The ceaseless assertion that " blondes have more playfulness " has always queer me . Yes , I ’m a instinctive brunet , so you probably think I ’m slanted , covetous of my light-haired comrades , or justificative of my chestnut locks . But it ’s not really resentment that I palpate toward the testimony , it ’s intrigue : a person ’s haircloth colour can’tpossiblydirectly correlate with enjoyment of life … can it ?
Well , scientific discipline and research paint a picture it can . Evenback in the Stone Age , blond cavewomen were viewed as # winning in the health and vitality departments . AND they stood out more to attract the attention of hunters . According to more recent studies , brunettes are thought to be the more rational and sensible I , transform to the perception that blonde are more free - spirited ( take : more fun ) . Additionally , 36 % of men prefer blondes in the sleeping room , while 31 % phantasy a romp with a brown - hirsute looker . Not ahugediscrepancy , but that 5 % was enough to light my investigative ( and slightly competitive ) attack .
I take to find out for myself what – if anything – I was missing out on as a brunette . So I decided to go blond ( for a day ) , take note of my surroundings and others ' reaction , and get a line the solution firsthand .
Jason Hoffman/Thrillist
The transformation
I enlisted the help of renown hairdresser and beauty salon ownerAngelo David Pisacreta , New York City ’s top expert in couture wigs and hair’s-breadth propagation . If I was pass to " go blonde , " I would do so all the way ; in the most believable way of life possible , without compromise my cherished virgin strands . ( For those of you giggling , it just means my hair has never been dyed before . Get your psyche out of the gutter . )
Angelo customized a gorgeous blonde wig for me to wear upon . To ensure it looked undeniably convincing , he even colored the roots disconsolate to match my supercilium . I was quick to go blonde ! After he tuck my natural hair under the wig and style it , I took my first look in the mirror as a platinum hellcat … and truly did not recognize myself .
" Wow , what an unbelievable translation ! " exclaim the light-haired woman next to me , who I immediately agnize to be Aviva Drescher fromThe Real Housewives of New York . " You ’re going to be intimate being a blonde – well , as long as you love attention ! "
Angelo David Salon
I palpate like a new exchange student in shoal who bid flip - floating-point operation " thongs " and was now being looked at laughable . I had so much to find out . I explained my experiment to Aviva , who is essentially the Queen Of Blondes , and she was well-chosen to offer her seasoned blonde tidings of Wisdom of Solomon .
" utter from experience , clothes that appear sleek on brunettes can take care implicative on blondes , " Aviva explained . " It ’s just the agency it is . You should definitely change into something more everyday for the experiment . You take care with child ! But that hemline match with those kick and the blonde haircloth is alas going to get you accosted . "
I was shocked . My outfit – a frock I deliberately chose for its muted coloration and relatively conservative fit so as to not distract from my wig – was a issue I ’d frequently wear off to the business office . How could a modification of hair colouring take a mere dress from pretty to provocative ?
Angelo David Salon
Stop and stare
I leave behind the salon with a full day ahead of me , venturing out into the populace for the first prison term as a blonde . It only took a three - hour pass for me to notice a difference in people ’s reactions . First , a chemical group of grammatical construction workers hold back wheel - barrowing cement to say hello . I crossed the street , and a traffic guard sing at me . THEN , a man drive by in an unnoted van hang up out his windowpane and scream , " Heyyy , mami ! " Not to say that as a brunet I was never catcalled by the Village People take the air down the street of Manhattan , because I was … but NOT in a three - block radius wearing what I thought was office attire . Was it my hair ? Was it my clothes ? Was Aviva in good order and it was the combo ? All I knew was that I was ludicrously uncomfortable anddefinitelyplanned to modify my dress later on .
I was already quite drained , so I made a Starbucks stop for sinister iced coffee . " What ’s your name ? " the barista asked me for drink identification role . I pause – those blond bangs tickled my eyelashes and I just … did n’t feel like myself .
" Kimberly , " I reply with conviction .
Brooke Sager/Thrillist
In good (conflicting?) company
I met my best friend Veronica * for lunch , who also happens to be a blond . She was blown away by my makeover , equate it to staring at the sunlight : " It ’s very jolt at first and my eye need some time to adjust ! " she say . " You wait awesome , I just would n’t have realize you had I not know to look for ' blonde Brooke . ' "
" Yeah , so I ’m Kimberly today . It just feels right . "
Veronica was also that booster , I pull in now , whose relationship status bozo always asked me about . She ’s gorgeous , smart , and a catch – but with my recent experience in being carnivorously catcall just for existing , I was curious if she and her natural blondeness could refer .
Brooke Sager/Thrillist
" I believe we do get more tending , but not just because our hair color is brighter , " Veronica said . " blond stereotypes have been deeply ingrained in order . We are perceived as playfulness and champagne , but also obtuse and easy . The supernumerary attention is n’t necessarily a estimable affair . "
" Interesting ! " I said . " I just hung out with one of New York’sReal Housewives , who said she ’s measured about what she wears because of her light-haired hair . "
" Definitely . I ’m cautious with my makeup , too , " Veronica pronounce . " Any lipstick brighter than nude form me feel like a Barbie who ’s trying too heavily . "
What ? ! As a brunette , I ’d never before thought twice about wearing a red back talk color . This threefold standard seemed wildly unfair to the blonde community . Also , having a stricter , smaller gamut of what I could or could n’t wear if I did n’t want to get hounded did n’t seem " play " to me .
After demolishing a crybaby pesto sandwich ( hairsbreadth color didnotaffect my appetite ) , an older man walk by our table and called out to our waiter , " You take care of those two pretty young ladies ! " Sure , the same thingcouldhave happened if I was my normal brunet self . Still , it feel like two blond girls together behave as an acute force that was hard to neglect .
I walked home and send a selfie of Kimberly to my other blonde friend Alex * . She responded immediately with , " Wig ? ? I know you and you would never in reality dye your hair . "
Twenty - nine years of friendly relationship proving Alex right , I revealed my experimentation and followed up with today ’s squeeze interrogation : do blonde have more fun and get more attention ? " Nah , " Alex reply . " I think it ’s middling equal . There are plenty of Guy who favour brunet , include my husband before he met me . "
This was fascinating . Not only because my boyfriend had oppositely preferred blondes before meetingme , but also becausemytwo light-haired friend had such different opinions on the matter . My wig and I were being pull up in counterbalance directions . Luckily , next blockage was the bar .
Kimberly meets the crew
I changed into jeans and a unmixed black T - shirt before head to the local watering golf hole to meet a strategically take pool of citizenry : my sister ( we front alike sans wig ) , my fellow , a Quaker who knew I was showing up light-haired , and a friend who did n’t . The effect were as follows :
babe : She laughed and tally we no longer look related . She descend great pleasure from call up me " Kimberly . "
young man : He stress that even though he antecedently gravitate toward blonde pre - Brooke ( I care to playfully remind him of that ) , he hopes I never in reality dye my hair . " I prefer you as a brunette because that ’s what you are of course . " Smart guy rope .
Friend who cognise Kimberly : Before see me , she enjoin she could n’t even visualize me as a light-haired ; but the wig looked so material , it only carry her two drink to decide it was " completely working " for me .
Friend who did n’t cognize Kimberly : She walked in and have got a five - instant conversation with my sister assuming I had n’t showed up yet – I was sitting RIGHT next to her . I called her name three times until she realized it was me ; her jaw go to drop .
Random man on the tube : grill me like a shish kabob with his oculus the full ride , even in my chance wear
“Fun” is in the hair of the beholder
Going blonde for a day was definitely an enlightening experience . The fact that a ) I feel SO dissimilar with the wigging on that I brought to aliveness an alter self named Kimberly , and b ) my supporter and category did n’t even recognize me with my platinum locks , revealed just how big of a role pilus coloration plays in forming your identity operator . When any charwoman – blond OR brunette – alters the color of her hair , she knows a shock note value get with it . You feel as different as you see . And that can be kind of fun !
But do blonde have morefunoverall ? I agree with Aviva and Veronica that they do get more initial attention … which is n’t really fun when it ’s predatory and you ca n’t wear certain things without being pass judgment . ( Being called pretty in a restaurant ? Yes please . Being whistle at and stared down by multiple men in two unlike outfits ? severely pass . ) While I in person think I looked jolly damn respectable in the blonde wigging , at the end of the twenty-four hours , I definitely still identify as a brunette – that ’s when I sense like the real " me . " My young man can rest assured that I ’ll be skip the bleach . For the same reason Alex ’s husband fell in love with her blond self despite his prior brown - haired penchant , it go to show that hair color predilection is a " character " … it isn’teverything . Long - term " attention " comes from confidence and just being yourself .
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