Hair Today: But What Of Tomorrow?

I have had many different kinds of short haircuts over the years, but somehow I always return to my first love, the pixie cut. So, naturally, I spent the last two years growing it out (mainly so that I could achieve the coveted design-blogger topknot) only to decide to cut it short again. And then to decide that that short haircut was just NOT ENOUGH. To wit:

I cut around six inches off a couple of weeks back, as seen below.

Since then, I've had it cut again twice, each time a little shorter and -- as my beauty operator Nichole says -- "choppier and slicier." So now I am thinking, "Well, if it's already this short, why not the pixie again?"

Let's be honest, this whole thing is basically Anne Hathaway's fault. How can she go on SNL looking like this, and not expect me to immediately follow suit?

The only question now is: which kind of pixie? The Anne, cropped in the back but slightly longer on top, for maximum styling potential? Or the super-short Rosemary's Baby style, most recently done great justice by Emma Watson?

Maybe something in between, like Michelle Williams circa that one Vogue cover a couple of years ago?

Or I could always just eff it all and go full-on crazy-ass SWINTON.

What do y'all think? Do you even have an opinion? Do you need more examples of the pixie? Are you concerned about the temperature of my head during the frigid Southern winter? Do you think I should do it myself right now with these kitchen scissors and a bottle of wine? Tell all.

Comments

[jana]

I just wrote a post about my ongoing love affair with the pixie cut! I've decided it's my haircut, like, from now on.

Here's the post, if you're interested: http://tigweb.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/day-13-hair/

[Kizz]

SWINTON!

[Susan]

I am a total Pixie Enabler -- I think you should go for it (and by that I mean LET A PROFESSIONAL CUT YOUR HAIR FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY PLEASE).

Personally, I prefer the Emma Watson variety of pixie, because anything longer involves styling and I am unable to do that. At all. Ever. And I love my short short hair for running.

That said, you would totally rock the Hathaway, and I suspect that you could manage to keep it looking fab, unlike me. Because my hair clearly hates me. Which is why I keep cutting it all off.

Pixie FTW!

[Cass]

I love the pixie so. And it's my haircut. Except when it's not. I like the Sienna Miller pixie HTTP://WWW.PROHAIRCUT.COM/HAIRST_TRENDS_IN__1702.HTML

[Jen]

I had a pixie once. It was years ago when I was much thinner. I can't pull off the pixie now because I feel my face is too round now. Plus, if I go sans make up, I look like a boy! Pretty sure you can pull it off though, AB.

[Alex]

That is too funny. I am cutting my hair tomorrow (it is currently a chin length bob) and getting a pixie again. After debating what to do with -- at one point I actually said, "I am going FULL ON Tilda Swinton!" -- I've decided to go for a choppier pixie a la Anne Hathaway in her SNL bumpers. Like you, it seems like I just keep growing my hair out so I can cut it again. I did achieve the top knot this past summer, which I was very proud of.

It seems we're on the same hair wave length. HA! What a terrible pun I just made.

[Katie]

God, how I love a pixie cut! That said I've been growing mine out for over a year. I vote the Michelle Williams. You can always juju it up so it looks like Anne Hathaway.

[Andrew]

As a male commenter, I probably have about zero ground to stand on here, but I like your hair chin length or longer. IF, however, you were to go back to pixie, I vote asymmetrical. It strikes the right note between cute and badass.

[Sheri]

Rosemary's Baby!! You can totally pull it off. PS - I love that you linked to the Fug Girls; they are such enablers of my SWINTON obsession. xxx

[DriverB]

I like the Michelle Williams. I am also very jealous of you people with straight (or straight-ish) hair that can attempt this look. My curly hair would revolt in a cloud of ragamuffin if I tried this.

[Mags]

Egads, those are some adorable haircuts. As someone with long hair, naturally I'm obsessed with pixies; I pretty much love all these, but I'm going to nth the Hathaway vote -- looks the most flexible, plus you can still grow it out through some of the other stages (including full-on SWINTON!). Pictures, please!

[Erica W]

love Anne's hair, also Emma's. You could do Emma's and grow into Anne's? love it

[annie]

I vote Swinton. It'd look great on you!

[Martha]

Emma Watson! Your face works so well for that style.

[Michelle]

Go for the Anne!

[Becca]

HathaWAY! HathaWAY! Do ittttt!

[cori]

I have always adored a sassy pixie cut and the beautiful women who NAIL THEM. My vote is for the HATHAWAY. Please share a selfie when your hair mission is complete!

[Priscilla]

Step one: SWINTON!
Step two: Michele Williams
Step three: Emma
What the heck, you may as well fund your beauty operator's Barbados winter get-a-way.

[Sheila]

Love the Anne Hathaway! I got my first pixie but this summer, and I love it.

[akemi]

Full Tilda. Dewit.

[Erica]

If you go for the shortest pixie, you can try all the other styles as it grows out. Find your best pixie cut by having them ALL.

[Alexandra]

Dewiit!

[Sophie Lesher]

NO, YOU MAY NOT GO TILDA. because i love you too much. and also, crazy lady, no kitchen scissors and bottles of wine (bc let's be honest, you would not stop at one) - that's highway exit #67, aka off-ramp to salmonella or a massive head injury or both. so, yeah, no.

but, i mean, anne hathaway. because with the bambi eyes and the voice? yeah, you'd rock it. dewit!!! <3 you, you granny nutter.

[Sarafina]

Swinton that shit! I love a bold cut on a lady

[lynn]

I think the pixie is DEFINITELY your best look. Yay.

[Maggie]

You can have it all!

Emma grows out to Michelle, then you cut (shave?) the back for Swinton, which will grow to Anne.

[Melanie]

I love the Anne and the Michelle.

A couple of old school ones come to mind too. Did you see Sliding Doors? Gwyneth Paltrow had a cool short do in that movie.

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/gwyneth-paltrow/images/310380/title/sliding-doors-photo

One of those early America's Next Top Model winners had a fun short cut too. She wore it choppy/slicey and smooth.

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/105303453-yoanna-house-during-americas-next-top-model-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=R4V%2FQay2ANwpmCZhkZDSEpik%2B1aFQ8vTzq3VIphT8TH0PriZ%2FnJfFapExlANOfzG7NBXiykRw3DLUyfH%2Favr7Q%3D%3D

[Sally]

HATHAWAY.

[Marnie]

Personally, I think you could rock them all...you have that perfect pixie face! But, my favorite is the Anne for its versatility. Someone above mentioned the Sienna Miller pixie cut...I got that on a whim last year and have been growing it out since!

[ALH]

TRUTHINESS: You are one of the very few people in the world that can go BOOM on all these cuts. I mean, it's like you and the people pictured above and that's it! It's a small club, and you are the club prez. So, you know, dewit. Also: hair grows, be brave, etc.

[Nicole]

I really love your first photo from your flikr stream - so maybe, Anne with a little Swinton thrown in?! go for, it looks really great on you!

[hannah]

you know that i am PRO AB PIXIE. I say while you of all people could rock the Swinton, you look lovely in the Anne. DEWIT.

[ambertz]

what does mr chao think?? i'm curious as to which one he likes best?

[AB]

@ambertz: He is overseas right now! I always try to make my most drastic decisions while he's out of the country. :)

[carrie ann]

Dewit!

[ambertz]

I vote for Anne!!! you can totally pull it off!

[Teresa]

As someone who gets bored very easily (and also? It's just hair! It grows back!) I say go with Rosemary's Baby, grow it into Michelle, then cut that into piecey Anne, then chop the sides to SWINTON. (Full disclosure, I also love the Miley.) That's at least 6 months of hair entertainment!

[Laura]

Hathaway! Definitely. It gives you more styling options, and bonus, it grows out faster if you change your mind again. You wouldn't think that extra inch on top makes that much difference, but I'm here to tell you it does.
http://nugicalmusings.blogspot.com/

[Rhonda]

I vote for all 3: Full SWINTON, with kitchen scissors, and bottle of wine.

Keep cutting til the wine is gone.
What are you waiting for? It's only hair.

[Ryan]

I've had all those haircuts, just not on purpose (and 12 years ago) but they never looked that good! I'm horrible at styling and forget that I have to use product to keep from having poofy hair. My recent Megan Draper hair cut has grown out and I've been trying to find time to get it trimmed up to what you have now. I wish that the super extreme part worked for me but the damn widows peak says "NO!"

Just go for it (any of the options). Since you have to get short cuts touched up so often, you have plenty of opportunity to switch directions.

[jane]

Anything described "rosemary's baby" scares me to death... The kitchen shears and wine sounds like a Keith Richard's to me! (Sorry, no link, but I'm probably picturing an old RS cover, almost equally scary.) :)
I vote Michelle Williams. Or Anne Hathaway. Both so pretty!

[Erin]

I am pro-pixie, but first I must ask. Do you wear a hat in the not-so-frigid Southern winter? If so, consider how that will look with said pixie and make go for the longer version (Hathaway or Williams) that would allow little pieces to show around the front and then go full time short in the spring. My two cents.

[Monika]

Pixie! 'Cos then I could live, vicariously, through you. I had a pixie for a few years and then--don't ask why--I grew it out. I can't style it so it lives in a pnytail/bun like thing... sad. I sense a cut coming on but you go first... for inspiration. I'd go all the way and cut it the shortest possible because it will get to the Hathaway in two weeks....

[Grace]

The bob looks fab, but I also fully support going to a pixie! I love your short hair in your "Meet AB" section! I think all the examples you picked would be super cute, but I'm going to vote Anne Hathaway. When I cut all my hair off to a pixie, I wanted it a little longer on top so I could still feel like I could "fix" it. Yay! Post pics :)

[stacey]

Well, this post pushed me over the edge, A.B., and I printed the Hathaway/SNL shot and took it today to get my hair cut! I haven't had this style in over 20 years, and I am SO SO glad to have it again! My 4yo niece was quite flummoxed, she kept running her hand over my head, looking for the hair. But I feel quite liberated myself!

Thanks for giving me the cojones!

[AB]

@Stacey, that is awesome! I love it when that happens.