The Lovely Trudy Campbell

For the first few seasons of Mad Men, I really pined for a brunette character with great style to stick around on the show long enough to emulate. Rachel and Midge came and went, and while Peggy is a complete badass, her fashion sense didn't kick in until around the third season, and she still makes some occasional missteps.


It wasn't until season four, when Peggy and super arrogant (but really good looking) freelancer Joey learn that Trudy Campbell is having a baby that I realized...the elusive brunette style icon I've been looking for was there all the time!

As Joey says, "I would get her so pregnant."

I'll be honest. Trudy Campbell was probably my least favorite female character on Mad Men through my first and second viewings. (And she was only eclipsed as least favorite character overall by her ridiculous child of a husband, Pete.) I found her social climbing ambition a little overwhelming and her constant whining about not being knocked up annoying as hell. BUT in all reality, she is awesome. Intelligent, glamorous, quick thinking, immaculate, level headed, loyal, and goddamn it, she wears the greatest hats. (And Allison Brie is really. Really. Beautiful.)

So even though we now have Megan, who is amazingly stylish, you know you can always look to Mad Men's original brunette style maven for inspiration. Even if she does have extremely questionable taste in lingerie.

And if you haven't seen it already, check out Texts From Trudy Campbell. (It's hilarious, I promise.)

Things You Should Know Before You Get Blunt Bangs

Let me tell you something about blunt bangs.

Blunt bangs are the world's oldest bangs. They're straightforward and honest. The first woman who decided to spruce up her 'do, whoever she may have been, gave herself some blunt bangs. I promise.

This means several things:

1) They've stuck around for a reason. They are super versatile, and anyone who says otherwise is full of crap. You can wear them straightened, curly, bouncy, short, long, piecey, swept to the side, pinned back, teased up...plus, they add flavor and form to up-dos and ponytails, which is great if you, like me, just wanna tie your hair back sometimes in a messy bun but hate a big bare forehead. You could say that they are a little more high-maintenance than not having bangs, but in my experience, the ratio of looking awesome to effort is considerably better.

2) They are simple to cut. Of course, you can get a stylist to do it for you, or you could spend an hour watching some Youtube videos and get some instant gratification. (But only if you're sober.) The nicest thing is that once you cut them yourself, you can maintain them yourself.

3) I also have to say that people always told me that growing out blunt bangs is a really irritating process, but I've found just the opposite. I loved when they just grazed my eyebrows, but I've found that they make all kinds of fun and interesting shapes as they grow.

4) Also, if you're looking to replicate Joan Holloway bangs, this is the best way. Although her look has changed from season to season ever so slightly, through a thorough examination of her bangs, I've determined that they are long blunt bangs, just styled differently. I realize that not everyone's life revolves around Mad Men, but I know that I searched for the best way to achieve a Joan style bouffant on a regular basis, and this is the best way, no matter what length hair you have.

5) Side-swept bangs are trivial in comparison. In a competition of side-swept vs. blunt, side-swepts are  extremely limited, trickier to maintain, and frankly, look a little 2007.

Obviously, I'm not recommending blunt bangs to you personally, because I don't know what your hair texture is or how much time you're willing to spend getting used to styling them or how handy you are with scissors. I do know that blunt bangs were a really great decision for me, and I fully support the decision to try something new.

But if it ends disastrously, don't look at me.

Banging!

The other day, I decided that my hair needed a change. I've been sporting the Kate Middleton for too long. Sure, it's versatile, attractive, flattering, classic, blah, blah, blah, which have all become synonyms for boring in my mind. (And you'll have to excuse my horrible mirror picture skills. I didn't get a lot of practice in high school, since mirror pictures are literally the worst thing. The WORST.)

I've always been pretty sensitive about cutting my hair, mostly because my mom traumatized me at the age of 3 by giving me a bob. After years of growing it out and donating it repeatedly, I tried the short hair route in high school, and realized that I would be reasonably successful if ever I needed to temporarily hide my identity by say, disguising myself as a man.

But I've been in kind of a "throw caution to the wind" mood in the past few weeks (I bought a stick shift without re-learning to drive one first. Enough said.). So, armed with shears, I decided to give myself some bangs.

Having my hair cut with just long layers is great for 1940s styles, but since I usually rock a 1960s look day to day, it wasn't practical. I chose to go for a Joan Holloway straight-ish fringe that could be worn blunt or brushed to the side. I did the twist and cut method, which you can witness in this video. (Also, the instructor has an entertaining tan. Enjoy.)

They turned out pretty great! Not bad for a home haircut, anyway. Surprisingly, they are thus far much easier to deal with than having no bangs and trying to find a place to tuck my ends in my bouffant. Obviously they require a little maintenance to look "polished", but I think the effect is well worth it. Just as I wanted, they can be worn straight and pushed to the side, and both looks are more fun/dramatic than before.The bouffant is MUCH simpler to deal with and looks more...vintage?

And behold the $7.68 Target sweater I bought yesterday!

Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with myself, having successfully learned to cut my hair and Clark's, thus saving us untold millions of dollars and public tears spent in salons. Or something.

Does anyone else cut their own hair? Or am I the only crazy who needs that instant gratification?

If you're thinking about donning some blunt bangs yourself, you should read my post on Things You Should Know Before You Get Blunt Bangs.