Hair Fair 2016 - The 80's Want Their Styles Back

Allanah Currie

I want to like Hair Fair, I really do! It's for a good cause (Wigs for Kids) and all, but the styles the designers chose to show off generally just leave me flat. Last year I complained about all the mesh hair that looked and moved like it had 5 lbs of gel in it.

The stiff look of mesh hair hasn't changed, but this time around, I'm seeing lots of asymmetric "shave head" styles that bring to mind that awful period in the mid-80's where punk & new wave merged to the frustration of all us young girls who didn't have perfect faces. Think Allanah Currie of Thompson Twins or Grace Jones or Robert Smith (Cure) and you sorta get the idea.

I suppose with Second Life, you CAN have that perfect face to frame the "look". But in all honesty, when you actually try it, the shave head side generally looks painted on (as it is) while the hair looks like you've attached a small furry creature to your head. There's never a smooth blend into the head. The result generally looks better in the package photos (often Photoshopped) than it does for real in SL. Yes there are lots of "normal" alternatives at Hair Fair but it seems the 80's asymmetric look is "in".

Guys, are pretty much limited to the shave-head with random furry critter on top look period (with maybe two exceptions). If you like it, rock it. But it's a bit too "precious" and hipster for me. Ink (below) is a good example of the styles men are likely to find.

3 styles by Ink

Vapor by Stealhic

I did my due diligence however and demo'd a number of hairs before visiting the Fair. Here are a few I would consider for purchase:

Vapor by Stealthic

This is fairly close to how the hair actually looks although the scalp blend has been touched up a bit in the photo. On the right head, you'll get that serious Megyn Kelly anchorwoman look. 

Odyle from Mina

Here you can rock the CNN Christiane Amanpour look (at least when she was a lot younger). Well done hair with nice details and it comes in Materials and non-Materials versions.

I didn't buy this one because I already have a similar non-mesh look-alike from ETD that still looks very good. But Odyle is definitely worth a look.

Odyle by Mina

F516 by Tram

F517 by Tram

F516 & F517 by Tram

Next up are two styles from Tram. These are both super cute but they come at a fairly steep price. $350L for only two colors and honestly, they are somewhat average on the texturing. I love the way the hair is styled but I would like to see more subtleties in the color blending and at that price, how about a HUD for 6 colors? Most Hair Fair vendors offer 6 colors for $250L.

I would like to know where the model got that adorable crop-top! Me want!

Honorable mentions

I'm not in a total short hair mode. There were a few long ones that looked nice but I wish designers would make more hybrids so the hair had movement. Anyway, here are some worth checking out.

Curious Kitties for being as strange as ever. 5 styles as whacked as you'll find anywhere in SL.

Ayashi for all you cosplay kitties out there.

Bold & Beauty has some nice long, wavy styles.

Hair Studio One with well done dreadlock styles (men & women)

Everything else

You can check out all the styles here at the Hair Fair 2016 blog to see for yourself. If you join the inworld group, you can demo almost all of them in advance.

And please ppl, these are my PERSONAL opinions. Don't get all offended if I've dissed your favorite hairstyle or designer. Feel free to comment, just keep it nice. :)