To think not many women have short hair

[Zoooooom]

I know there will be posters on here who have, but just thinking of people I know in real life.
Thinking of a group of 7 friends I've had since school, not one of them has above shoulder length hair. One tried a pixie about a decade ago, but grew it straight out and none have ever had anything less than a very very long bob.
I vaguely know of 2 women with buzz cuts, which suit them, they're my partner's colleagues, but otherwise I know nobody.
Working across secondary schools, it's very very rare to see girls with short hair. Maybe 2 in the whole year group.
I may be wrong but I've never seen anybody on a show like Love Island with short hair, always flowing extensions.
I have it, but sometimes wonder if I'm considered more unattractive for it, not that it matters, I do it for me.
Does anybody else notice this?

I've got a chin length bob, so not super short but certainly shorter than the majority my age (38), I'd say. There are a few other women at work with shorter hair, I wouldn't say it was totally exceptional, but it's considerably less popular.

My main reason is that if I had it much longer I'd have to tie it up, and I hate how I look with a ponytail. I've never really learned to do my hair "up" properly

You did. You said most women under about 50 have long hair. Combine this with your opening post saying that ‘most women’ have long hair, and it’s clear that, subconsciously, you dismissed women over 50 when formulating your hypothesis. Most women = most women under 50. You were probably not even aware of it, so this is unconscious bias, and is something we need to be aware of. The invisible generations of women over 50 are so often ignored by society in general that younger women should be better aware of ageism. I’d hope that they’d want this to improve before they reach this age bracket themselves…

I can only think of one mum who has a pixie style hair cut and has for the 10+ years I have known her. MIL and my own mum had short hair. There are a few older (70+) ladies in my road who have short hair but other than that most women I know have a bob or longer.
My hair is elbow length, short hair seems quite high maintenance to me. I mostly plait my hair for work (it has to be tied back) or sport, but I wear it loose at weekends.

I'm 58 and have a platinum blonde pixie cut. Absolutely love it!

Mine is No7 all over, cut on my terrace with an actual buzz cut and all trimming put in the compost.

Hope that helps.

I have a short bob because I have 3 horses to muck every day. I am often shoving a riding helmet on, and can wash and blow dry it in about 15 minutes. I am nearly 60, and my hair has been short for years.

Why do over 50s have short hair anyway?

Because it was fashionable when we were 20.

And it does get a lot thinner after the menopause.

I've mainly had short hair and i love how practical it is. A good hairdresser makes all tge difference, mines thick and they have theor work cut out.
I give no shits what others think about the length

I get a short back and sides at the barbers, as do many of my friends

I’d personally would love to have short hair but it would not suit me and my husband would hate it. Most women don’t have short hair because most will look better with longer hair.

Well, yeah it's the fashion nowadays to have long hair and if your hair is thin and looks a bit crap long you can just get extensions or a hairpiece or any number of other pieces of hair trickery that make hair look thicker than it is.

I also think that long hair is seen as being more youthful, so women in middle age are loathe to chop it off, because it's what older women have traditionally done and who the hell wants to look old these days?

Every guy I've ever asked has said they prefer women with longer hair as it's "just more feminine". Not my opinion, just what everyone I've asked has said! No wonder most women feel pressured to keep their hair long/get extensions. To be honest that's probably subconsciously why my hair is long too...

It's just not the height of fashion right now. I grew up in the 70s/80s and short hair was very fashionable. Loads of girls and women followed the trend - but not everyone suited it. I look crap with short hair. It's harsh and unforgiving on me (and I like something to hide behind!) My sister had short hair for a few years and she looked fantastic.

I’m 61 and my hair is just short of shoulder length in a longish bob. I’ve had a pixie in my time though.

For whatever reason you've really over thought this and taken huge offence where there's none to be taken, but that's your own viewpoint I guess

I'm pushing sixty and I've sported a buzz cut since I was 17. My hair is very thick so having it long would be a nightmare.
I would have to mess about styling it and I'd have to buy a hairdryer!

You're right - some sort of shoulder length bob seems to rule.
My daughter got a pixie cut when she was about 8 or 9. She looked really cute, but her school uniform was a blazer and tie, and all the kids said she looked like a boy and she was devastated and couldn't wait to grow it out. All the girls in her school have long hair.
I had short hair when younger but yes it was the 80s!

Mouth agape at this. Where to start?

You are allowed to wear your hair however you like, firstly. Regardless of anyone else's opinion, regardless of arbitrary notions of 'suiting' it. If you want it, and if you like it, do it.

Women will never be free of patriarchal expectations of "femininity" if we even police ourselves this harshly, let alone judge other women or fret over what a man considers attractive.

I have shortish hair now, as in a short bob, above my shoulders but long enough that most of it can be tied back. This is the shortest style I can easily cut by myself. I've had my hair long and properly short throughout my life and I find short the most work by far. It's unforgiving. You can't tie it up to hide the fact that it's a bit greasy and you end up having to style it so, so often. I have very thick, fine hair and when short it tends to stand up in ways I don't want it to most mornings. And it has to be cut regularly to keep it short. It's too much hassle for me.

I like to just have hair that I only have to think about if I want to. Hair that lies relatively neatly after a quick brush. That can go a week between washes because it looks fine tied up. And that only needs to be cut a few times a year when I'm tired of how long it's gotten and the mood takes me to grab the scissors.

As a rule short hair isn’t as flattering on face shapes or as forgiving as long hair. To have short hair and carry it off well you have to have good bone structure and smaller features. I would look awful with short hair. I like my longer hair .

Do you apply this "logic" to male face shapes? 🤔

I had a bob a few years ago after have 17” of hair cut for the little princess trust. It was a nightmare to manage as my hair is very thick and wild, I had to straighten it everyday. I also couldn’t tie it up. I have hair to my hips again now and it’s so much easier to look after. Good to go after washing and leaving to air dry!

I agree. I'd call it the northern English mum look though, given we're from Lancs .

My mum still has this thing that women over 30 should automatically cut off their hair. My sister and I have long hair...

I think it's the old misogynistic idea. Once you'd attracted a man and had a couple of kids, it was your job to keep house and kids and not attract other men. By making yourself look as dowdy as possible. It wasn't just the hair, it was the frumpy, shapeless clothes too. Also, god forbid any woman who didn't conform. A girl in my class's mum had long auburn curls. She was labelled a harlot because of her hair and non frumpy clothes.

Some women look amazing with short hair. My colleague is mid 30s and a bit punk / rock chick. She has a shirt, angular cut. It goes with her look. She isn't frumpy though.

I have it, but sometimes wonder if I'm considered more unattractive for it, not that it matters, I do it for me.

I don't think so. DD did it and hugely regretted it and worried about the same thing. In general I've found it can make women seem a certain way, perhaps less feminine? But that doesn't equate to attraction and actually, one of the most typically feminine women I know has an extremely short pixie. I think appearance is how we make initial judgments on people, like I'd assume a woman with a long glossy bayalaged blowout is a certain way, but they're often wrong and replaced when we have more to go on.

Millie court last years love island had short hair and it really suited her. It’s the first time I watched the show but Olivia Bowen has short hair now, don’t know if she did at the time.

my 3 best friends all have a Bob type style. My hair is really long. It doesn’t suit me short. My DDs hair is almost at her bum.