[H29]Hair Styles For 2008

Celebrities are often touted for their "staying power," their longevity. They are also often notorious for following fashion trends. Last year, however, neither the same-old-same-old nor the follow-the-crowd mentality seemed to hold fast in Hollywood. Last year was the year of change, and of setting the trend - especially when referring to celebrity hair styles. If you had long hair in January, it was a good bet that by December, you had had it shorn off to some degree. If you were a curly girl to start the year, by the Fall your curls were gone like the Summer sun. Speaking of the Summer sun, it made its appearance on more than one celebrity 'do, even in the dead of night. And thanks to the new First Lady, Michelle Obama, November and December saw many a polished style where before there had been none.

Longer hair styles have been all the rage in Hollywood and New York of late. That trend didn't end in 2008, but several celebrities decided it was no longer for them and like a director at the end of the film, told their stylists to, "Cut!" Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Holmes, and Reese Witherspoon, to name a few, all went from longer hair styles to shorter ones. Katie perhaps made the biggest splash on the fashion and tabloid pages, shearing her locks from mid-length to a short bob. Reese perhaps experienced a change of heart, cutting her blonde tresses, but then appearing to grow them out again. Gywn shoulder length bob was a big change for her long, flowing locks. Even a few celebs with already sporting shorter looks went shorter. Victoria Beckham certainly looked posh in her pixie, and singer Rihanna's hair seemed to get shorter and shorter as the year went along.

As I said, though, long hair hasn't completely gone with the wind. The "beachy" look of Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cameron Diaz, slightly messy with sun-kissed highlights, has been declared a "classic," marking its turn from trend to true style. Even Beyonce' got into the beach scene, highlighting her long, dark tresses with subtle caresses of sunny gold. Several older celebrities proved that you don't have to cut your hair after 40. Meryl Streep went all long hippie-'do for her film "Mama Mia," and started something big, or should that be long. Longer styles appearing on the red carpets were sported by Christie Brinkley and Teri Hatcher, as well as Kim Cattrall and Andie McDowell. These ladies all prove that your style doesn't necessarily have to change just because you've passed some magic number on your birthday cake.

Many of the best red carpets events happen after the sun goes down - movie premiers, charity events, award shows, concerts, hopping parties - and the gals of Tinsel Town always turn it up a notch when they know they're going to be strutting their stuff under the stars. Gone are the days of "classic" Hollywood, but not so far gone that celebrities have forsaken its polished, sophisticated hair dos. Reese Witherspoon may have cut her hair short, but her new length lent itself quite nicely to 40's style waves reminiscent of Lana Turner and Kate Hepburn. Polished updos made a big splash on many a red carpet, with Ann Hathaway, Padma Lahkshmi and Jennifer Hudson all appearing in the more finished, sleek styles. Even though old Hollywood may be having a come back doesn't mean that the funkier, messier side of style didn't come out to play once in a while. Taylor Momsen's funky, shaggy pony tails, Debra Messing's sexy messy curls and Keira Knightley's less than perfectly combed bob all had their fun, too. In fact, one of the trends for Spring 2008 was the messy 'do, and celebs had us all spending hours styling our hair to look much as it did when we woke up.

The US Presidents' First Ladies have been fashion trendsetters from the start. Eleanor Roosevelt was the first First Lady to be photographed wearing pants. Jackie Kennedy graced the fashion and social pages of the country's newspapers almost as often as her husband did the front page. (Who can ever forget his quip about being the man who accompanied Mrs. Kennedy to France?) Our current First Lady will be no exception. Already, Michelle Obama has made a name for herself in the world of fashion and style. Like many other women across the country last year, she chose a shorter, but longer bob cut. From election night's easy style to Inauguration Day's sophisticated class, the president's lady has shown she knows just how to wow the crowd.

While some celebrities may have chosen to make drastic changes from their previous styles, the one thing that stands out from 2008 is that classic styles seemed to be more the norm than the exception. The bob, whatever its length may be, has been around for 80 years or so. The polished updos of the 40's and 50's are clearly here to stay. The freer flowing long styles of the 60's and 70's don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, either. And even the newer, messier beach style has now become a classic in its own right. 2008 may have been a year of change, but it proved that not all changes are bad things, especially when the "new" look is truly classic style, updated.