VAIN Blog

Sarah is one of our front desk superstars, and often the voice on the phone when you call to schedule - or the ‘voice’ of a post you read here on the blog. Today she’s a “guest blogger” while she takes over vaindotcom like it was her own livejournal.

Yesterday, my best friend had a baby. A healthy perfect angelic boy who I’m totally in love with. There’s nothing like a new life in the universe to make you reflect upon your own life - experiences, parenting, growing up, the whole gamut. To add to it, I’ve been house sitting for my mom at the house I grew up in - while she takes my “baby” sister to go look at the college she’ll be attending this fall!

I remember my little sister being 12 or 13 and starting to take her to buy makeup, explaining product, showing her how to blow out her hair. My mom - a much more sensible woman than I am - was cautious, thinking I was setting a standard that these were things she had to do. Mom prefers simple lines, short cuts, clear mascara. I tend towards red lips + train cases of colors and sparkles. Which one of us would she take after?

My sister [now a devout fan of Pureology's Super Straight] took her tools with her on this weekend’s trip. Yesterday I blew out my hair with the only dryer left in the house - an amazing artifact that states it was a sponsor of the “1976 US Olympics Team.” I remembered using it when I was younger than Lil’ Sis is now, never understanding why my hair didn’t look like a shampoo commercial. At that age, you’re the most sensitive you’ll ever be, and any perceived faults feel like the worst thing that could ever happen. 15 years ago, I didn’t know I had an old dryer and no product - I thought I had horrible hair and that everyone else on the planet had a beauty instruction manual I’d never received.

When I showed my sister how to paint her nails and curl her hair, it wasn’t that they were prerequisites. I just wanted her to know that she could do them if she wanted to. That’s one of many reasons why I love my job - no one at VAIN is telling you how you should look, just helping you arrive at whatever beauty ideal YOU choose. My mom and I were both right - no one should ever feel forced to spend money, time, and effort on things they don’t want or even need. But they should have access and education to be able to make themselves feel beautiful in an environment where they’re supported just as they are.

I feel incredibly lucky to be apart of VAIN’s community. I also feel really lucky that Kevin Murphy makes hair products, but that’s another matter. [Side note: Kevin, where were you in '94?!] I can’t wait until that brand new baby boy grows up and wants his first mohawk, or purple hair. Or maybe long hippie locks like his dad. Who knows! What I do know is that we’ll have the ability to help him find what he wants.

Ready to show the world who you are? Stylists at VAIN Downtown + VAIN Ballard are on hand to help. They can even help you find a blow dryer made in the past decade.

Guest blogger and VAIN Ballard senior stylist Rachel shares her own style, in her own words.

Dandyism: one who gives exaggerated attention to personal style.

4 years ago I wore nothing but jeans and white v-neck Hanes tshirts, ya know the ones that come in a four pack. 4 years before that I did not even wear pants for two years, I wore layers and layers of slips and fancifull dresses. I was the girl no one would talk to because I wore “unconventional” clothing. I was a little spooky but, alas, it made me happy.

These days I have a hard time dressing down I sometimes change my outfits 3 times, and this is just to go to work, lord knows I will stop at a champagne bar on the way home so one must look presentable. I now only feel comfortable with some sort of neck accoutrament.

I mean, a girl needs to feel put together.

I live for 1920’s-60’s mens fashion. The fine lines the tailoring the amazing detail. I feel like a proper british dandy, again whatever makes you happy. I do believe in the old belief you look good you feel good. This of course applies to hair as well. I first notice ones hair, there sense of style and their clothing. I love style. however you put it out there I love it.

I am but a hairstylist yet somehow I believe I deserve my own clothier, I think anyone who cares does at least a few important pieces. This is where Michael Cepress comes in - a true dandy if I ever did see one, a true believer of self expression and the loveliness of fine tailoring. I have taken him on as a custom designer for myself. He is in the midst of making me a cape with collapsible neck accoutrements. Please check out his website at michaelcepress.com

My bartender told me about a lovely blog Tavi - a twelve year old girl with mad personality and music and fashion sense to boot. She photographs most of her outfits she wears to school. She has great shots of runway shows and her favorite designers work. Very much worth looking at, every day!

Now for true dandyism. Lord Whimsy. You must see him to believe him. He is walking, talking, writing self expression historical art and a bag of rubies. He lives the life of extravagance true lovely life affirming extravagance. Champagne brunches and shined up shoes, I hope you will love him as I do.

Historically a dandy was sometimes a pauper who very much lived beyond their means, celebrating being working class by living the high life with the social elite. Living hard, artfully and extravagantly.

So, I may go broke on champagne cocktails, Blackbird shopping, my clothier Michael Cepress but, alas I will look amazing which brings on…feeling amazing.

Now. Come get a lovely haircut.
with love,
Rachel of Vain.

Our guest blogger Lauren Hoffman is a freelance writer who recently returned to Seattle from New York, after receiving an MFA in creative non-fiction. You can read more of her words in her recent feature on babble.com.

Jack Donaghy once said on an episode of 30 Rock, Your hair is your head suit. I’m inclined to agree, and not just because Alec Baldwin is welcome to come on over and call me a little pig anytime he likes. I’ve long believed in the importance of good hair, perhaps because I’ve spent a fair portion of my life with very, very bad hair. I was twenty-one before it was brought to my attention that neither a bleached-blonde crewcut nor a chin length bob with a center part and straight across bangs were the most flattering of choices for me. The overalls and enormous glasses weren’t either, but that’s all tangential to the story at hand.

At the beginning of the summer, I had a proper ponytail for the first time in my life. At the beginning of the summer, I had a proper nervous breakdown. It’s worth noting, perhaps, that this was not the fault of the ponytail.

There’s an ultimately uninteresting story in the middle, here, about doctors and ennui and collapse and waiting and really, really good psychoactive medication. But as everything was finally quieting down, I was ready for the era of greasy topknot by default to come to an end. I wanted to start doing things on purpose.

My haircut is loosely based on Anne Hathaway’s in Rachel Getting Married. The portions of the film I didn’t spend choke-crying were spent wondering whether Hathaway had to flat iron her hair to get it to look that way. I didn’t get the haircut because I emulate Hathaway’s character, Kym. Her choices were far more destructive than anything I’d ever managed, probably by the grace of my inbred Midwestern inhibition. There was certainly a level on which I identified with her, over-identified with her, even, but I mostly got the haircut because it’s just freaking fierce.

It’s tough girl hair, messy and shaggy and dark and the teensiest bit edgy, nine inches shorter and half a dozen shades darker. For the first time in my life, I feel like myself. And thanks to Aubrie and Carissa, I look like myself, too.

Is it time for you to say goodbye to an old look? To schedule with Aubrie or Carissa, give our front desk staff at call at 206.441.3441