Our hair. It can be our crowning glory, or responsible for everything that goes wrong in our lives, from not getting that job to a horrendous night out. So often we refer to people's hair when describing them - "You know who she is, she's the one with the very long/short/blonde/shiny/dark/curly hair."
When I was last at the hairdressers, we were chatting about how it often seemed to be the case that women who experimented with short hair quickly decided that it wasn't for them and grew it again. A straw poll in the salon drew a consensus that Halle Berry, as beautiful as she is, suited short hair better than long hair.
Long hair means so much to so many women, whether they use it as protection, for seduction, because it suits them or because they (or their other halves) can't imagine life without it.
I can't imagine how awful it must be to lose one's hair as a result of illness and I don't feel qualified to go there - so this is all about preference and in some cases hysteria when a cm too much is chopped off. We've all been there!
With Jessie J agreeing to have her head shaved for comic relief (how amazing does she look?) I thought now might be a prudent time to look at those stars who had had their hair cropped and who, in some cases, had grown it again.
I know that she's paid millions, and I know that it grows back, but I thought that Anne Hathaway was brave in having her hair cut for Les Miserables. I don't think that she's planning on keeping it short. It seems to be getting a little longer each time I see it which is a shame (if I may be so bold as to express an opinion) as it really suits her.
Ah, the lovely Michelle Williams. Her short hair is so much a part of her style which is chic, elegant, a little bit 1950's and very Miu Miu. I read that she kept her hair short as someone to whom she had once been close loved it so much. I assume by this that she meant Heath Ledger, the father of her child who sadly died.
Carey Mulligan is apparently unable to grow her hair long as it has been so damaged by extensive colouring. Whether it is true or not who knows but she's another (cropped) blonde bombshell.
Danii Minogue is a bit of a chameleon when it comes to hair in that it always seems to look different. Perhaps that just comes from having a good hairdresser and enough length to it to style it in many ways. I don't really think of Danii as a true "shortie" - just a visiting one!
After being contractually bound for so many years not to cut her hair, when Emma Watson finished filming Harry Potter, it's one of the first things that she did. This was a growing up/rebellious chop as much as anything else but not one that lasted - although again I think that it suited her.
Sienna Miller, she who epitomised the boho look for so long, was never a convincing shortie and as much as it suited her, it was only a matter of time before she grew her crop out again. It was great whilst it lasted!
Halle Berry did more for short hair and orange bikins in "Die Another Day" than anyone could have done for either, in anything else, ever. She just looked stunning.
VB's crop was the start of her transformation from the WAG of the Baden Baden days, to the fashion designer that she is today. Whilst she didn't keep her short hair, losing those long curly extensions was probably the best thing that VB could have done for her style credentials. Having said that, I love her hair now.
For a long time Winona Ryder had short hair but she is wearing it long again now. In some ways the look of long hair which is tied back is not that dis-similar to cropped hair. Everything is exposed and there's nowhere to hide. Again, I think that it suits her but maybe I'm biased.
In fact, I can't think of many stars who have had their hair cropped and who it hasn't really suited - and anyway that would be unfair to say so. On the other hand, I guess most of them think long and hard about it before braving the hairdresser's chair. So, what do you think. Would you? Wouldn't you? Have you? What would your other half think and would you ever do a Jessie J for charity?
Here are some girls who probably have enough hair for all of us!
