The New Order.(fashion and beauty)(Editorial)

Byline: Linda Wells, Editor in Chief

Someone just asked me why I was in a good mood. Do I really have to explain that? Is it so rare? Rather than spoiling my mood by thinking about it, I simply pointed to my freshly cut hair.

There are few things that lift a woman's spirits as quickly, effectively, and legally as a haircut. This explains a phenomenon that perplexes some of the most renowned (and probably bald) economists: Even though it requires extra maintenance, short hair is more common than long during economic slumps.

It makes perfect sense to me. For nearly a decade, mussed, long Gisele hair was the prevailing trend. The look was designed to replicate an afternoon in Malibu, where the wind whipped your hair into gorgeous whorls. For the landlocked, there were saltwater spraystruly, salt and water, mixed and bottledthat promised beachy hair without the expensive real estate. But today, lounging around on the sand isn't quite as feasible or attractive anymore, and the trend is shifting to sharper, more defined haircuts.

The bohemian look that was so pervasive in fashion is also beginning to fade from memory, like a quaint relic of a clueless time. ...