Hair is an ageist issue

[Beeinalily]

In this area there are two looks for ladies over about 50. Either long unstyled hair, or a graduated bob. The reason being, whatever you ask for, you get the bob. Last time I went, I did my research and downloaded a photo of what I wanted, booked the salon owner (rather expensively), and came out with - the bob. And actually the bob in question wasn't as good as the usual one from the trainee! So now I have the long unstyled (and unkempt) look, and it's driving me crazy. The dreaded bob is probably better, but all the older ladies here look like clones! Does anyone else find this?

It is, but it suits JW, it'd suit a lot of women better than a bob. Especially, tbh, the short at the back long at the front type - there's very few women who those really suit and even then they'd probably look better with something else.

The model’s hair in that pic looks quite fine and I suspect some rollers were involved in the uplift, so maybe it’s just a style that doesn’t suit your hair type. As a Pp suggested, keep an eye out for women whose style you like in real life and ask them where they get theirs cut for first- hand recommendations.

Those short at back bobs and long at front need a really long neck to do them justice.

No, you associate short hair with your mother. There's a difference. And there's nothing wrong with being older or ageing.

Indeed, that is why I am suggesting the OP seeks someone out who will be very familiar with the June Whitfieldesque style. As I say, I know at least one hairdresser still working in her 70s, I am sure any older hairdresser will be familiar with this sort of style.

I laughed.

But any hairdresser who has been properly trained will be able to look at a particular hair style and understand the cutting dynamics that have created that style. Hair styles are just a combination of how the hair is cut and how it's dried. When I show my hairdresser what I want, he deconstructs it in terms of length / layering etc. If hairdressers are defaulting to a graduated bob it's because they think older lady = older lady hairstyle. I've lost count of the number of hairdresser's Insta pages I've browsed that are full of beautiful young girls with Wolf Cuts or French Bobs peppered with the occasional photo of an older woman with a grey graduated bobs!

I nearly went for a wolf BUT my lovely hairdresser advised against it because my hair is very curly at the back and straight at the front.

He said

'You're going to end up with an 80s mullet if we do too much layering'

He was correct.

What on earth is a wolf?

I suspect your hairdresser really only knows how to do half a dozen styles well. This seems to be a more common feature of modern hairdressing training than you think and really quite bizarre in my opinion.

Would your bus pass take you anywhere with a Toni & Guy? I’m not usually a fan of theirs because they train as per above- they literally only offer 4 or 5 styles at a time BUT i am wondering if the Trixie on this link might get you in the right ballpark cut and shape-wise, even if you then style it more wavy yourself, and at least you’d know for sure what you’d come out with?
Toni and Guy

I think it’s similar to a “shag”

I'm so confused - did you not say 'I didn't ask for a bob, please can you cut my hair into this style (showing photo) or did you just say yeah that's lovely thank you and walk out?
Did you at least get a refund ?

Well to my generation that's having sex, so now I'm clutching my pearls!

I've had long and very short hair over the years but I always come back to the bob simply because it suits me best and I'm fortunate to have well behaved hair so it's easy to do myself. It's a chin length round bob (a bit like Anna Wintour but with a softer fringe) and my young hairdresser says she enjoys doing a shorter cut "for a change".

I've loved the cut ever since I first saw this Vidal Sassoon picture in my teens.

I'm 61 but there are pictures of me in my early 20s with pretty much the same cut. I even had similar in childhood!

I presumed she cared about it given the title of the thread.

It's a shaggy mini mullet - it needs wavy hair really to give it texture

I wear my hair long now as I’ve given up on trying to get a good cut at a hairdressers. I find that the actual skill of precision cutting has gone from salons now. They all seem to want to focus on using hot brushes/air wrap to achieve a look which I don’t like.

I want a good cut but in today’s salons this seems impossible.

I’m 69 by the way… I remember getting fantastic cuts in the past.

Agree - most hairdressers seem to concentrate on styling long hair and colouring.

The hairstyle you want is reminiscent of June Whitfield in the 'Terry and June' days.

Yes! that's it! was wracking my brains of who it reminded me of!

Your requested cut was called an "Irish Mammy" here, until all the Mammy's grew it out into a graduated bob. My mum and her sisters all have it and look near enough like triplets.
Finding the right hairdresser is a nightmare. My mother has been following hers round various salons for 30 years. I will follow my current hairdresser to the end of the earth.
My top tip is to find a hairdresser with similar hair. Or find a male hairdresser?

Could you ask for a pixie cut and then style it like the photo? Or take a photo of someone current like Judy Murray. That photo looks like a hairdresser photo from the 80s.

@BenditlikeBridget I found one fairly near me, but my goodness the reviews! Won't be going anywhere near!

My local hairdresser would be perfect for you. They do shorter cuts for their clients a lot. They were shocking at cutting my long hair so I have to go to the next town. My mother in law has a similar hair style so again, hairdressers like this do exist!

I’m hesitant to say it but you need a hairdresser’s with older clients. Head to villages!

ok-tis fairly obvious tho-at end when deemed finished-do you really just pay and go?unhappy ? tantrum,say NO,thqts nothing like what we agreed-

I'm confused - you thought it would be much shorter after you washed it?

Can't say I've noticed 'the bob' round here but I'm definitely going to start looking. Mine is kept longish with layers as it's what suits me. Hair is thick and a bit wavy and I need gravity on my side. No way would it consider behaving enough for a 'sharp' cut.