14 DAY TRIAL // Whenever there’s a movie premiere or some other, star-studded, fancy gala, women know they must keep an eye out for a parade of awesome gowns, sparkling pieces of jewelry and impeccable hairstyles. As of late, however, things seem to have taken a different direction, especially in the case of pop icon Madonna and actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who have done what was considered, until not long ago, the unthinkable on the red carpet – namely, they donned dark roots, clearly showing against their otherwise irreproachable blonde hairdos.
Since chances are that such a trend picks up with regular women too, the Daily Mail has gone to great lengths to learn whether this is really something that hair stylists encourage or, for that matter, consider an improvement, or more of a setback instead. Results came back divided – while some stylists would say that dark roots are, and will continue to be, a fashion/beauty faux pas that only comes with downsides, others are positive that they’re the best way of showing some sort of rebelliousness and individuality.
Celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward falls in the former category. Not only is “this […] definitely not a look we have come to expect from two otherwise highly glamorous and perfectly groomed women,” but “three inches of roots will make anyone, no matter how beautiful, seem bedraggled,” as Ward tells the mag. While he does see a point in Madonna's doing it (as it could stand as some sort of statement for the rough period she’s now going through, with the divorce from Guy Ritchie and everything), Gwyneth has no excuse, all the more considering the age of both starlets. “The roots-on-show look is unflattering because the two colors invariably clash and look wrong together above a single skin tone. It's just so unforgiving.” he says.
Moreover, the hairdresser assures the mag that, while he has repeatedly seen women come into his salon asking for a hairdo as seen on other celebrities, so far no one told him to give her the “root look.” Therefore, it’s practically impossible for this trend to pick up any speed, with him putting all his hopes in that it will actually fade out in a couple of months. The conclusion is, nonetheless, scorching. “Having excessive roots turns a bad hair day into a nightmare. You can almost get away with stepping out of the house without a scrap of make-up, if your hair is well kept, but forget it if you have six months' worth of color re-growth. My prediction is that roots remain on Madonna and her mate Gwyneth, and not on the heads of the general public, who are too clever to be sucked into such a nonsensical and ridiculous fad.” Ward tells the Daily Mail.
On the other hand, style writer Bethan Cole sees dark roots not only as bringing some punk-rock-ish edge to too angelic looks, but as a move that could easily translate into the voicing of one’s independence and sense of rebelliousness, well kept under wraps so far. “Showing your roots is the coiffure equivalent of being caught doing something you shouldn't. Gwyneth, it seems, is indulging in a spot of follicular subversion, and it should be applauded.” Cole tells the mag.
But there are more advantages to this budding new look than meets the eye, meaning than just this subversion of an established image. As Cole sees it, it also stands for an intellectual stance that the woman takes, in that she “screams” out loud that her hair color is fake, thus turning the tables on our modern beautification standards. Dark roots showing also bring a certain note of “trailer trash danger” (in Cole’s own words) to the woman who proudly displays them, the kind that singer Courtney Love took and turned iconic back in the ‘90s.
To sum up, Cole is of the opinion that this new trend “signifies a whole spectrum of interesting cultural references. […] An inch or two of brunette root on a blonde hair shaft is like a neat black border on a clean white sheet of paper. It frames, contrasts, adds depth and darkness,” while also adding a touch of humanity, and imperfection if you will, to what could otherwise be deemed an “ice queen” look.
As you can see, opinions about this emerging trend are divided, and will probably continue to remain so until it goes away. Whether we choose to believe the one or the other “expert,” meaning, opting to give in to the trend or not, is ultimately just a matter of personal taste.
