I Like My Short Hair.

By Jillian Owens

 

There are things about me that I like a lot. There aren’t a ton of them, but the things I like about me, I really really like about me.

I like that I’m creative. I like that I’m clever and witty. I like that I’m kind. I like that I can express myself in writing. I like how I dress. I like how I’ve decorated my home. I like that I can (and do) have entire conversations in bad B movie quotes with my friends. I like my wanderlust. I like that I’m silly and unafraid to care about something passionately or not at all. I like making points through repetition.

I like my short hair.

There are endless articles online written by people who think all women should have long hair. They vary from rude to insulting, and are mostly by men. I’ve never understood this. The movies I grew up loving featured strong women who chopped off their locks in a moment of empowerment. In the movie Sabrina, the title character returns from a transformative trip to Paris with a chic new cropped cut. It’s the same story with Roman Holiday, where Audrey’s hair is clipped as a symbol of freedom and personal choice. Even silly 80’s movies like The Legend of Billie Jean understood the power of the pixie.

I dated this guy who told me, “I like girls with long hair.” It seemed a weird thing to say, as my hair was as short then as it is now. It’s not like I’m one of those weird dolls in the 80’s where you could just twist my arm around a few times and I would magically crank out long, luxurious tresses.

 

Remember this creepy thing?

 

I suppose I could have come back with “I like guys who aren’t losing their hair, so perhaps you shouldn’t be so choosy,” if I had wanted to hear how I sound when I’m being insincere. If I like a person, superficial things like hair length and muscle girth cease to matter. Flaws fade into the background, or become endearing quirks.

Other things came up. An up-down look at what I was wearing would be met with an “I don’t know what you’re trying to do.” My awesome harem pants I like to lounge in got a, “Why don’t you just wear regular sweat pants if you’re going to wear those?”. My taste in food was snobby and it was silly for me to expect anyone to know what charcuterie was. I was told that his friends thought I was “alternative” (an alternative to what?) and to not try so hard to be different.

 

It’s called Power Clashing.

 

The hair thing kept coming up. Every time I had an appointment to get my bob trimmed, I was asked why I wouldn’t just grow it out. “I’ve seen pictures of you with long hair, and I think it looks better,” said my balding companion.

A few months later, I eventually got it.

He just never actually liked me.

But I like my short hair.

 

 

Jillian Owens is a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. A Columbia SC transplant, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in Theatre and English. When she’s not gallivanting about, she’s busy refashioning ugly thrift store duds into fashionable frocks at ReFashionista.net  or creating compelling content for the clients of Riggs Partners, where she works as a digital marketing specialist. She also reviews local theater productions for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia, and is an occasional contributor for The Free Times. Any comments, questions, or crude remarks can be directed to [email protected].

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