Picture Demi Moore, and you likely imagine her super-long, Rapunzel-inspired hair. Save for her G.I. Jane days, the actress has always been known for her glossy hair, which has fallen way down to her waist in recent years.
So, it’s understandable that she caused a furore last week when she stepped out with her long hair lopped off. Especially considering she has spoken out in the past about why she loves wearing her hair long, telling People in 2022: “I remember hearing someone say that when women get older, they shouldn’t have long hair. And something about that stuck with me. Like, who says? It made me feel like, well, if it can grow and it’s not unhealthy, then why shouldn’t we?”
On the pressure for women post-40 to have their long hair cut, Demi said to Glamour last year: “I did notice, particularly women who were going through menopause, that they were… all were kind of cutting their hair in a very almost masculine way, just desexualising themselves.”
With Demi’s long hair a way to reject patriarchal norms, it’s natural to wonder what made her go for her major chop last week. Explaining in some way, her hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos told InStyle: “I wanted to give Demi a very bold and fashion-forward look,” and indeed, the edgy bob Demi went for is far from the frumpy style sometimes associated with a functional hair cut – and perhaps it was the rock and roll vibe to the bob that persuaded Demi to bid adieu to her long locks.
This actually isn’t the first time Demi has dabbled in a different look. Cast your mind back to April last year, when the actress donned a feathered bob wig for work. While over 1,000 easynewcastleescorts.co.ukreaders said they loved the star’s new look and would try it for themselves, the bob didn’t feel very… Demi. Her new tousled, wet look ‘do embodies her daring, bold character in a far more authentic way.
Long hair and womanhood
As Demi pointed out, she believed that women feel pressure to have their hair cut when they reach that “certain age”, and life coach Mhairi Todd, who also recently cut her long hair, agrees that hair is intertwined with femininity.
“There’s a long cultural history around hair and womanhood,” Mhairi says. “Hair has always been shorthand for how society values women. Long has often equalled youthful and desirable, while short has been coded as practical or neutral.
“Underneath that are the generational layers. For baby boomer and older generations, long hair was part of the ‘ideal woman’ package, because women were prized primarily for appearance and compliance.”
Mhairi continues that this notion is being rejected, especially for by millennial and Gen X women. “That message collides with a totally different reality,” she laments. “We’re expected to do it all; build careers, raise children, stay attractive, age well, and hold everything together. I think many women cut their hair but because they’re tired of performing to beauty standards they didn’t consciously sign up for in the first place.”
On the wave of women rejecting society’s expectations, Mhairi adds: “I believe what we’re slowly seeing is a shift from hair as an object of external validation to hair as a vehicle for self-definition.”
Mhairi’s changing hair
Mhairi been growing her hair since having her first son six years ago, but this weekend had it cut to her shoulders. “I had mermaidy visions, soft waves, dreamy Instagram hair goals,” Mhairi says of her long hair. “Every few weeks that fantasy came to life thanks to my hairdresser. But in between, it wasn’t actually serving me. There was a lot of old energy tied up in that hair, pardon the pun. So, the chop felt symbolic as well as literal. It was a release. And it feels brilliant. It’s healthy, manageable, I can style it myself, and it feels like a small act of rebellion. I did it because I wanted to. That’s it.”
That said, if you do want to keep your hair long and swishy, Mhairi says there’s no age limit. “If your long hair is something you choose because it genuinely makes you feel like you, that’s empowerment, and that’s where confidence grows. Long hair doesn’t make you more or less confident. Agency does.”
But on the other hand, if your long hair isn’t making you happy, there’s no reason to keep your lengths for fear of toeing the societal line. “Confidence is about choosing a style you like, regardless of trends or outdated standards. It’s crucial to remember that confidence is like a muscle. You don’t get confident and then act, you act and confidence grows as a result.”
