My Wig and Hat Manifesto
Kathy and I went to see our hairstylist today. Since I didn't have any hair to trim yet (it's less than half an inch long) I brought some wigs along for styling. Jennifer was kind enough to trim up some blonde wigs, a couple of new cinnamon ones, the turquoise wig, and that burgundy curly wig that I wore this week. She showed me how to style the curls to make them less overwhelming, too.
I assume that at some point I will stop buying inexpensive wigs, but I don't think I'm done yet. After all, I don't have a crimson one or a green one or a short-and-sassy blonde one...there are many more possibilities out there.
One thing I've learned in this wig exploration is that I can't necessarily predict what colors will look good on me. I really do have to try them on. Even my longtime hair stylist, who is a master colorist, is surprised by what ends up looking good on me. I am shocked to find that the world doesn't always sort people into Color Me Beautiful categories. I've been betrayed! After spending years knowing myself as a "Winter" suddenly I learn that I look good in golden blonde. What the heck? Was I living a lie? The universe isn't a well-ordered card catalog?
Hair color aside, I have a theory about wigs and hats. This comes from hearing people say "I can't wear hats" or "wigs look ridiculous on me," and being someone who used to say those things herself.
I don't think we actually get to know if we look good or bad in such thing until we wear them for a while. And, of course, we usually don't wear them for more than a minute and a half. We put something on, look in the mirror to see an alien, and exclaim. "That's not my hair!" "That hat is swallowing my head!" We rip off the wig or hat in question and never try it on again.
But I don't think that reaction tells us anything about how the item really looked. I think it's more about our mind freaking out because we don't look like the person we know. Our minds send the message, "Hey, that doesn't fit my image of how I look. Revert! Revert!" Our brains want to recognize us instantly when we look in the mirror, not take time to reorganize their idea of what we look like.
That's why you need the opinions of trusted friends. They don't have the same attachment to how we look. So with them, you can try something on, shut up for a moment, and see what they say. Consider that they may know more than you, too. (I did say "trusted," right? Yes, trusted friends.)
Or, you can be wacky crazy like me and wear a giant wig out in public and see what strangers do. Either works.
The best lesson to get out of this is that there are more viable options for your look than you ever imagined. Style isn't about a search to find "the look." It's a journey to discover many looks that you can draw on as needed.
Viva la experimentation! Just for today, be brave!
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