Via: MoMA Rain photo by Charles Roussel/Miley/Beyoncé by W Magazine
When I was in high school it was very common for a girl to come to school with wet hair. You’re just entering your teen years, life is tough, you’re sharing a bathroom with the rest of your family, and you just couldn’t be bothered to a) dry your hair or b) get your shit together in time for your school departure time. It was the norm.
Something about it used to kind of irk me, but I definitely fell victim to the “dad took forever shaving and I didn’t have timeeee” situation. Maybe it was the intimacy of the whole thing. You arrive at school with dripping wet hair and your fellow co-eds just knew that a mere 20 minutes ago you were naked. AHHH! If you think about it too much it can turn into a show up at school sans pants nightmare.
But as of late my opinion on the whole matter has evolved thanks to a couple of pop princesses.
Designers have shown soaking wet-haired models on the runway for years. Take the Prada Fall 2013 Ready-to-Wear collection as an example. Miuccia used these wet strands of hair to highlight the chic and rich quality of the collection, while making the statement that a modern-day Prada wearer does so with sophisticated ease. The same sentiment was used in the 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear collection among others. The Spring 2013 Alberta Feretti collection showcased mermaid-like models who seemed to have just emerged from the sea to walk the runway, still dripping. My post-high school self was shocked to find that this style completely appealed to me, and added a luxe quality to the overall look.
But what REALLY sealed the deal for me was Beyoncé’s Grammy performance. Queen Bey took the stage to sing the addictive Drunk in Love and I think girls around the world would have given anything to Freaky Friday with Mrs. Carter at that very moment. Not only was she the picture of a healthy, confident, and talented woman, but was completely pulling off being tastefully (albeit off the charts) sexy at the same time. I was thrilled to see her sporting her shorter cut, as I think it is one of the best in the biz. But dripping wet, the bob was now the perfect crown fit for a queen.
Then yesterday the photos of Miley Cyrus featured in the March issue of W Magazine surfaced, and there she was, just being Miley, but with a new look that featured bleached brows and a soaking blonde bob. From what I’ve seen thus far the shoot is both artful and tasteful, while still maintaining the magazine’s esteem, Miley’s tendency to create a buzz, and the benefits that can be reaped from a gluten-free diet. I have zero beef with Miley (unlike the rest of the world), and am actually kind of sick of she and Beyoncé being pitted against one another in an unholy war of “who’s the better feminist”. In this battle of “whose waterlogged coif is cooler” both women reign supreme.
After seeing this look executed so stylishly, I’m tempted to chop my mane and fully submerge my head in a bucket of water to achieve the same effect. Sadly, in Toronto this could mean risking hypothermia, but to be truly of-the-moment with your ‘do might just be worth it.
-AP
the rêve head 