Eighties Hairstyles and Short Haircuts (2)
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The short haircuts of the 1980s should really make a comeback. This was when the term "feathering" came onto the scene. Once again, we can thank Farrah Fawcett for popularizing the feathered look. It transitioned from long hair to short hair to very short hair, and yet we were still feathering.
Everything was about feathering, and that term echoed throughout salons in the eighties. Just to give you a typical example of a daily conversation with a young client seeking a feathered haircut, it would go something like this:
Hairstylist: (smiling sweetly) "Hello, dear, how are you today, and what can I do for you?"
Client: (looking a little apprehensive) "Do you know how to do a feathered cut? I'd like my hair to be feathered all over."
Hairstylist: "Okay, how much length would you like to take off?"
Hairstylist: (holds up some hair) "Maybe about this much?"
Client: (horrified) "No, not that much."
Hairstylist: "Did you know there are different types of feathering?"
Client: "What do you mean?"
Hairstylist: "Everything depends on how much you decide to have cut off. If you get a shorter cut, your hair will be smoother when you use the blow dryer and brush it. If you keep it longer, you will have an entirely different look, and you will have to use a curling iron. It will be more of a roll than a feather."
Client: "Will my hair look feathered like Farrah's?"
Hairstylist: (smiling sweetly) "Yes, your hair can look like Farrah's if that's what you would like."
At night, all I could hear in my mind were the words "feathered" or "feathering," because that is all I heard during the day. Who invented that term anyway? I'll tell you who; it was Jose Eber, who gave Farrah that infamous haircut for $500.00 a pop!
Feathers, if my memory recalls, have something to do with birds, not hair! No offense, Mr. Eber, but I'd like to know the connection between birds and hair or feathers and hair. Was there a reference to the terms "featherbrain" or "birdbrain" when styling the hair?
And so it went. What's the secret to feathering? Layering, of course, then using the blow dryer and a round brush to direct the hair into a rounded look, moving away from the face. Afterwards, you glide your hair through the comb, and presto, you're one feathered baby!
Feathering was considered an ultra-smooth look. Look, at Donald! He's still "feathering" his hair! Speaking to all hairstylists right now, wouldn't we love to get our hands on his hair! He's not about to give up his trademark look at this point in his life! Even if we promised him, we could make him look at least ten years younger!
I, for one, would love to see the 1980s short haircuts come back into fashion. It's remarkable how a woman stands out in a crowd when she has a stylish, clever haircut. And if you think about it, everyone remembers the woman with the short, smart coif. They don't remember the one who had her hair sloppily twisted up in a hair comb or falling down her back. Which way would you like to be remembered? We only have one chance to make a good first impression.