Getting the right hairstyle for our age, lifestyle and face-shape, is important for all of us.
Here at SoSensational, we love a hair-cut that says I’m over 50 but I’ve still got it! The Top of the Crops, for over-50s if you like!
What most of our hairstyle icons have in common is that they have found their style and they stick to it, though, of course, adjusting the colour and the precise length, as time passes. And, also keeping in mind what’s current and fashionable, too.
As Jan and Cyndy are both aware, the colour nature gave you as an adult of 50-plus is not necessarily your best colour; sometimes the colourist’s art is essential to bring out the very best you.
Where we include actresses, it is for the style they wear as themselves rather than what is called for in a role. And on the subject of actresses, while we love the spirit of adventure displayed by some, we also think that by age 50, it’s time to decide on a style that truly works for you and let it evolve, rather than, er, chop and change dramatically every time you pop to a premiere… That said, we also think it is vital to refresh our look, including our hair, regularly. If we have always worn a sleek bob, does it now need a fringe or some height on the top? Does our shade of blonde need a few lowlights or should we be covering the grey?
If you have found a style you love (perhaps on a celebrity or in a magazine) DO NOT depend on your descriptive powers to explain the style to your stylist (Jan and Cyndy have both come a-cropper doing that!). Far better to take the advice in our hair video and take with you a picture of the style you want.
At SoSensational, we recognise that with age or illness some women could experience hair-loss or thinning hair. If that is an issue, do take a look at our helpful blogs.
Here are SoSensational’s Top 10 Over-50 hair-style Icons; the 10 women whose haircuts we love and which inspire us…
1. Anna Wintour (magazine editor, 66) – Why we love her hair: Anna knows the fashion and the hair-style that suits her, and sticks to them whilst remaining totally on trend. That could be the most important lesson in fashion from the most important name in fashion (she is, after all, editor of American Vogue). Comparing older pictures and current ones, we can see how that bob has evolved in length, colour and volume, while remaining her signature style.
2. Christine Baranski (actress, 64) – Why we love her hair: as we said in a recent Style Steal, we love Baranski’s whole look, including her hair. Like her alter ego, lawyer Diane Lockhart, the role she played in The Good Wife and is set to reprise in a planned spin-off series from CBS, she wears an immaculately well-cut jaw-length style broken up with a few blonde highlights. Off-screen, she wears it in a slightly messy, more youthful way; on-screen as Lockhart, it becomes a sleekly blow-dried power cut. We think that perfectly illustrates how a great haircut can be really versatile, too.
3. Sophie Cornish (former beauty editor, co-founder of Notonthehighstreet, 51) – Why we love her hair: the mid-length cut perfectly complements her face-shape while the blonde highlights really play up her gorgeous colouring. It is the kind of cut and length which allows her to look polished for the business side of her life while probably allowing her to drag it into a pony-tail for off-duty wear.
4. Dawn French (actress, 58) –Why we love her hair: as we observed in Style Steal she has found a haircut that is truly fabulous. As with La Wintour, if you study current and older photos of Dawn, you see how the cut has changed subtly in length and volume (A Good Thing) while very much remaining her signature style.
5. Julie Walters (actress, 64) – Why we love her hair: as we said in a 2015 Style Steal we love that terrific short hair-cut and the colour, grey, which suits her cool colouring. As we also said at the time, SoSensational is very much in favour of great short cuts. That crop really suits Julie’s face and suits her style of dressing which has a rather chic, French sensibility. The cut is short but still has a bit of length and volume; with this kind of cut the trick is to rein in your hairdresser’s inclination to cut too short. Hers is perfect.
6. Glenn Close (actress, 69) – Why we love her hair: like several of our Hair Style Icons, the Hollywood star has a short cut, but not short all over. She has kept it long on the top and has a side-swept fringe to balance out that square jaw. The blonde keeps it glamorous, while a bit of movement keeps it youthful.
7. Sarah Jessica Parker (actress, 51) – Why we love her hair: because SJP, Queen of experimental, NYC fashion, has settled on a great, can-be-parted-anywhere long cut. She wears it straight or wavy, but rarely in the wild curls, which were her hallmark in the hey-day of SATC. It’s hard to put down the little-girl’s curls, but SJP has done it, while still looking youthful and stylish.
8. Ellen DeGeneres (actress, presenter, 55) – Why we love her hair: her fashion style is an androgynous minimalism which extends to that great short-hair cut. We can’t stop admiring that fabulous blonde colour and short cut which so suits her delicate features.
9. Hillary Clinton (Democratic Party Nominee for President of the US, 68) – Why we love her hair: like many women of her generation, the former First Lady and possible future President, has struggled over the decades to find the perfect hair style for her. She was almost there with the off-the-face blonde bob of the noughties, but now seems to have nailed it with the shorter current cut with an occasional flicky fringe creating softness around her face: a great style for Hillary and a great style for a chic older woman.
10. Lulu (singer, songwriter, beauty entrepreneur, 66) – Why we love her hair: as we said in a style steal back in April, Lulu has an ultra-youthful look, a vibrant personality and sensational haircuts. Having been married to top UK salon owner John Frieda didn’t hurt but we think Lulu would have got to these gorgeous, choppy cuts regardless! Follow her lead by keeping it loose and casual – no helmet hair allowed.
Our ultimate hairstyle icon has to be the one and only Helen Mirren. Her hair is like her fashion sense: imbued with sophistication and simplicity. She changes her hair styles every few seasons switching between sleek and choppy; jaw-length or short. The reason she can look so fab with all these different styles is her face shape. She has an oval shaped face, which if you have the same (lucky you!), means you can wear any style you like! She always sticks with that beautiful blonde, except 3 years ago when she sported some beautiful pink tresses! At 71, she’s still Got It, and can give us all a lesson in how to keep rocking a great hair style.
Who is your hair inspo? Tell us below!
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