It's always around this time of year, when late spring hits its first 90-degree day, when my girlfriends look wistfully at me (or my hair, rather) and say something along the lines of, "Tell me again what it was like—tell me how it felt to cut it all off!" Even for the ones who never trim their tresses more than half an inch, there's something thrilling about even considering such a drastic change. Risk feels good, even if it's just a passing thought.
To help nudge passing thoughts into actual appointments, I've assembled a slideshow of my all-time favorite short looks, ranging in length from an Amber Rose buzz cut to Katie Holmes' perfect just-above-the-shoulders bob circa 2007. Enjoy!
Amber Rose
This is the woman who, among other sartorial feats, pulled off opening night at the opera in a white Alexander Wang mini dress. Of course a buzzcut suits her.
Jean Seberg
Though her performance in Breathless and several other classic French films has many believing actress Seberg was a natural-born Parisian gamine, alas, it isn't so. The girl with the chic Joan of Arc cut was actually a corn-fed, born and bred Iowan.
Ginnifer Goodwin
32-year-old Big Love star Goodwin gave us a short-hair surprise late last year when she chopped her locks to pixie length. Usually done very classically, here she roughed up her hair's texture and achieved a look that was edgy but still sweet enough that we could see a dose of Margene in her.
Morena Baccarin
The breakout star of ABC's sexy sci-fi drama, V, 31-year-old Baccarin is proof that Brazilian beauty and highlighted va-va-voom tresses don't always go hand in hand.
Rihanna
In the winter of 2008, Rihanna finally stopped flirting with mid-length styles and went supershort—and this early iteration (shown at left) is my favorite. I love how she showcased her classically beautiful face with a minimalist cut, leaving the drama to her fashion-forward ensembles.
Carey Mulligan
I adore everything Mulligan has ever said and worn—and will love every movie she'll ever do from here on out. I already know it. And whether she's slightly auburn, dark brown, or dishwater-y blond with roots showing, I don't think her hair has ever seen a bad day.
Audrey Tautou
Sure, the Amélie actress has the kind of perfectly-sculpted face (and tiny head) that would work with any style. But we've seen the naturally curly-haired 33-year-old with long locks and we've seen her with short, and the latter just does the French girl much more good.
Keira Knightley
When Knightley took the pixie plunge in 2005, the It Brit's beauty shined more than ever. Photos of her heavy, side-swept bangs have accompanied me to my stylist's chair many a time.
Anja Rubik
Few of us will ever have model Rubik's razor-sharp cheekbones or forearm-sized thighs, but her ultrafemme bowl cut is a totally different story. This we love—and we can have.
Michelle Williams
Since her departure from Dawson's Creek, Williams has never had a cut above her shoulders that wasn't flattering and totally enviable. Her latest (shown at left), debuted last month at Cannes and gave hope to all those growing out their pixies that there is indeed a chic in-between cut that goes just as well with skinny jeans in Brooklyn as it does a Chanel gown in the south of France.
Selma Blair
Having grown up with Blair's haircut my entire childhood, I don't think I could ever return to it without feeling slightly...off. That said, this cut, in my view, is what keeps the nearly 39-year-old actress looking more youthful than those ten years her junior.
Katie Holmes
Katie, this was you in the fall of 2007. You were so beautiful, so elegant, so beguiling! Your chop was the chop heard 'round the world—a chop that incited so many (your author included) to take not just inches but inches and inches off their length. We miss this Katie. And if you're able to fit a stylist's appointment in between your dance classes, we'd love to have this Katie back.
