Dear FASHIONGRANNY,
I have had cancer and have just recently been declared cancer free! There is, of course, so much to go along with that – one being starting a new crop of hair!
I used to be a redhead, naturally and with a little help from Clairol, but now my hair is growing in finer, curlier and whiter! Should I embrace “au natural”?
Signed,
Stage Four No MoreDear No More,
You go girl! That is hard stuff of which I hope I never know firsthand! You are a trooper and a strong survivor. Congratulations!
Yes! From all I see and know about a “new crop of hair” after chemo et al, is that first you are just so grateful to have hair, and second, it is like none you’ve had before!
Let’s get right to it. If you now have naturally white hair and want to return to a redhead, you will have a rough road ahead.
The majority of hair colors just cannot grab and hold onto hair without pigment. You could drop a primer on your hair and then color, but now we’re faced with a very un-natural color on a new crop, and an ever increasingly fading hairline.
You’ve seen it! White roots and clown red tips! Uggh!
FASHIONGRANNY’S fashion suggestion leans toward the light! Go to the light! Embrace your new color; after all, it is sprouting from your “haid” and you have no control over the growth or the color. How‘d that happen? Went in a Redhead, came out a Whitehead? This is called a God thing. What a trip!
FASHIONGRANNY is a Whitehead now and I will tell you, I have never been happier – nor my hair more becoming – than now, au natural! I receive more complements on my hair and its color (or lack thereof) than I ever in my entire life received. FASHIONGRANNY has also in her lifetime been a fan of Clairol, and truth be told, I swear I’ve been every hair color at least twice!
I had a real hard time going “white.” No grace involved. I didn’t go gray, I went white. You know we are taught it’s the death knell of our youth! I tried to color. Lots o’ money and lots o’ visits to Miss Pat. All the cover-ups just pointed to a losing battle. I then allowed my hair to take its course.
At first, I had matching stripes of white on either side of my brown-haired head, very sophisticated like. Then a white stripe appeared right down the middle of my head. Very strange! I’d never seen anybody else with this pattern of white hair before.
I started to roll with the uniqueness of my natural hair color changes until the day some kid on the escalator at Macy’s pointed his tiny digit in my direction screaming, “Look Mommy! She looks like a skunk!” I was petrified! Little brat.
I tried to color again, to no avail, when finally over some smalltime vanity suffering and real time, my whole head turned white and the rest is history. Going back to the God thing, in “surrendering” to what I’ve been given, I have been given the color hair I was/am supposed to have… already planned for me. And there is nothing better than tailor made color from the Creator. I am wonderfully and fearfully made! Of course you in especial know what I am talking about, forgive my preaching to the choir.
Did I mention the expense and chase of hair salons all gone? Sorry Miss Pat.
Dear FASHIONGRANNY, Even though the weather is not cooperating, the kids are going back to school and Fall fashion is coming! I am a local lady who cares about fashion and who loves to dress up! What are this season’s colors and trends that I can incorporate into my Lowcountry style?
Signed, I’m Dancing As Fast As I Can
Dear I’m Dancing,
I read that book, so right now I’m going to say I hope you’re not on the same slippery slope that befell the protagonist in the book of the same name. I am going to take your signature as just that of a regular fashionista hungry for what’s new in fashion!
I will tell you, I’m thrilled with all the colors and most of the designs presented this season. The colors are retro beautiful and nouvelle lovely! We can wear them here in our relaxed paradise and on the streets of New York!
The clothing styles lean toward structure and fabric quality, and for that, I say it’s about time! From Vogue Magazine to GQ, men and women both should be thrilled at the easy to wear classic simplicity in clothing cuts, silk, cotton and cashmere, along with a color palette made of no rhyme nor reason yet strong and alive. Very much alive!
All kinds of color will surround your basics, including Neons. (Can you believe they brought Neon’s back?) Neon green and orange coming at ya’ in Outerwear!
FASHIONGRANNY did your fashion homework for you so here goes:
Pantone Fashion Color Report suggests:
Taupe, Eggplant, Rich Dark Coffee, an alternative to Black
Bright Ochre, Golden Mustard, brightens the basics
Pink Fuchsia, pretty, bold and beautiful
Tangerine Orange, retro, retro mix with Pink fuchsia
Ultramarine Green, a clear blue-green like polished lapis green gemstone
Chartreuse Yellow Green, vital, alive, clean and crisp
Titanium Gray, elegant, a strong background to the brighter colors
Muted Lilac, a comforting color, soft and sexy
Smoky Rose, accent on the smoky, great with charcoal, gunmetal and black
Royal Cobalt Blue, royally fresh
Vogue Must-Haves suggest:
Fitted Jacket
White Shirt
Black Pantsuit
Turtleneck
Neutral Color Blazer Style Coat
Plaid
Lace
Chic Bomber Jacket
Knee High Boots
Pearls
Thigh-High Slit Skirt
Structured Trousers
Knits
Sheath Dress
Oxfords
Pointy-Toe High Heels
I’m loving these lists! This year is going to be great for Fashion! Fun, easy and fits right in with this crazy Lowcountry mixing of styles! Why not? I mean with all else that is going on, does what-to-wear seem vain and low on the totem pole of importance perhaps?
FASHIONGRANNY will argue this point with anybody, anytime! How you present yourself is all you got! It’s all yours, and at the very least, you’re in charge of something! In control of your presentation, closely followed by your demonstration.
This Fall season, the designers lightened up on the Gulag look and brought us Lighthearted! What a wonderful red herring for this troubled year – and, boy, do we need a red herring!
Make it Fashion! Humor me! No one on the planet would love to look around our sleepy burg and see some attempt at Seventh Avenue more than FASHIONGRANNY!
