I wish I had a photograph to show you my “Frida Haircut” I had briefly back in the 1980s. Alas it was in the pre-digital photography era when taking photographs was a costly process. When getting a roll of film was a significant purchase for a teenager, let alone getting a roll developed.
But yes it’s true. I have a strongish memory of going into my local hairdresser at about the age of 17 and asking for a haircut like Frida from ABBA, and showing the hairdresser a copy of her from the “ABBA Magazine”.
In a scene reminiscent of that moment in “Shirley Valentine” (I think) when the largish woman goes into a hairdresser with a photograph, asking for a “Lady Di Haircut” I’m sure it gave my hairdresser a good laugh when he went home that night.
Unfortunately the attached pic fails to convey what I desired most – a rats tail.
Younger readers may not be all that familiar with the rats tail. Wikipedia describes it as…
A rattail is a haircut that is characterized by a long “tail” of hair growing from the back of the head. The rattail usually curls naturally; however, it can be braided, treated as a dread, permed, straightened, or curled with an iron. This hairstyle saw a brief period of mainstream popularity during the 1980s and has rapidly fallen out of vogue.
Though I never had a long rats tail, I, nonetheless, had one briefly in the 80s, as did Frida from ABBA.
Well, guess what? They’re coming back. On three occasions this weekend I’ve seen someone with a rats tail.
The latest occasion was tonight when I was having a drink with my friend John. There was a bloke maybe 20 years old who walked past us. Not entirely the most fashionable man around town. but certainly fashion conscious. And yes, he had a rats tail. It’ll be interesting to see if the fashion takes on, and for how long.
There were also a few 80s haircuts in a terrific film I watched on Foxtel this arvo called C.R.A.Z.Y.. It’s a film about a father’s relationship with his five sons, focussing mostly on one son, the gay one, Zac. It’s a beautifully made film with a good story, a wonderful poetic quality, and one which kept me intrigued the entire way through. Although we never got to see one, you just know for a while Zac would have had a rats tail too :)