Much to my sorrow my hair doesn't go much past my bra-strap. My objection would be based in my own personal pain -- but I doubt I'd freak out.

I have to admit, it was pretty fabulous hair. Waist-length, thick, slightly wavy, and the perfect shade of red. (Which, I am here to tell you, is harder than hell to get.) But, man, I was so sick of being defined by my hair at that point. (This was just as I was starting to crawl out of my depression.)

Like they don't want other people to think that their woman is real butch or something. (Not that I think AT ALL that short hair = butch. Just that some of these dudes might.)

Speaking just for my dad, this is so very much not the issue. (And if you knew him, you'd understand why I can't stop laughing now.)

Hell, even knowing that at this weight, I look best with mid-length locks, I still have pangs of longing for the old length.

Plei is me. Short hair looks so much better on me it's absurd, but...I used to have so much hair! It was long and pretty and I could do anything I wanted with it...

On the short guy theory, I'm still pondering this parallel.

When I dated a guy two inches shorter than I (making him a pretty wee 5'4") I'd be talking about him and singing his praises as the newly smitten are wont to do... he's a massage therapist, and speaks seven languages, and has big brown eyes, and and and and the whatever friend would be all swoony or noddy until I got to how tall he was and many MANY of them would PHYSICALLY RECOIL.

And then say, "oh, I could NEVER date a man shorter than I am".

"Why not?"

More often than not the answer was t drum-roll "How would I wear heels?"

It was so silly. And SO frequent.

Wow, Plei, you had Kay's hair! If I really tried for it I would be a Process Nightmare. So it is sort of Ideal Hair for me.Trudy, I'd date that guy in a minute just because I wouldn't *always* be looking at his crotch, uh, I mean eye-level with it.

but...I used to have so much hair! It was long and pretty and I could do anything I wanted with it...

Exactly!

Wow, Plei, you had Kay's hair!

Less curly, darker red.

It was Waterhouse hair.

Speaking just for my dad, this is so very much not the issue. (And if you knew him, you'd understand why I can't stop laughing now.)

Oh yeah I doubt it's true for most people who have a stated hair length preference. I was just thinking maybe for some guys it is though.

Definitely for my dad. mos def...he hints around about it a lot.

One set of my cousins (the very large brood of my mother's sister) ALWAYS gave me shit when I started cutting my hair short back in high school. "You look like a boy," they all said. Um, yeah, a boy with a D-cup. What-the-fuck-ever.

I've experimented with growing it out, and a lot of different styles and I try to go with what's most flattering TO ME.

I did have one guy bemoan "But what am I going to hold onto???" It did take me a second to parse the root of his pain, and my answer was very much "Nothing attached to me, asshole."

I. LOVE. THIS.

Pre-Raph Plei!

sumi, I think I might just have gone in and told the professional, "I have a reservation that I'm going to be late for. It's too late to cancel, I have to go. I just wanted to let you know the phones won't be manned for a while." Either that, or walk out without saying a word. After all, you had plans, the student was sent on the spur of the moment, and nobody cleared anything with you beforehand. But then I'm a hardass and a mean bitch.

I would certainly at least bring this up when you've thought it through, possibly rehearsed it and thought of responses to several different reactions. I'd definitely not let it pass unchallenged. That way lies being walked on at their convenience, and you really don't have to accept that.

I won't "let" Joe shave his goatee, even though I met and fell in love with him without it. It just looks more right than without.

That said, if he did shave it, I'd not freak out.