% and it's a point of view that I think is far too rare. This is why I love Capitol Hill Style.