She caught my attention.
I watched her walking around the Place des Vosges in Paris, with her son. I couldn’t help but notice her… to me, she was striking… It was her hair.
On first glance, I thought she was making a statement… dipping the ends to highlight the grey… a clever way to tackle the problem… a reverse Daphne Guinness look. Brave but with a stroke of drama… Acceptance with style… Going grey with flair and passion… Meeting the dilemma midway.
Not so, this woman was natural all the way… she had stopped colouring and had the good fortune to have a wonderfully thick and beautiful head of hair.
I stopped her to say how much I liked her hair… that is why I know her ‘story’ and that the hairstyle was all her own.
She was flattered by my compliment, surprised a little… strangers don’t often get up close and personal so quickly… but I admired her ‘look’ and wanted her to know. Compliments are important… even to strangers.
Her reason for going grey was not at all complicated… nothing more than a time management issue… she was a busy professional, always on the road and maintaining her dark hair took up too much of her time.
I asked myself why it is so easy to be enamoured with someone else’s choice yet so difficult to follow suit.
This woman was elegant, of that age… gorgeous, intelligent and sexy… yet, she had grey hair and lots of it. So often we shun the ‘greys’ and classify those who wear their hair au naturel as dowdy, frumpy and middle aged… This woman was living proof that grey does not equal granny.
What she did have was confidence… For her, going grey did not mean an outmoded hair cut and the end of a fashionable life… a life where she dressed to suit her age not herself. She wore her hair how she had always worn it… long, in layers and framing her face… she hadn’t changed, only the colour of her hair.
Going grey… or letting nature become the boss… is not for everyone…. I can see that.
Many of us draw strength and comfort from the familiar… and that so often means keeping our hair exactly the same way as it has always been… Some of us hide behind our hair, use it as a security blanket… we let it define us and in doing so find change all too confronting.
Some just don’t like grey hair… It’s that simple… not personally and not on others… they will never wear it and they will never accept it as anything less than ageing.
I agree to disagree.
I will be bold and admit that I like grey hair…. I am a convert… or on my way to being one… but… there are ways and then there are ways to go grey…
Going grey must be done with commitment and confidence. Full-stop. If you aren’t ready to embrace a whole new look, then don’t.
Going grey should probably be tackled in stages… “letting it all grow out” is never going to feel or look good. It may take longer to arrive at the destination, but a few highlights along the way will make the journey that much more comfortable.
Going grey means groomed hair… well cut and in healthy condition… ‘bad hair’ days still exist and the hairdresser must be on speed dial… the blow dryer on standby.
Going grey does not only mean a certain freedom but also that style should not be forgotten in the overhaul… Letting go does not necessarily mean ‘letting go’… In some ways how we dress and interpret our ‘look’ is even more important… Grey hair can be less forgiving… and with the wrong fashion choices, there is no doubt it can be ageing.
Grey is another hair ‘colour’ like any hair colour… and when we change tack, so must our wardrobes. Black, grey, navy, red, white and cream will become the new best friends… yellow, brown and caramel… relegated to old acquaintances…
It is a brave choice…
Going, going… gone… Grey… Will you? Are you?
Tell me…. or ask and show me if you aren’t sure.
You know, the more we chat, the easier it all is… xv
