Actually, this observation isn't a new one. It was a twentysomething discovery that several recent events have reminded me of, so I thought I should include it here.
Many women in college and their early twenties wear their hair on the longer side. The style fits their age bracket, is attractive to men, and helps keeps them competitive in the steely rivalries that are often part of femaninhood. But then an engagement ring gets slipped on a young woman's finger and she marches down the aisle and into a partnership that only death can put an end to. After the honeymoon is over and all the gifts have been opened, the settling down begins.
That starts the transformation from pigtailed former sorority girl to adult china-buying wife. Part of that transformation is the dispatching of inches from her hairstyle. Now she is married, she has little motivation to attract other men. The man she's with is legally bound to her so she's less motivated to attract him than when she had only known him for two weeks. Now she is married, she's started to attend functions and events with other married couples - a far different social dynamic than the bar scene. Now she is marred, she's developed her skills in managing the household, making schedules, and debating with her under-manned husband.
So off go long tresses, and the new short "off-the-market" hairstyle takes the place. Even before looking at the left hands of each member of the group of girls in the restaurant having a nice lunch, one could place a good bet on which of the members are married just by examining hairstyles. That one in the seat 4 with the Farrah Fawcett redux? Not married. The rest with nary a strand touching shoulders? Taken, taken, taken, and taken.
Not that no single girls wear short hair. In fact, single girls with short hair are often very attractive because of the inner confidence that they usually have that allows them to be comfortable with less on top. But what happens then they get married, do they shave it all off or grow it out?
