Women all over Hollywood have recently discovered a new way to reclaim their femininity.
This movement is allowing women to shift away from catering to man’s perception of “sexy,” and giving them space to define it in their own terms.
Okay, relax, I am not talking about reading Simone de Beauvoir or burning all of your bras.
In fact, all that’s needed for this transformation is a pair of scissors and a Yelp-approved hairstylist.
This new fad of short hair has started to replace the previously sought-after long, luscious locks.
Women are making the decision to cut their hair for themselves, rather than for men who fantasize about the women with long, voluminous hair, posing seductively in Playboy.
Instead, women with short hair now radiate a new form of sexiness through their confidence that refuses to go unnoticed, rather than through pure "look at my tits" sex appeal.
Some of the most prominent, young, female celebrities and models have made this transformation, including the beautiful Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie and Rosie Huntington, proving these women no longer feel pressured to wear their hair in a way that stereotypically appeals to men.
Even so, I think we can all agree they remain effortlessly gorgeous.
I recently hopped on the short hair bandwagon after having hair that touched my belly button my entire life.
Let me preface this by saying I got my cut the day before Kim Kardashian did, so technically, America’s most coveted sex symbols copied little old me!
As silly as this might sound, cutting my hair has given me a new sense of self and independence because I made this appearance-altering decision without asking a man's opinion, or even caring what the guys in my life might think.
Over the years of having long hair, I trained myself to eventually perfect the Victoria’s Secret bombshell waves with my blow dryer and curling wand.
I put so much time and effort into making my hair look good, I didn’t realize I had been hiding behind it.
Cutting my hair to my shoulders forced me to be comfortable with my features, and to my disbelief, it didn’t send guys running to the hills.
Perhaps, this new version of sexy might be onto something.
By breaking the age-old stereotype that “women are supposed to have long hair and men are supposed to have short hair,” we’ve shattered some socially constructed gender binaries.
A short hair cut provides a woman with the composure to strut into an office building and command the attention of men who may have previously underestimated or even sexualized her.
On the opposite side of the gender hair spectrum, the number of man buns has skyrocketed to the point that the @ManBunMonday Instagram account has 140,000 followers. (I mean, they’re hot as f*ck, so no surprises there.)
This style may be seen to some guys as “girly” or “feminine,” but the men rocking these insanely sexy buns are just confident and comfortable with their sexuality.
As much as I’d like to claim I never had doubts about my decision or regretted losing my long locks, I can’t.
When I look back at old pictures and see the beautiful blonde waves I used to rock, it’s hard not to wonder if I made the right decision.
But, the minute I try on an outfit that automatically becomes exponentially edgier, I remember why I did it.
Breaking away from gender norms obviously cannot be done entirely by cutting off some hair, or in a man’s case, growing it out.
However, a short haircut shows a woman is tired of being seen as a sex object, or as immature and unprofessional in a work setting.
Short hair on a woman demands respect in a way long hair does not. And, hey, you save a ton on shampoo!
