Should I cut my hair?" I asked my best guy friend in high school. There was no pause in the conversation, no moment of contemplation. There was only a resounding "NO!"
I simply don't understand it. What is this mysterious male aversion to a woman getting her hair cut? I'm not sure why this is, but I've never met one who actually says "sure, go for it!"
This conundrum led me to think beyond the scope of hair. If guys go haywire over a trim, then what in the world must they be thinking over other things that women do, such as what kind of clothes they wear or makeup they put on?
I decided to investigate by asking a variety of my male friends, both here and at other colleges, to tell me some aspects of women's style that gets under their skin. The results are in:
Short Hair
Unsurprisingly, just about all the guys griped about short hair. Sure, I can understand how boys might not like women with ultra-short, boy-style haircuts. Nothing like challenging a man's masculinity by getting your hair cut shorter than his! But come on -- is shoulder-length hair really so bad? Or some layers? Apparently, to guys, anything involving the act of cutting, be it an inch or a foot, is bad news.
That's easy to say when you're not the one having to blow dry, straighten or style. And if guys are so adverse to short hair, then why in the world are they all so gaga over Halle Berry?
Skyscraper Heels
Complaints about ultra-high heels brought up two different reasons to chuck your Blahnick's once and for all. First of all, some guys don't like girls to wear heels simply because it makes them feel short. That's understandable -- sort of like guys don't want you to have shorter hair than theirs, they also don't want you to be taller than they are. Traditional male ego thing. But then again, if Carmen Electra walked up to them in red stilettos and stood a foot taller than them, I highly doubt they'd mind so much. Other guys brought up the practicality issue -- accept your height and don't go tottering around on the verge of breaking your ankle. Also understandable
but again, if it were Carmen Electra wobbling around on those red stilettos, would anyone really be complaining?
Rimless Sunglasses
The respondent who brought up the topic of rimless glasses deemed them too "Euro" for everyday college use. After all, he argued, walking down the Lawn isn't quite the same as walking down the Champs Elysses. Also, the wildly colored lenses of some of these glasses look like they'd go better with a space suit than with jeans. A substantiated complaint, to be sure, but I offer this justification: wearing chic and expensive sunglasses is the closest most people around here will get to unleashing their inner diva. Unlike J. Lo, we'll probably never date Ben Affleck, but at least we can wear her sunglasses.
Pigtails
Believe it or not, more than one respondent raised the issue of pigtails. I wasn't aware that the problem was so severe, but apparently there are quite a few pigtailed girls out there who drive guys crazy (in a bad way, that is). In this case, I'm with the guys. I mean, I got made fun of for wearing pigtails in third grade. Anyone who's still wearing pigtails right now should have them snipped off immediately.
Too Much Makeup
The guys agreed that the quickest way to ruin a great look is to wear too much makeup. You can be dressed in your most Gwyneth-esque ensemble, but if you leave guys wondering whether you're bruised or just wearing eyeliner, it's easy to see how they can get turned off. But I still take this complaint with a grain of salt, because they'd probably choose a girl wearing too much makeup over a girl wearing none at all.
One Shoulder Shirts and Tube Tops
Finally, respondents expressed disdain over girls who go out with the intent of looking hot
but wind up looking like they should be working a corner instead. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard this. Perhaps there is hope for those of us reluctant to turn a tube sock into a shirt! But answer me this -- how come on every episode of "Elimidate" I watch, the guy always chooses the girl wearing the least amount of clothing?
Hmmm
While it's interesting to see what guys have to say about fashion, I have a feeling that if we took too much of their advice, we'd probably be wearing Hooters outfits.
So next time a guy offers you style advice, do as I did in high school: hear him out. Let him rant and rave and thank him for his input. Then, march confidently into the nearest salon and get your hair cut.
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