Beauty and Style Crutches, or: Hair

In between scanning Pinterest boards and reading this awesome xoVain article about beauty-staples-turned-crutches, I've been thinking a lot about my style.  In particular, my hair.  When I was about 9, I got my hair chopped to chin-length for the first time.  While it has yo-yo'd back and forth, at one point growing down to my waist, it's almost always been cut into a pixie.

Proof:

Awaiting a pixie cut in 2004.
It had grown out since my first short cut in 1998.

2003.  Oh dear.

 When I had long hair, it was able to do some pretty awesome stuff, including being fashioned into Princess Leia cinnamon rolls.  It was thick and wavy and it was fun, but 13 year-old me was having my mom style it for me, so I never took the time to learn how to do my own hair.  Short hair (and contact lenses) made me feel grown up and put-together.  And so, except for one brief foray in 2007, I have had short hair for the last 11 years.

Even though a short haircut is awesome and easy, it definitely pares down your options.  A girl with short hair can look chic and effortless, but if she wakes up and wants to wear a French braid or do some victory rolls... well... sorry.  Hair color offers some options, but the chemicals are so harsh.  Since growing out my bangs and getting an undercut, my bleach-damaged hair is just going to have to suffer until it gets trimmed off.

I wanted to keep my hair short on principle, believing that I didn't want to look like every other girl with long hair, and wanting to find a boyfriend who wouldn't care that my hair was short.  Thankfully, I did end up with a great guy who really loves short hair on women.  But my own stubborness about beauty standards over the years has made me start to feel trapped.  A case of Stockholm Syndrome has evolved between me and my hair.  I have realized that my short hair only defines me because it's the only way I've ever seen my adult self.  I define me, no matter what I look like.  So I want to see what I look like with long hair, for once, even if I end up feeling like some weird mirror universe version of myself.

I figured the best way to begin my quest to grow out my hair would be to document it here, periodically, on Vibrant Vintage.  I love, love, love the sweet vintage styles I see on other ladies, and since getting into vintage, I really want to be able to style my hair along with my outfits.

So, gang: here we go.  I'm gonna need help getting past that awful growing out stage.  There will be selfies galore at my Instagram (per usual), so check it out and make sure I'm not trying to sneak a trim.  If ever I needed willpower, now would be the time.

Me, nervous?  Nahhhh....

What about you?  Ever had (or have) a style crutch?  Something that you feel makes you you?  Any tips for growing out a pixie?  (Yikes!)  Let me know in the comments!