Would You Wear Gray Hair?

posted by PJH

May 23, 2008 1:03PM

Gray hair is awesome. I have had gray hairs since I was fifteen. I know, weird. But, it adds a dimension to your/my hair that is only cool. I mean, it's like nature is giving you a personally tailored accessory. Look into Sarah Harris, the fashion writer at British Vogue. She is maybe the most beautiful woman in the world, and she doesn't dye. I think she even wrote an article about pro-gray in an old issue. Look at Lauren Ezersky who refused to color as well. I think people are annoyed by it because by you not coloring it you are showing more self-confidence, which inadvertently calls them out on the fact that they aren't comfortable being who the naturally are. Gray is good!

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:04PM

I am in my 20s and I have gray hairs as well. I will keep them and embrace them. No dying here!

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:05PM

Having gray hair wouldn't be so bad if other people didn't make fun of it. Another thing is, gray hair has a different texture than other hair. It's more wiry. And another thing, even those people with gray hair use a rinse to make the gray look more appealing.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:05PM

Personally, I think gray is beautiful. It conveys a worldliness and wise mind. It takes a lot to be gray in today's youth-obsessed society, but I think it would be worth it. I'm nowhere near the age where I should have to worry about it, but my father's side greys early, so we'll see how that goes. If I end up grey before thirty-five, then I'll wear it with pride. Beauty is relative, right?

posted by fashionursta

May 23, 2008 1:10PM

I dye and wish I hadn't started (although my colorist at Bumble and Bumble has made my hair look exactly like it did in my 20s, and I love seeing him once every 3 weeks). Try to hold out- you will be true to yourself, and you will save a lot of money. Google the model Kristen McMenamy- she let her hair go gray after years of coloring, and it is long and beautiful.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:11PM

what a bummer that you hang out with such shallow people. if your friends are getting "pissed off" about something that is naturally a part of who you are, you should be looking for better company.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:11PM

I have been getting white hair for a while now and I'm also only a smidgen older than the olsens. I also am not very interested in dying it; it looks like oreo swirls to me.

posted by divine6_03

May 23, 2008 1:18PM

I am 24 and absolutely cannot wait to go gray. I find salt-n-pepper to total gray...fabulous! Whenever I see women on the streets that have gray or graying hair, I think they look so polished, classic, and charming. If for nothing else, its great be able to part your wisdom without retorts and call everyone love or darling.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:22PM

I am 24 years old and have had gray hair for about 11 years . . . and I refuse to dye. Even though I have noticeable stripes now. The way I figure it, I am too young to worry about looking old! But Natalie hit the nail on the head: I don't want to put on anything that I cannot wash away at night.
My family goes gray early and I actually cannot wait to have a silvery, white coif in 15 years. Gorgeous, actually, and striking. Stately, even.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:24PM

Wow, poor you - personally, my friends and I usually make each other feel good about ourselves, support each other, recognise real beauty with all it's many unconventional bits. I guess I'm lucky not to be trapped by the miserable superficial expectations of the world you have chosen to inhabit.
Sorry, I know that's harsh but after two years of academic research into the fashion industry you're all really starting to get to me. I wish you could just find a nice glamorous island somewhere and bitch, snide, starve each other away, and leave the world alone to deal with real problems...
BTW, grey hair = silver hair. Who wouldn't want it?

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:24PM

how old are you?

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:26PM

linda fargo and bobbi queen. two silver-haired women in fashion who wear it beautifully.

posted by Softel

May 23, 2008 1:28PM

I'm in my early 20s and I already have a few very silver strands popping up in my black mane. My mother stopped coloring her hair in her 40s and I absolutely loved how she looked when she turned totally gray. I think it really suits some people and I hope it suits me when I get there because I think it looks great.
Do it up Natalie!

posted by RayBay

May 23, 2008 1:28PM

It really depends on the person.

I've seen beautiful grays and whites (my paternal grandmother went gray very early on, and it looked really cool and uniform), even on girls in their twenties.

And I've seen it make otherwise fresh-looking people look tired, old, and haggard.

posted by EmilyAnn

May 23, 2008 1:42PM

I'm 24 and have been going gray for about four years. I have more than any of my friends -- still not much in the grand scheme of things. At this moment, with a few "funny" strands and streaks, it's easy for me to say that I will never dye it. I'd like to think that I never will. I've definitely had some really terrible reactions to it -- once, a friend legitimately shrieked when I showed her a gray patch. I say: f the haters. Gray hair is awesome. Like the commenter above me, I may experience a blue or purple streak once and a while, but I will never go to the trouble to completely disguise my true hair color. So what if it's gray?

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:43PM

I've had white hairs since i was about 12, so it's been a dozen years that I've had these silvery white streaks in my hair, and I've only dyed my hair once - and only because my mom made me do it before my grandmother came to visit. Sometimes I think it might be easier to have hair that is all one (general) color, but I'm used to mine. I even have funny hairs that go from white to brown to white, or vice versa.

And since my mom has had a full head of white hair since her 30s, it seems likely that my head will go the same route and become all white within the next few years. And I don't care. I like it.

posted by kimmi

May 23, 2008 1:44PM

My mom (who's 55) recently decided to go gray, and some lady at her work had the balls to tell her that she shouldn't let it go. My mom's gray, btw, looks great, even with the super grown out highlights she had done months ago.

I think when my time comes, I'll just let it go. Coloring takes so much time and money, both of which at this point I have very little of. Plus, skipping salon coloring will save me from tons of chemical exposure.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:48PM

The late Liz Tilberis always looked perfectly chic with gray hair.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:52PM

You kick ass!!! I will never die my gray hairs (but I'm 23 so it will be a little while before that's an issue). My step mother never covered up her grey and she is the classiest woman I have ever known. I'm young but I hate the ageism that prevails in our society. Grey all the way!

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:54PM

grey hair is fucking rad and sexy!

posted by kissd56

May 23, 2008 1:56PM

I am 51 and have inherited a slow-to-grey process from one of my Mom's sisters. My own sister, a year younger, has more grey than I. With my medium-brown hair the few greys I have don't show much, and I do get blonde & red highlights every three months or so. I admire those women who have that lovely salt & pepper hair, especially with a great haircut. But not everyone has the option of going grey so elegantly. Grey hair can be patchy and blotchy. Years of colouring can show up as damage and can require time to recover which not everyone could handle. One's skin condition can be a major factor as well.
So my vote is go grey if it looks good on you.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 1:57PM

I'm all about being different and unique. If that's you in the picture or you look as fab as the lady in the picture rock on! I say do what makes you feel good and the most like yourself! The people commenting on your hair probably have their own insecurities about age that they are imposing on you. So rock the gray girl and show 'em how fierce you are!! :)

posted by Natalie Hormilla

May 23, 2008 2:03PM

hey, to answer some questions: i'm only 23, but i saw my first gray when i was just 10. and no, my friends are not terrible! i was speaking more generally, like people that i just see around.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 2:03PM

i think gray hair like miranda priestly's or that lady in the photograph is incredibly cool. but you have to be patient for it be all gray like that and i absolutely can't stand bits of grey at the sides, it makes people seem haggard and tired.

posted by etoilee8

May 23, 2008 2:03PM

I found my first grey hair at 21. Actually my younger sister found it, which made my already miserable day, all the more awesome. Now I have a grand total of four visible greys. I have made a conscious decision to leave them the hell alone. They sometimes irk me and stick up like a sore thumb when I'm having a particularly crappy day. . but all in all, I think there's a certain grace and beauty in grey, which I will try and embrace through out my years.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 2:23PM

I'm 32 and have seen my grays coming in for a few years now. I don't plan to pretend I'm bleach blonde until I'm 90 but I do plan to pretend I'm a lovely brunette until I'm dead. I don't have anything against other people's gray hair; I just don't like it on me. I die/highlight my hair but not soley because I have grays. I like changing things up every so often. My grandma is 91 and still dies her hair brown. I love it.

posted by cory

May 23, 2008 2:23PM

Linda Fargo's gray. And she's gorgeous and rocks the style pretty well.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 2:50PM

I'm black and actually pretty excited because with the african predisposition for aging slower coupled with grey hair, I'm gonna end up looking like storm from X-men.

and that's just awesome

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 3:07PM

I have a wonderful friend, in her late 30s.

She looks amazing - for a 50 year old. And people assume she's 50. It doesn't bother her, but it does make me feel uncomfortable when people ask why I'm hanging out with my mother.

Superficial - sure. I love her, but it does bother. me.

posted by Holly

May 23, 2008 3:21PM

The woman you pictured looks fantastic with grey hair.
My hairdresser once told me not to go grey right now because the distribution in my hair is not 'uniform', meaning I had greys at the temple and front but brown at the back. To grow it out, she said, would be a 'really bad idea'( I colour it myself, so I think she was being truthful).
I can't wait to let it grey naturally. I may talk to her about it again in a couple of years.

posted by enomissimone

May 23, 2008 3:23PM

My friend's mom's hair started greying when she was about sixteen, she looks/looked pretty great with it. I guess it's a matter of choice. Just like everything else hair related after a while it would get tiring having to dye your hair all the time

posted by syako

May 23, 2008 3:34PM

wow. way to not be condescending guest at 124. Maybe it's time to switch research topics as it's giving you a tough time to remain objective...

posted by phobelynn

May 23, 2008 3:37PM

TELL ME THIS: is everyone rah-rahing grey hair also forgoing antiaging creams? nope? didnt think so. ageism doesnt die if we stop dyeing our hair, it dies when we stop pouring billions of dollars into looking wrinkle-free.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 3:49PM

Yeah, Linda Fargo is gorgeous, a wonderful example of a woman with grey hair in fashion. I'd say let it go grey and see if it works for you. It would be low maintenance, and individual. If you hated it, or how you felt with it, THEN go out and dye it. Try it the natural way first, I'm sure you'll look beautiful!

posted by southweststyle

May 23, 2008 3:56PM

Guest @1:24 #1, if you hate this blog so much, why read?

This IS their little island where they can snipe and bitch - it's THEIR web site. If you want more "real" problems than grey hair, (and that is a freakin' real world problem that all women deal with, noted by the large # of comments on this post!) than go read CNN.com and get off the fashion blogs. No one is making you read.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 4:18PM

On the maternal side of my family everyone's begun going grey ridiculously early--my mother got her first greys at fourteen, and she went completely white--yes, a lovely white, not grey--at 27 or so. I am 17 and found a little patch of five or so at the nape of my neck about a year ago. I plan on letting it go naturally unless it's in a really weird place. In my family it's a point of family pride at getting your first Bauer greys--we're all silver foxes in my family.

posted by Fassion

May 23, 2008 4:51PM

I have grays now and I do hilites (which over the years have made me more blonde than brunette, which I Loooove) but I will rock full silver fox/gray when I am in my sixties/seventies or whenever my hair goes majority gray. Love when I see gray haired ladies with style and healthy hair. It's all in the cut and if I have to I will color it to get the "right" shade of gray that I like.

posted by marybelle

May 23, 2008 4:54PM

I think they are awesome. Congrats Natalie for not dyeing them. I hate dyed hair and once I go grey I won't start.

posted by anna_muffin

May 23, 2008 4:55PM

Wow, I'm really surprised by all these comments. My first reaction was: gray? never!. I probably won't mind a few gray hair, or patches, because I have hair of all colors from very light blond to brown. But once the gray becomes prominent, I'm pretty sure I'll start coloring. I've always looked older than my age and gray hair certainly wouldn't help with that. But thanks to genetics I probably won't start graying before I'm 40.

That said, I agree that gray looks good on some people. For example on the woman in the picture above.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 5:52PM

Stacy London has a rather large streak of gray in her hair, and I think she wears it really well!

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 6:00PM

I got my first gray hairs when I was 15. I'm 25 now and have never dyed my hair. I have family members who are or have been in the public eye, and they have been pretty much KNOWN for their gray hair. It's a celebrated distinction. Of course, they are men, but... I know that I am going to hold on to mine and rock them for as long as I can before I start feeling like they wash me out or something.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 6:10PM

I agree with you! I'm 24 and have had grey hairs since I was 21 but I don't want to start dying my hair just because of that. I like it being natural, so I think I'll just live with it! It will make us look wiser beyond our years ;)

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 6:48PM

I considered transitioning to grey to soften the process, and was advised not to for my career. Wouldn't want to be perceived as OLD, would we. Bleah.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 7:04PM

One streak of gray hair are good...in some people....in some men it looks sexy, and in woman like stacy London too...but patches of gray all around your head...HELL NO that would look weird...completely gray hair looks good in womens in their 40s or older like Linda Fargo, but in younger womens NO, just storm from X-men can pull off that look and thats because of her skin tone ¿why look older?...also gray hair it's usually of a diferent texture and diferent tons so I don't like it in young girls

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 7:37PM

I am 39 with dark brown hair and quite a bit of grey that I color. On some people grey looks great, on me it just looks haggard, frazzled, and older. It all depends on your personal style and how it looks for you...

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 10:26PM

First you need a change of friends...or you need to speak up for yourself and defend your grays!
Secondly, it would depend on my age. In my mid-20s I think I would cover up my grays but once I get into my 30s I would probably stop, depending on the extent of my grays.
I think gray hair is lovely. My mom won't stop dying her hair and she's 52. I think she would look fine with gray hair! She obviously doesn't.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 11:25PM

I think lots of gray hair is beautiful, it's the haphazard, singular strands of gray hair that I think look kind of sloppy, which is why so many people dye.

Every considered dying sections of your hair silver/gray?

This might be wishful thinking, but a (very small) part of me can't wait to go gray, so that I can have long, thick, gray curls. I think it'll bring out my skin color more than my naturally black hair.

posted by guest

May 23, 2008 11:57PM

Well, when you're doing research into sweatshops and ideologies about labor and clothes it's a)quite hard to be 'objective' and b)very important to review fashion websites - this one has been most insightful and for that I am appreciative.
My observations are that fashion is forced to defend itself against ethical standards all the time. You lobby complaints at Forever 21 etc for labor malpractice. Do you know that Marc Jacobs clothes barely reach ethical labor practices and sell at extortionately higher profit margins than the high st stores? It doesn't matter who the company or designer is, they work to maximize profits and that is ALWAYS going to create and sustain the most grotesque margins between rich and poor. It literally hurts when people claim to buy designer clothes because it is 'ethical'.

And all this suffrage to prop up an industry that prides itself on its snobbery, elitism and for creating the most superficial standards for assessing a person's qualities that I can imagine.
I know I sound bitter, but sometimes it makes me so sore...

posted by therebelwaltz

May 24, 2008 12:27AM

Grey hair on some people is totally fabulous. I can't wait.

posted by guest

May 24, 2008 2:34AM

there was an article in a W a few years ago I believe about dying ones hair grey purposely or those who are prematurely grey and the effects the hair color has on their lives. All the women were from different age brackets, so there was your 20 year olds and onwards. And they each had pretty positive things to say. The youngest one purposely dyed her hair grey so how's that for cool?

Anyhow, I'm 18 and I've been getting a few greys here and there but not enough for me to be happy, I'd LOVE a "rogue" streak or some crazy amount of coverage. What's funnier is my mother doesn't have a single grey hair yet.. meh

posted by dumbbrunette5

May 24, 2008 5:34AM

"TELL ME THIS: is everyone rah-rahing grey hair also forgoing antiaging creams? nope? didnt think so. ageism doesnt die if we stop dyeing our hair, it dies when we stop pouring billions of dollars into looking wrinkle-free."

um, i dont think its ageism I think its just personal preference. people can make there own decisions about how they want to look without being ageist.
and even though i dont have grey hair yet (im 18) when it goes completely grey I plan to leave it that way (and forgo antiaging creams despite what phobelynn believes) but i might dye it in the in-between stage for a bit till it all balances out, especially if i have more grey on one side or just big patches instead of an even distribution...but thats just cuz i like everything to be organized and even

posted by gen

May 24, 2008 7:59AM

I saw a young woman yesterday with her hair dyed grey - imagine if devil-wears-Streep went nu-rave. It looked less awful than it might have, because the girl was exceptionally pretty [and had a boyish cut].

Then there's that abomination, Jay whatever-his-name-is, the make-up artist/'tv presenter' [I use the words loosely], with his gelled grey hair. That's pretty bad.

Some natural greys on a person doesn't detract at all, as long as it doesn't make them look unkempt - though guest at 7.04 was right - patchiness is something to avoid. On men it can look rather sexy, my ex had absolutely plenty, and I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

posted by guest

May 24, 2008 12:45PM

I plan to alternately dye my hair jet black and garish orange when my hair is all grey. I'm going for the crazy cat lady vibe.

posted by guest

May 24, 2008 6:37PM

edie sedgwick cut off her hair and dyed it grey over 40 years ago, and her crop still looks super chic today

posted by guest

May 25, 2008 12:24AM

i've got my whites and i wouldn't cover them for anything!

posted by guest

May 25, 2008 5:56PM

i have only a few things to say-
a) yes only woman with grey is miranda priestly a fictional character
b) you're not woman you're a man
c) george clooney....enough said
d) think of all the fashion mavericks with white hair-a high step above grey- Karl Lagerfield Roberto Cavalli Giorgio Amarni...I could go on and on.
embrace the dashing grey!

posted by guest

May 25, 2008 6:02PM

Go Gray! I've had my grays since middle school (and probably before then).

posted by guest

May 26, 2008 8:32AM

My pal Lauren Ezersky (an NYC fashion legend) has grey hair and she's about as cool as they come. The late Harper's Bazaar editor Liz Tilberis had grey hair, and she was a fashion world icon. And, hel-lo, Karl Lagerfeld (ok, maybe not the best example, but he does cut a pretty dashing figure at 72...or 74...or 68...or however the hell old he really is, grey hair and all). And there are tons of chic silver hair models out there today, judging by the pages of More magazine.

Personally, I haven't gone grey yet, but when I do, I won't be rushing to cover them up, either (for the same reason you don't - just not my style). I think when you're grey, you definitely need either a chic, simple cut to offset the "mumsy" aspect (if your hair is straight) OR if your hair is wavy/curly and you rock a more boho style, you should let it get a bit longer to keep a bit of youthful, rock and roll attitude.

In any case, vivre le silver! - The Fashion Informer

posted by topmodel

May 26, 2008 10:26AM

Hey gray hair is amazing

posted by guest

May 26, 2008 12:13PM

i think that Grey hair looks beautiful of its covered.. i don't like streaks of it..but one the whole head is covered with greys and whites it looks elegant and classy..

posted by stephielea

May 26, 2008 3:41PM

i'm only a teenager, but when i start going white or silver, i'd color my whole head the color that it was turning naturally. This way there's no awkward half and half going on. :)

posted by guest

May 26, 2008 9:59PM

i think grey can be haute!

i mean just check out the model in the picture!

i see women all the time with wonderful grey and i can't wait to be a jazzy grey headed lady!

posted by guest

May 26, 2008 10:47PM

I'm sixteen years old. I have more than my fair share of grays. However, I do NOT have the time or energy to worry about them.

posted by guest

May 27, 2008 9:32AM

i have been highlighting and coloring my hair since my 20s...i have no idea what color is lurking beneath and have no intention of finding out!

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 9:33AM

I've been letting my gray hair grow out for 6 months now. It takes a bit of courage. I've been documenting reactions and steps along the way here: graymystique.blogspot.com

posted by guest

Aug 28, 2008 12:26PM

I will soon be 52 and have been coloring or highlighting since I was about 38. I've decided to "accentuate" the grey streaks I have and let it go! I just no longer have the time to spend in the salon, baking under a dryer in a cloud of toxic fumes! American society is hell on women-we're expected to be slim, perky, and never grey, while our male counterparts are allowed to grey with abandon, wrinkle freely, and sport paunchy sports-guts. It's time to rebel!