According to new research by Dove Hair, eight in 10 women feel pressure to wear their hair a certain way. To address this, Dove has teamed up with Grace Coddington to break down beauty standards that make women feel as if their hair isn’t beautiful. Coddington has defied conventional notions of hair beauty for more than 50 years—first, as a model, and later as one of the most influential (and recognizable) fashion editors in the world. So, to help inspire all women to love their hair, Dove asked her to share her story, as well as those of three other young women who are redefining what beautiful hair is today.
As a model, I was known to have a million different hairstyles. I was the first to wear the iconic five-point cut in the 1960s. Coming from a time when everyone had back-combed beehives, these new, short hair styles were ground-breaking. It was energizing to be able to run your fingers through your hair for the first time in years. When I went to work at Vogue, my attention switched to the fashion shoots I was directing, and how hair would look in pictures. Hair can absolutely make a photograph; it has always been the starting point of every shoot I do.
While I was styling models in the ‘70s, my own hair was quietly growing out under turbans and scarves. When I finally revealed it after a year under wraps, I decided to enhance the red color with some henna and perm it—not realizing it was already pretty frizzy on its own account. And so my signature look was born. I wanted a big, strong punctuation mark that gave me an identity. Today, I can’t imagine myself any other way. My hair gives me a look and an attitude; it is instantly recognizable in the caricatures I draw of myself.
You should be in control of yourself and the way you look. It doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. But it should be your experiment, not somebody else’s.
Read more women’s hair stories here and on Vogue and Allure. And join Dove Hair in its mission to broaden the definition of beautiful hair on Pinterest.
