Yes, her hair but also earings and make up that is heavy enough for an evening being photographed but suits her and doesn't look cakey and over the top.

She looks like someone who always looks well put together, knows what suits her and looks after her skin, hair and clothes.

I agree. My mum looked good in beige nad neutral colours. I just look frumpy.

Surely expensive hair = hair that is cut, blow dried (and coloured if needed) very regularly. Haircuts are expensive, thus, expensive hair!

E.g. trim every few weeks, blow dry whenever going out, colour at least every 2 months, all at a salon = works out very expensive!

Trim twice a year, boots DIY colour at home and leave hair to dry naturally - cheap!

Doesn't mean option 2(me!) can't have nice looking hair but it's not expensive hair!

Though I suppose PoW's hair does look very 'done' but overdone in my opinion, almost old fashioned, but that could be part of her overall look. Probably expensive, yes.

I think it is part of the overall look, generally speaking, but healthy, looked-after hair. I think fizz (as it's been mentioned), or would that be wavy hair really, can look expensive as part of an overall look, though personally I think it lends itself better to longer styling.

I agree, I think it’s the combination of a) having the overall look of being well-groomed and having cared for one’s appearance and b) really knowing what suits you and using that to choose your clothes, hair, makeup etc.

Lupita Nyong’o is like this too. She has fantastic, expensive hair (both natural and she’s rocked some great protective styles) but her skin is also flawless and she wears some amazing makeup looks that are bold but really suit her.

White women (or more specifically, English women) often don't have good hair because it's usually very thin and lacks body. I'm thinking Liz Truss type hair here.

I think that Asian women nail the beauty standard when it comes to hair. Lots of white women buy Asian hair extensions.

With black women its harder to find examples because rich/famous black women typically straighten their hair. This reinforces the idea that nice, expensive looking hair needs to fit a certain beauty standard. Hopefully this will change with time.

Interesting thread, I think we have a culture of straightening hair in the UK, certainly. I don't know if I have "expensive" hair, but I do get compliments on my hair. My hair is long and thick (obviously genetics helps), it is also curly and grey, though I have dyed it in the past. I do think going with your natural texture and having healthy, shiny hair helps, mine looks somewhere between those before and after curly photos. Uk wet and windy weather is not kind to curls, or straightened hair, so I would wear it up.

I was also an indie kid. I'm not sure if I want to look rich per se, but I don't want to waste my money on clothes that fall apart. I am also a lifelong fan of secondhand like @HamHand (your ebay business sounds fab). I would say brands that I have that have either had for a long time or bought secondhand that are well made are: toast, boden (basics not the fun stuff), great plains, me & em, jaeger, uniqlo basics. I have also picked up some designer pieces over the years.

With black women its harder to find examples because rich/famous black women typically straighten their hair. This reinforces the idea that nice, expensive looking hair needs to fit a certain beauty standard.


This sounds slightly like Black women who straighten their hair or use wigs, weaves, extensions have responsibility for reinforcing those stereotypes. It’s sort of the wrong way round IMO: the stereotypes exist, and Black women are pressurised to confirm to white hair norms and the view that straight smooth hair is expensive or tidy or professional or whatever.

@ChilliPB you are right. Black women have to straighten their hair if they want to get well-paid jobs. Natural healthy hair is "unprofessional".

I’m a civil servant and most of the black women I work with have natural hair.

@HamHand I'm a 6 foot twiglet I also love Toast but if it's any consolation they are also huge on me - far too long and too wide but tend to have short sleeves.

I assume they are going for the 7ft, size 14 with short arms market 😂

The brands you mention are rather long past their best … (And not exactly cool.) Have you looked at any of these?

La Garçonne (For inspiration only; almost everything they sell is much cheaper elsewhere.)
Lemaire
Margaret Howell
Raey at Matches Fashion
Studio Nicholson (Cinnamon and clay at the moment!)

Obviously there are a million other places, but these are are all mainstream with good websites.

To me, expensive hair is hair that has had a lot of time and money spent on it to look "natural".

Not actually natural, but not overdone in any way.

@follyfeet I have very cool colouring too, those gorgeous, earthy tones make me look sick! When I was young I had very dark, almost black, curly hair, pale skin and pale blue eyes. People used to say I looked ethereal or ask if my mum dyed my hair. Now, I have the same with silvery-grey hair and they still say I look ethereal.

I have a very sensitive scalp, so have always used good quality (sometimes expensive) products on my hair. So it looks natural, but has had a lot of help: clarifying shampoo, toning shampoo, hair mask, styling products etc.

Also, is understated the same as creative? The very conventional, formal Royal Family style is certainly not a look I would aspire too. Besides, I look frumpy in those kind of classic, formal clothes. Toast clothes are beautifully made, but can be weirdly sized.

I have what you'd describe as expensive hair.. Its a combination of two things.. Effort put in and natural good hair genes.
So my basic product is thick, fast growing, naturally bouncy and curls at the end hair.
Left to own devices it can be frizzy, frazzled looking.
But a regime,which I admit is expensive, turns it into and keeps it looking fabulous and yes expensive, well groomed...
I have colour and deep treatment every 5 weeks, cut every 10, weeks. I use expensive shampoo and conditioner with no nasty chemicals or silicone.
I wash twice a week and blow dry everytime.
I have Dyson hairdryer and full styling kit.. And spend long time drying on very low heat.
I have silk pillow cases.
I always have an umbrella.. And I never use cheap products etc.
I take my own travel mini version and my Dyson on all trips.
Its worth it to me...

@follyfeet Lady Louise has lovely hair. But it's not 'expensive hair' and so what? Hair can still be beautiful and desirable without being 'expensive hair'. I'm not sure anyone is asserting that 'expensive hair' is necessarily something to aspire to.

I have good hair, it's by far my best feature. To the point of being stopped by strangers who comment on it. But it's not expensive hair because it's copper red, and because I haven't set foot in a hair salon in years.

I love people watching.
You can soon copy the look if you want, but in the absence of loads of money it takes effort.

Shiny hair, good shaped eyebrows, looked after nails, toned body. Someone who just steps in a sports outfit, takes their hair up in a pony tail, but you can still tell.

@follyfeet
What meant was I "inherited" my father's hair type, thick, wavy, red colour, fast growing.
My mother has dead straight fine thin slow growing hair which sorry just doesn't imo look as "healthy".
We do have genes that express these physical characteristics, such as eye colour, hair colour, whether you are tall, short, curls not curls.
Apologies to people who felt the term healthy was inappropriate and offensive to those with less lushly growing hair..
But it was best way of describing what my hair is like.. And yes I'm lucky

Lady Louise needs curly girl!