Throughout my life, I have experimented with several different hair colors, but I always go back to my roots. There are many reasons to love being blonde, after all. My love affair with the hue got off to a late start. As a kid, I was definitely blonde, but I didn't really think much of it considering most of my very British friends were as well. When it came to my pre-teen years, however, I suddenly started to go dark very quickly. I went from a lovely, golden hue to a dark, mousey one. Much to my mom's dismay, though, I just wanted to stay natural in my early teens.
However, I fast became aware that without my blonde hair, I didn't quite feel like myself. Now, I'm not saying all non-blonde hair is boring or characterless, but rather that I felt it didn't align with my sense of personal style. The fact that I felt darker hair also made me look washed out and a little sickly due to my pale skin didn't help. I was quite a quirky teen who enjoyed dancing, singing, and making home movies — and I felt that I needed to stand out and not just blend into the background.
So in my mid-teens, I began regularly dyeing my hair. I have to admit, my mom was right: Blonde locks really have suited me. Here's why I love being blonde, besides the whole "blondes have more fun" thing. If you've never sported golden locks, why not give them a whirl?
1. I Feel More Feminine As A Blonde
Obviously femininity is a pretty subjective thing — not unlike terms such as "beauty" or "attraction." But for whatever reason, I didn't feel quite as in-tune with my own brand of femininity as a brunette.
For me, dresses and red lipstick can feel incredibly empowering. They're like little windows through which I show my interests as a fashion and beauty writer, a member of a vintage girl band, and a lover of Marilyn Monroe. Without my blonde locks, I simply don't feel like my girly, feminine aura is able to make it to the forefront.
2. It Makes Me Stand Out From The Crowd
Coming from a performance background and currently a member of the aforementioned vintage girl band, feeling like I stand out and am visible is kind of important to me. When I'm not staying true to my hue-of-preference in terms of my locks, I feel like I blend into the background. And if my confidence isn't on a high, neither is my performance.
3. Blonde Hair Makes Me Look Younger
My mom is a natural brunette, and in her 40s she became so fed up with covering up her gray hairs (sorry, mom) that she went blonde. Not only did the dye cover up her grays, but it also made her look more youthful, as it was less harsh on her elfin features. When people attempt to guess my age these days, they always guess younger as well.
While the most important things in life shouldn't be to give into ageist stereotypes — and we could all do with learning to embrace the natural process that is aging a little more, IMO — it's just kind of nice to feel like you're still 21 sometimes even if you're 26.
4. Blonde Hair Suits My Fluctuating Style Sense
My style varies from one day to the next and ping-pongs between vintage inspired, quirky, girly, polished, whimsical, and edgy depending on how I'm feeling. One of the most awesome things I enjoy about having blonde hair is that it manages to either complement or positively juxtapose against loads of styles.
Blonde hair sometimes exaggerates vintage, girly, polished, and whimsical looks. It can make quirkier outfit choices either more quirky and cool or it can tone them down a bit with a girly vibe. A similar point can be made about edgy styles, like an outfit comprised of skin tight jeans, biker boots, a band tee, and a leather jacket. Blonde hair puts a softer, feminine spin on the outfit so that it appears less intense.
5. I Can Use My Hair As An Accessory
As I've journeyed through my 20s, I have become more at home in my own skin, so much so that I will often go out of the house without wearing any makeup at all. I feel like as long as my hair is styled slightly, I need very little else in the way of fashion or accessories. If I'm feeling a little self conscious, I'll just whack a pair of sunglasses on. When I had different colored hair, I wasn't totally comfortable with how I looked, so I felt like I had to make more of an effort with other aspects of my appearance. For me, having blonde locks has been the ultimate lazy girl hack.
6. I Can Trump Stereotypes
People have so many misconceptions attached to blonde hair. They may automatically assume blondes are unintelligent, ditzy, overly-excitable, fake, vain, flirty, not in a position of authority, or incapable of responsibility. These stereotypes really suck. Personally, I'm pretty exhausted at being asked if I'm "having a blonde moment."
Feeling like I can help trump these antiquated ideologies is not short of empowering. I know, I know: Don't feed the trolls. But once in a while, proving a troll totally wrong can be a great reminder of all the awesome qualities you have. Standing up for yourself in this way is like an unexpected little act of self love.
7. I Feel More Sexy
As a lover of all things retro, I've always felt that blonde hair is synonymous with glamour. When I look at old photos of women like Marilyn Monroe or Veronica Lake, they always seem to have possessed this kind of old-school sexy that's totally classic yet totally fun. All I know is that when I have styled my blonde mane and I'm wearing red lipstick, I feel unstoppable.
Images: Phoebe Waller
