How much does fashion influence you?

Do you want to always have the latest look in hair, or do you wear your
hair to please yourself?

I'll be more precise. You may THINK the way you are wearing your hair is
simply to please yourself, but are you really pleasing your friends, your
stylist or the fashion industry?

What I'm trying to determine is how conformist people are, how much they
believe they should have a right to their own individuality and how much,
even if they consider themselves individuals, they nevertheless find that
"the present fashion is always handsome."

For example, there are a whole bunch of men out there with short short
hair. Yet since the 1960s or 1970s, having longer hair has not been such
a shocking thing on a man. At the same time, some MODELS have recently
started growing their hair out and some young men seem to be following suit.
Are they all fashion-concious, or do they want the look that really suits THEM?

Or all the women who change the color of their hair, going blonde or placing
highlights in their hair. Do they REALLY all like this look, or do they feel they
will be more fashionable and that this is an end unto itself?

More on my observations on conformity once this thread gets on...

Mt. Happy has always wanted to grow his hair longer, but as a kid/young adult faced the deadly combination of personal hangups and parental pressure. As an adult, I am restricted by "professional standards" and my own lack of ability to style my hair.

How enlightened.

So I live vicariously through Mrs. Happy's hair and, of course, the internet.

I remain,
Mr. Happy

Hey, Mister Happy, ever considered changing workplace/job? That
place evidently doesn't deseeerve yooooo...

I guess we all have to conform to a certain degree once out of college and out in the "real world." I also work in my basement and most of my interaction with co-workers and clients is by phone. So I could conceivably wear my hair any old way and it wouldn't matter. But I do have kids and really outlandish looking moms are a source of huge embarassment. And I don't have a need or desire to "express my individuality" through weird hairstyles. That is sort of conformist now (the Beatles were the real hair rebels--everyone since is just a wannabe).

I am also limited somewhat by the texture and thickness of my hair (fine/thin/straight). So I generally wear it in a bob of some kind. It has been as long as shoulder-length and as short as above the ears. I imagine most other people are limited by their hair texture, face shape, etc. as well. There is only so much you can do with most hair. And having clean, nicely styled hair is just polite I think. Anyone can look scraggly and messy. Why not look as nice as possible?

Well no. My hair won't do that big mall thing so I wouldn't even attempt it. I didn't even bother with it in the '80s. I know what my hair will and won't do and I mostly just keep the same style with tweaks here and there to keep from getting too bored. I have had it short for awhile and I'm suffering through growing it out now. But I don't follow trends. My hair won't cooperate.