Honest opinion on these hair styles please

[Hairtodays]

I’m 50 and my shoulder length hair is thin and stringy. It’s almost all one length and it’s boring and flat. I have a natural wave that tends to flick up and out and I’ve had my hair like the pictures in the past but not sure if it’s now dated.

I like what Kate Silverton used to have - lots of layers and flicks up at the back. I used to use a hot brush to get lift and the crown and sides and the sides and back used to be cute and flick out due to the natural curl in my hair. Is it too dated now though? I detest the use of ‘Karen’ to describe these looks but I don’t want anything that is obviously 10 years out of date.

any thoughts please?

Exactly. I think over styled hair that is too uniform in its layers etc is really out dated. It reminds me of the “shampoo and set” days of the 80s.

Tousled is a better description than messy.

I think the styles in the OP are fine, just a little too styled. It reminded me of Ruth Langsford's hair in that she's a very pretty woman, but the hair has an overstyled or slightly rigid look.

As the owner of hair that can get thin and straggly, I would caution against too much layering for whichever style you choose. I once had to hack off several inches of very stringy hair after my hairdresser got carried away 😭

Go for something like this.

I am sorry but the medley of hairstyles posted above do make me think 'karen' or 'manager', as someone said above.

50 is not old. Hold off the purple rinse!

Including combing it. The long , straggly gray one is horrible. I don't like the OP's choices but none of the suggestions are any better.

Amused at the idea this makes me "staid". Opting for the current approved version of middle aged helmet hair is about as "staid" as you can get.

Oh and those of you throwing the "Karen" insult out - it's deeply misogynistic. Personally I wouldn't take style tips from anyone using it.

This is me, it’s fine and flat and just wants to curl up. I can encourage a proper curl with loads of product but it’s fine and straggly

It doesn't look flat or stringy and it's a lovely colour. Pretty dress.

I actually think your hair cut is really nice and sits well! I'd look at changing the colour rather the cut? Maybe something a bit lighter and cool toned?

Your hair is very much like mine and almost identical in style to my best friends hair. I keep mine in a blunt bob but if I grow it longer it flicks out like yours whereas my friend likes her hair like yours. I cannot get it to sit in any of the styles posted above and it is too straight and shiny (is there a technical world?). You really just have to work with what you have unless you have unlimited time and are happy to use a lot of product in your hair. I have another friend who would give her right arm to have hair like ours!

I’m 60 and have changed from a bob to a short wolf cut/mullet/shag. Layered,lots of movement and longer in the nape. When we were in France in the summer, my son said to me he found it difficult to recognise me from the back as every other French woman had the same cut! Ultimately, do what suits you. I’d love these sleek wavy bobs but my hair just would look awful/thin and stringy and odd wave to it. Those layered choppy bobs are a bit dated but if they suit your hair so what?

Looking at your picture, I think your hair looks good/very good colour and a soft style. Unless you have a squarish defined jaw line, I’d avoid layering and mullety too much-your current style suits you. If you’d like it to appear thicker, drying technique-ie drying it over the side of your head will make it have more body.

Your hair looks much like mine

@Arachnesweb goodness you're feisty...We're just throwing out hair suggestions. "This is horrible, that looks a mess..that's awful...that sounds misogynistic" 🙄🙄🙄

@Hairtodays the pic of your current hair is really nice!!

I like the styles @winniethepooped has posted they look very current.

My hair is indentical to yours OP, and right now it's driving me batshit. I've had a disastrous cut where the hairdresser used thinning scissors to take some of the weight out to tame the wave and now the cravy wave is on steroids. I went back and she's tried to even the layers out but it just needs a few months now to grow.

I tried a wedged bob but it took far too long every morning to do anything with; and I've tried the tousled look... I just looked like I'd had a fight with a hedge.

Your hair is nicer than the suggestions on here.

Do you like any of these OP?

Or these?

I’ve thought about a full fringe. It’s just my hair is so fine and ratty.

I agree. And as another pp said, it looks nicer than the styles that have been suggested

It really isn't. You have nice hair.

Layering makes my fine hair look thinner and stick out in unflattering ways. I dry it with my head upside down and using a diffuser so it is fashionably messy! 😁.

I do think hair that is too rigid and tamed now looks dated

How did your style turn out, can I ask? I also have fine hair, which goes pretty flat pretty quickly, but I like these styles you've presented.

@Whatineed
I love it, ended up more like picture three but with a heavier fringe. Super easy to maintain and definitely suits me better than the cycle of pixie versus bob that I had been in
Products are key a light paste or sea salt spray make it better.