I'll Be Hair For You

Today I feel the need to stand up for my convictions and publicly celebrate the most overrated and underappreciated haircut of my adult years: The Rachel.

Come the turn of the century, I've heard The Rachel referred to as the "ugliest haircut on earth", "the biggest mistake of my life" and something to filed under "What were we thinking?"---mostly online and most likely by females younger than I, because anyone my age (or Rachel's age, for that matter) hands down would list their biggest hair regret as The Dorothy Hamill.

You didn't have to go full "Rachel", mind you.  There were modified versions, ala Courtney Cox's longer version and Meg Ryan's shorter adorable 'do in You've Got Mail.

All bearing the same hallmarks of the cut---tons of choppy layers on top and ends chopped at a near 45 degree angle that could be flipped up or tucked under, depending on the funkiness of your mood that day.

I'm going to go against the tide here and state that this was one of the most versatile styles of my twenties. You could scrunch it, curl it, flat iron it, tease it, wear it natural, pin back part of it, pin back lots of it and still have enough for a ponytail (...if you didn't opt for the full "Rachel" in the back, that is.)

If any of you have seen Jennifer Aniston's hair before she became famous, you'll understand where I'm coming from.  It was an unfortunate mix of poufy and frizzy that was not quite curly/not quite straight. Or, in other words, exactly like the stuff that sprouts out of my own head.

Her hairstylist found the brilliant solution to those afflicted with our unusual texture by cutting away enough of it, making it actually manageable!  Our mornings got shorter for those few blessed years.  Then the cut went out of style and those of my kind were forced to go back to frying our rebellious tresses with curling and straightening irons and/or chemical treatments for hours on end.

Well, I'm striking back!  After flipping past too many old Friends reruns this week (because, seriously, it's on like every second of the day) and post one late-night viewing of You've Got Mail, I started to remember how easy my hair had it back in those days.

Well why can't I still have it easy?  Who's to say?!  My hair had already received an over half-a-foot self-chopping this week. (Yes, I've been my own hairstylist since the age of sixteen.  I have "issues", have I mentioned?)  And, even with that extra weight removed, it was still hanging all blobby and frizzy in this Michigan humidity. So I decided, against trend, "That's it!  I'm Rachel-ing!!"

And, so I did.

Forgive the lack of makeup. Did I mention it's like a 100 degrees here?! Why waste good concealer?

I did a longer version and not as choppy as I wore it back in the day, and minus the crazy layers in back that make it signature... plus I've got bangs... well, maybe it's not exactly a Rachel 'do, but what da ya know?

It's still lighter than air!

It dances!

It's glasses-friendly, which is important!

It works for me!

Whether it's a "Rachel" I wear today or not, I'll still defend the 'do to the end!  Layers are good for people like me.  We weren't all naturally blessed with good hair like Phoebe Buffay.  We Rachels of the hair world need to not be so ashamed.  They're just layers... get over it! 

If you don't think it's still in style, but you miss it, go for it!  It was never as bad as The Mullet, for crikey's sake.  And, long after The Rachel---in this same century, mind you---came The Kate Gosselin.  Do you really want to pick that battle?

(BTW: If we're not considering this a "Rachel" then explain why am I having a sudden urge to dance in a fountain and elope to Vegas with Ross?)