Is long hair a status symbol for upper middle class and up

[levette]

It could be a coincidence in some cultures but I notice that especially for upper middle class or higher the trophy women tend to be on the thin side with long hair (sometimes with highlights) even when they are well past their 40's. I noticed this when not only on tv but when I went to a preppy type restaurant which was somewhat diverse. The women had that rich look to them with designer like close, thin frame and mid to bra strap hair with highlights. Just an observation but I could be wrong. Many of the women fit the trophy wife look.

 

[TopShelf]

i kind of noticed this at a babyshower yesterday. The mommy to be was educated and so were all of her friends and the friends of the daddy-to-be. Almost all of the women had at least shoulder length and longer hair.

 

[Keen]

I was at a party recently and none of the women had weave. They did not all have long hair but they were either natural or styled their own relax hair.

 

[ckisland]

I think long hair is a status symbol for black women. The one's who actually have it (no fake hair added), are many times paying good money to keep it up. I think long, dyed hair is a status symbol particularly for white women. My experience and from what I've heard/seen, in other cultures, long hair is seen as a sign of being rural or a "country bumpkin". Very religious white and Hispanic women have super long hair. Hispanic women who recently immigrated here, are first generation, or who come from rougher/poor communities have super long hair. Natives (tend to be very poor) will have stupid long hair, especially if they just left a reservation. Asian women in rural areas also have super long hair.

I've noticed that upper middle class white and Asian women will maintain long hair (though not very long hair) and keep it dyed. Urbanites and jet setting women seem to love maintaining cuts (not necessarily short) because those take money aka salon visits to maintain. If you come from a group where long hair is common, length in of itself doesn't mean anything.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

I think it's a status symbol for the Upper/Middle Class, but not for the Lower Classes. Booty-length blonde weaves and lacefronts seem to be what's hot in the hood. I've also noticed that many of the teen-aged Black girls in my neighborhood have long hair, but I almost never see teen girls with long (growing from scalp/real) hair in blighted areas. I know my tenants (in the hood) spend ungodly amounts of money on weaves/wigs/relaxers/dye-jobs at salons.

It seems as though the women who do the most, have the least amount of hair.

 

[bronzephoenix]

................

 

[bronzephoenix]

If you could afford to pay $$$$$ for some bomb virgin blah-blah-blah and everyone knows it, I'd say yes, it's a status symbol. Just like driving a Bentley.

Otherwise, I think it's mostly a symbol of feminine beauty. But then again, beauty is very closely related to status in society. Hmmm

I guess it depends on the mentality of the wearer/observer. For instance, yt women generally view long hair after a certain age tacky and find short hair more sophisticated. This is a tough one...

Okay, I vote 'yes' becaaaause: long hair is sexy.
And sexy commands attention. Therefore, its powerful. The hair flip HAD to start SOMEWHERE. Who else but a filthy-rich WL brat??? Lol

Lemme get out of here...


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[ckisland]

Now I don't know if the OP was referring to real hair or fake hair??

Buying expensive hair is definitely a status for a whole segment of women and it confuses the hell out of me. Chicks be stroking some woman's hair like it's a tiger they killed and skinned . Why you would be proud and cocky about wearing fake hair, I do not understand erplexed.

I know other women do tracks and extensions, but white women usually keep it hush hush. I get that. Black weave culture confuses the hell out of me. It's seems so strange, but that's a whole other topic.

 

[IMFOCSD]

Hmmmm... i never thought about it this way but i do think its 50 50, I think it depends on the person. Alot of women middle\upper and rich (celebrities) black, white, etc have short, mid length or long hair and wear weave so yea it all depends.

 

[sunnydaze]

Upper middle class"society" black women I see in real life typically wear their own hair, straightened, ranging from bob to shoulder length...I rarely see it much longer than that.

The only women in this bracket I see with weaves down their backs are those on tv.

 

[AnjelLuvs]

^^^I agree, not too sure about the highlights portion though...

 

[SophieDulce]

I think long real hair is a status symbol, long fake hair that looks obviously fake is tacky and kinda hood.

 

[JaneBond007]

There are some stereotypes up in here...but I know they didn't mean it. Sigh. Anyway, no, I don't think it's a status symbol. There are plenty of short cuts in wealthy communities, old or young. What I do think is a universal status symbol is healthy, well-maintained hair, young or old. Hair coloring is the biggest hair status symbol for wealthy women ad 300.00 a pop? Yeah.

 

[spacetygrss]

Long, healthy hair is a strong sign of femininity. I'm not sure about whether it's a sign of being upper middle class and up, but it could be.
I'm a physician and all of my friends in real life are also physicians, lawyers, etc and we all have varying lengths of hair. The one common theme is that it's our OWN hair and it's well-taken care of, regardless of race/ethnicity.

 

[almond eyes]

Where I live right now, long weaves are a status symbol.

Men even now expect women to wear weaves because they are so scared at what it looks like underneath. Many of the women who I know wear weaves, hair is completely damaged and edges gone. When everyone wears a good weave then, your own hair better be up to standard if you are going to wear it out.

But I have also found that real hair especially in a sea of weaves especially well taken care of hair trumps a long weave and is a status symbol because that shows good grooming and a sign of healthy genes whether it is actually true or not.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[pearcey]

I've heard that about natural hair; esp. when i was in grade school. not long hair though...

 

[Saludable84]

Speaking from NY experience:

Women who make money keep their hair short, done and maintained. Meaning spending money to maintain it. If that means maintaining highlights, bleaching, bobs, pixie cuts, it is done. It is usually APL or above. I notice those trend in professionals.

In people that come from poorer countries, short hair is the norm because cutting and keeping short styles is a luxury. Also, as was explained to me, people from poorer countries do not waste anything; that's why they usually have longer hair. It also has to do with customs as well but there is usually more than just some factors involved. Anyway, people in poorer neighborhood usually have longer hair but it's usually people from other countries.

Black women, I have noticed, have healthier hair when they do make more money. Black women with long hair, though, usually have to work hard for it by themselves.

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[almond eyes]

Speaking from NY experience:

Women who make money keep their hair short, done and maintained. Meaning spending money to maintain it. If that means maintaining highlights, bleaching, bobs, pixie cuts, it is done. It is usually APL or above. I notice those trend in professionals.

In people that come from poorer countries, short hair is the norm because cutting and keeping short styles is a luxury. Also, as was explained to me, people from poorer countries do not waste anything; that's why they usually have longer hair. It also has to do with customs as well but there is usually more than just some factors involved. Anyway, people in poorer neighborhood usually have longer hair but it's usually people from other countries.

Black women, I have noticed, have healthier hair when they do make more money. Black women with long hair, though, usually have to work hard for it by themselves.

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But then again in places like West Africa, more money means more weave. It really depends on the environment. Where I live, because African women do not take care of their own hair or choose to cut it short in order not to deal with it (and because of the heat and lack of water in some places and even lack of education on how to take care of it), a weave looks much better than damaged hair. Unfortunately, everyone wants to look like a nollywood actress so the longer the weave the better. Everybody wants to wear a weave because it represents wealth and also if your own hair is damaged a weave is seen as presenting much better.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[ckisland]

Long, healthy hair is a strong sign of femininity. I'm not sure about whether it's a sign of being upper middle class and up, but it could be.
I'm a physician and all of my friends in real life are also physicians, lawyers, etc and we all have varying lengths of hair. The one common theme is that it's our OWN hair and it's well-taken care of, regardless of race/ethnicity.

Black women who are in high professions or in high executive positions tend to stay away from weaves, especially ones past APL. But chicks who are hustling to get "famous", are socialites or wanna bes, or are trying to groupie/date/marry their way into the upper class seem to go the hardest with weaves. They need to have that premium Pakistani hair cascading down to their butt . Professional upper middle class women stay away from that look because it may be an eye catcher for certain men and it may make you reek of "glamour", but it'll make you look tacky as hell and stick out like a sore thumb in a board room.

 

[SandCastles]

Black women who are in high professions or in high executive positions tend to stay away from weaves, especially ones past APL. But chicks who are hustling to get "famous", are socialites or wanna bes, or are trying to groupie/date/marry their way into the upper class seem to go the hardest with weaves. They need to have that premium Pakistani hair cascading down to their butt . Professional upper middle class women stay away from that look because it may be an eye catcher for certain men and it may make you reek of "glamour", but it'll make you look tacky as hell and stick out like a sore thumb in a board room.

I agree with this. My hair is in a bun for all important meetings at work.

 

[Saludable84]

But then again in places like West Africa, more money means more weave. It really depends on the environment. Where I live, because African women do not take care of their own hair or choose to cut it short in order not to deal with it (and because of the heat and lack of water in some places and even lack of education on how to take care of it), a weave looks much better than damaged hair. Unfortunately, everyone wants to look like a nollywood actress so the longer the weave the better. Everybody wants to wear a weave because it represents wealth and also if your own hair is damaged a weave is seen as presenting much better.

Best,
Almond Eyes

You are absolutely correct, but when I look at them here I see two patterns: The old skool africans are the "braid, mami braid" that hunt women hard in Harlem. Africans, behind jamaicans, do the best weaves, wigs and braids. New Skool (Americanized) Africans may still use these extensions, but they are either lazy (not really) or about that hair life because rocking your natural hair is acceptable or a sign of beauty here.

I have a friend who her mother feels that being natural is "a kid thing" so she does not wear her fro out; she strictly wears wigs. My friend feels opposite and I agree with my friend. She is African and she loves her fro as do I. It is not only custom to some, but also civilization.

For Indian women, long hair is a sign of beauty. Ive had black men tell me I'm weird because I don't wear wigs or weaves and that Im denying my culture and heritage by denying I'm not mixed Thats how normal extensions on women are to them. My husband who is Dominican tells me that hair in his country is a sign of beauty but he hates long hair because there is too much pressure and brainwashing of women to have long hair. Last, there are some races that consider hair too short to be masculine which is then mocked.

This topic is so complex.

 

[SophieDulce]

Yeah it def depends on culture. As far as african Americans I think long real hair is looked at as a status symbol.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Maybe I misunderstood the question, but OP asked about Upper Class trophy wives, not doctors and lawyers. Professional women don't generally wear long hair no matter the income or race.

There have been numerous studies that show UE men of all races prefer long hair. The web is full of advice on How to Marry a Millionaire and keeping hair long is always on the list...

 

[RegaLady]

Maybe I misunderstood the question, but OP asked about Upper Class trophy wives, not doctors and lawyers. Professional women don't generally wear long hair no matter the income or race.

There have been numerous studies that show UE men of all races prefer long hair. The web is full of advice on How to Marry a Millionaire and keeping hair long is always on the list...

I think it depends. I know some Upper middle class black trophy wives who keep their hair in bobs (even if their husbands prefered a longer length). It has a clean, classic look. Some of the black women had hair no longer than APL. I don't think WL is a popular length in that circle, but that is just me.

I think weaves are not Upper middle class. Maybe a few tracks added in the back for an event, but nothing obvious and exaggerated.

 

[RegaLady]

Upper middle class"society" black women I see in real life typically wear their own hair, straightened, ranging from bob to shoulder length...I rarely see it much longer than that.

The only women in this bracket I see with weaves down their backs are those on tv.

This......

 

[levette]

I was watching real housewives of Beverly Hills.. All of the ladies had long hair whether bleached or not or extensions. Just saying

 

[Ogoma]

The most powerful women in the world do not have long hair. I am going to have to go with them as my guide to answer this question.

 

[SophieDulce]

Ogoma, I think you have to take the age bracket into consideration as well if your going by powerful women in the world and what kind of careers they have/had.

 

[Ogoma]

Ogoma, I think you have to take the age bracket into consideration as well if your going by powerful women in the world and what kind of careers they have/had.

The question was status symbol.

If we start breaking it down by race, profession, age, educational attainment etc to come to yes, the simple answer might just be no.

The question is basically asking I f we take two 50 year old women with different SES, do we expect their hair length to be different? Would the woman with the higher SES have longer hair? I seriously doubt there is any link between hair length and SES. If we take two 30 year old black women with different SES, would the lady with a higher SES have longer hair?

 

[SophieDulce]

trophy wives.. or women who marry money id say yes...
self made women i'd say no