In my recent post about those creeping insecurities that come and get me sometimes, amongst the abundance of comments, I was aghast to hear people feeling they were somewhat inadequate and didn’t match up to a certain standard of beauty because they were redheads. In my replies, I expressed my absolute love for redheads. If I was pressed to change my colouring to anything in the world, it would be to have those outworldly qualities of deep richly red hair and the palest of complexions. In a bid to further convince those that felt less of themselves, or those that still feel themselves cursed to have those red locks, may I present to you the latest issue of Androgyny magazine.
Androgyny started appearing in Borders even though it’s into its third issue and I was previously intrigued by it’s tagline of being an ‘unfocused fashion magazine’. Seeing as I like to meander through my magazines in a fixed dream state, this suits me fine and I wasn’t wrong when I picked up this issue…. a whole issue dedicated to redheads. Yup…. all editorials featuring various shades of red/ginger haired models, playing up all the facets of a redhead that make them so unique.
The quotes dotted throughout the magazine certainly assert a red head’s stand-out, sometimes sinister, slightly odd qualities…
‘In Denmark it’s an honour to have a red-head child.’
‘Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead.’ Lucille Ball
‘Judas, it is said, had red hair.’
‘It’s lucky to rub your hands on a red-head’s head.’
If you don’t happen to be a red head fetishist, the magazine is still a lovely find as it is so focused on a variety of images showcasing different styles. Meanwhile, I’ll gorge on my fantasy colouring and hope that the words ‘ginger minger’ are banished immediately.
Susie:
It’s the first time I post a comment, but I read your inspiring blog for some months now – amd I make myself visible just to thank your comment on redhair
I was a natural redhaired as a child, and then I lost it after growing up (damn it) so I dye my hair since then because I love how it looks “gingered”!
Love your posts, thanks for being there …
I’m with you all the way about redheads. I’ve always been fascinated with the the variations in haircolor and–sorry to be clich√©–peaches and cream complexion possessed by these lucky souls.
I laughed to myself as I wrote about this: I recalled that three of my closest girlfriends are redheads, and my fella is also a redhead.
Got to agree with you. The red hair is beautiful!!! I don’t understand why more people don’t love their hair color.
being a mixed-blood mostly taiwanese/french child, i have really weird hair. when i was a little kid, it was curly and red – not quite shirley temple red, a far bit browner and looser than that, but definitely enough to qualify me as a redhead! but when i got a bit older, all my hair darkened and straightened to its current dark brown loose waves. ever since, i’ve lusted after people with gorgeous natural red hair colors. i think it’s the most absolutely striking hair color and while i love myself loads, i wouldn’t mind having it back again. i tried dying my hair red but on me it’s just not quite the same anymore, especially as my skin tone olived up in puberty… dammit. now i just live vicariously through my redheaded friends (ha! i swear i’m not creepy). don’t be ashamed of your hair y’all, it’s beautiful no matter what color or kinkitude/straightness it is and someone out there would probably kill to trade you.
My boy is a rusty red head.
V. beautiful too.
I recently tried red on for a change and unfortunately ended up looking a bit like Mrs Ronald McDonald…it was back to the hair salon pronto!
Thankyou for your fab blog…You really are a wealth of fashion info and fun
Keep it up
x
i tried colouring my hair a long time ago but i don’t have the porcelain skin to go with it unfortunately so i’ve not done it since. so i can only look on in envy for those who are natural redheads or have the right skin tone to pull it off. sigh…
The contrast of the red hair & pale skin is incredible. The Satorialist captured an amazing shot of a red headed girl on his style.com images.
Also I noticed on several of The White Stripes songs, Jack makes references to a red headed girl that’s before the gorgeous Karen Elson.
-h
I recently watched an experiment on tv where they dyed blondes to red-heads (or rather orange) and it looked fantastic. I wondered how I – being naturally blonde – would look with sparkeling orange hair and found it kind of interesting. I’d never dare to actually do it though… (too afraid of loosing my natural blonde)
How bizarre! I’m a redhead myself (well, it’s more of a goldeny colour, more like the spice ginger but definitely ginger.) and it is difficult when you’re younger. Children can be so cruel. But I’ve grown to enjoy it as it’s also long and curly and striking. People don’t forget it. I am loving the Androgeny pictures, and with the emergence of Lily Cole it’s become even better to have red hair!!
Now Nicole Kidman and Linsey Lohan should go back to their natural colour…
I dyed my hair red when I was 14 years old – until someone told me I looked like Tiffany, then it was game over. (Those old enough will remember Tiffany – she sang I think We’re Alone Now).
Well I guess I was the redhead you mentioned in you post (*blush*)
Thank you Susie for bringing this magazine to my attention. i simply must buy it!
Throughout my life Ive been called every name under the sun and its hard to shake those feelings of embarrassment and inadequacy off.
Redheads are usually the source of much amusement to people…it still seems socially acceptable for people to lean out of their cars and shout “GINGER” at complete strangers [or am I the only one that happens to?!] and no one bats an eyelid.
The deep-seated insecurities still inhibited me and prevent me from dressing the way I want to. My aim is to be bolder with fashion and to make a feature of my red hair and porcelain skin. It will be a slow process but hopefully I will get there one day.
Redheads are still a minority in the fashion and movie industry. For a lot of people red hair does not fit their idea of beauty. It’s fantastic to see so many redheaded models in this magazine but the fact that they had to dedicate a whole issue to us just shows that its still quite unusual and perhaps controversial to see redheads in a positive light. I wish the media used more redheads and then perhaps people’s standards of what beauty can be will change.
once again, thanks Susie.
Oh my god, I was just reserching for a post on red-heads. Red hair is so beautiful, I’m glad it’s popping up everywhere!
redheads are gorgeous and the pictures you had putten up there were great .
and thank you so much for the linking !
juliet xxx
I must buy that issue! It look fabulous.
I discovered the second issue about a month ago, and I was rather intrigued by the idea of having a unisex fashion magazine. It was very good as well; rather inspiring. I think I will carry on buying it!
i adore red hair, my bf is ginger and hated it, but i love it and its made him like it too.
i would love to have red hair, its unique and beautiful.
Love love love red-hair and the idea of an issue devoted to it is sublime! x
Hi Susie!
I may have been one of the commenters with the red hair…actually we’re the red headed family. My husband had a really hard time as a child, because he really was Ronald McDonald…have you ever seen a bright red afro on a real person not portraying a clown?
I am so excited about seeing this magazine that I’m going to head up there after work to get an issue.
I may have mentioned that I dyed my hair blonde, er, for decades, until my beautiful redheaded baby boy was born. Back to the hairdresser, but this time I wanted my original colour back. And it’s been that way ever since.
I never have really embraced the pale and interesting red hair look. However, I run run run from anyone who dares show me a bronzer or suggest I need some colour. A dirty looking face is not my goal! If anyone wants to suggest colours to embrace my outer and inner redhead that would be great. Mustard and olive don’t do me any favours.
Thanks Susie, for this great post. My hair is now going white (strange family genes) so I wasn’t sure what to do but maybe I can keep it red longer than I thought!
I am equally shocked that redheads lack certain confidence–I have desired red hair since I was very little and finally took the plunge recently, only to feel my hairdresser didn’t make it red enough for me! The biggest compliment I have gotten lately is that everyone thinks it’s natural–since I am very pale…
Thank you for highlighting this topic! I feel proud while reading your lovely post.
Since taking a major fashion interest I’ve been in two minds about having the longest, brightest, curliest ginger hair. It’s fine and well in pretty editorials and street style pictures in a world where anything different is praised, but on the street the reality is that, like Lou above, I get shouted at at least every week by people in cars or on the street, and the facts are that almost all men don’t favour a ginger girl over a brunette or blonde. I don’t look at the hair on myself as anything strange because I’ve lived with it for 18 years but in Britain there’s that huge prejudice that people aren’t afraid to discriminate openly against. Go into a book shop and find loads of ginger joke books and even my friends openly make jokes and sometimes make a slip of saying ‘I’d hate to have ginger kids… woops sorry Selina!’ I love my hair and it makes my day when someone compliments it, but the ginger lovers make up about 0.001% of the population and I’m often uncomfortable on a bus full of chavs or in a surounding of 100 pretty girls with brown hair who would get the favour over me.
I LOVE red hair. You would think in a world where people are striving to be unique, more people would ahve redhair as it is the rarest haircolour. It looks otherworldly and my favourite redheads are KAren Elson, Lily Cole and most of all… CINTIA DICKER who is stunning. The combination of pale skin and redhead is just Wow.
Hey Susie, I am guessing that you can only buy this mag in London or cities and I live in a town. Would it be possible for you to post me a copy if i send you a cheque?
i put the wrong email adress before, it is “.co.uk” not “.com”
Ah, I’m so sorry Selina. I had no idea the British were so weird about red hair. I’m Canadian, but now live in the US. Where I live in the US in the biggest problem…I once walked into a meeting where I was the only one without blonde hair. Or square french manicured acrylic nails. Or a very dark tan. It was scary and tacky.
You should see the looks we get as a family. I have had people ask how the heck this happened. Um, two redheads can ONLY have a redheaded child and what do they mean by “how did this happen”? There are even girls at his school who want to touch his hair (he has red ringlets, but he keeps it short). Anyway, Selina you just need the right man! It takes a great guy to be with a redhead and my redheaded friends (somehow I have a lot of them) have some of the happiest marriages. Also, many really do love ginger hair…they just think they like blondes or brunettes. So enjoy that gorgeous hair…really, mine is just slightly wavy and a pain.
It’s like your figure…when I got married at 21 (too young but we’re still happy:)) I thought I looked so heavy. Heck if I had that figure now I’d be running around nude all the time! And I should have done it then!
So love your hair Sabina. Maybe we should start a redhead support group. 🙂
I have a good friend who is a natural RH, and she does the Lindsay Lohan and dyes her locks blonde, and wears a tonne of foundation to hide her freckles. I’m going to send her this post – thanks Susie!
I’ve always secretly wanted to be a redhead. I suppose it’s due to the Preraphaelites and the “aesthetic” movement, and all the influence they have in me.
Wow, I can’t believe people actually get shouted at for being a redhead. I have never ever encountered such a thing and in my mind red hair is just so beautiful! I remember when I was a child I would go to my friends house every thursday and her mother had the most beautiful curly red hair. I always thought to myself, when I grow up, I want to have hair like that.
My hair is chocolate and I tried dying it red once, but it turned black and after that it went purple. :s :p
Ever since I read Anne of Green Gables many years ago, I’ve wanted to be a redhead. Since I don’t color my hair, and am afraid to part with my natural blonde, it probably won’t happen. However, I’ve resolved that the moment I go gray I’ll dye my hair red.
What a great post! I’m a natural redhead and I’ve been teased once or twice but never as badly as someone shouting at me as they drive past: that is just ridiculous and I really can’t understand why there is such prejudice about having red hair and I’ve always felt that using insults like ‘ginger minger’ etc are on a par with rascist comments. I love my hair. I do get complimented for it all the time (especially by hairdressers for some reason?!) and I would never even conider dying it because I love how it makes me stand out (in a good way) in a world full of blondes and brunettes.
Lindsey Lohan dying her hair red was tragic, and a sign of her slow demise 🙂 No seriously redheads are beautiful. Oh and I’ve never seen this mag!! Gotta look out for it next time at Borders…
Red hair is glorious (what do playground kids know?) —I’ve never seen a natural red head whose color I didn’t covet and love (even when I was a no slouch, tow headed kidlet). You’ve named great redheaded beauties — I’d add Tilda Swinton to the list. God given red hair cannot be rivaled.
Long live the red heads!
Well, I’m from Denmark, and though I’m not sure that it’s considered an honour to have a redhaired baby, it really ought to be!
The prettiest of my friends is redhaired, with bright read curls. She is strikingly beautyful, with her amazing hair and pale skin, she really looks like something from a fairytale…
have a look at Harold issue 2.. red/ginger issue..
Thankyou thankyou thankyou for this post Susie!! I am also a redhead, and have learned to love it. I am fifteen, and have found that it always gets positive comments for its uniqueness, if kept long and in brilliant condition.
And to anyone who believes that men don’t like redheads, you are wrong!! Even the immature teenage boys at my school love my hair, and adults go crazy for it.
Also, remember, redheads make up less than 3% of the world’s population, and are therefore all the more desirable.
P.S. and in my opinion there is nothing cuter then a redheaded child. My mother never stops telling me how beautiful I was, with my deep red ringlets and huge blue eyes, a perfect doll like baby.
Hey Susie,
Keeping track of your blog, as always, since our meeting through iqons…. and saw your recent one on red heads….. i am actually a red head, a deep red as you mentioned, it changes shade alot, naturally, i wouldnt say im ‘carrot top’ red, but i am a red head…. and i have always loved it, and always had positive comments, because i have always kept it long and thick. i am paler than most, but not freckly like other reds, and have dark brown eyes, not conventional features of the stereotypical red. i inherited my red hair from my grandmother, where as my mum and dad had dark brown! quite a fluke! i hope to have a little girl, one day, with similar colouring, but it is unlikly as it is a recesive gene. anyway, thanks for this interesting subject! And again eternally appreciative of your first article of my work because it snow balled from there to other blogs who’s makers read your lovely one!
Best Wishes as always
Emma x
have you seen the film atonement yet? i know you posted about it recently with a talk-through keira’s various stylings in the film, but have you seen the character of lola’s wardrobe. not a nice character at all, but i love an outfit she is wearing in one scene – and she is a gorgeous redhead! i’m jealous, brown is such a boring hair colour x
i think red heads are so amazing in the fashion industry because they stand out. not many people are blessed with red hair, but myself, i have brown hair and would kil for the natural red hair.
hey susie!
wonderful post i loveeee red hair and have wanted it my whole life!
a while ago i think you posted something about a junky website but they had great gloves, im not sure if it was you but if it was could you tell me the adress please!
thanks =]
Personally I love my redhair.
When I was younger, I used to think it would be easier to be a brunette or whatever, as I got picked on like anybody else in a minority, but I stuck by it, and I don’t think I could have it any other way now.
Hey, the junky website with good gloves is called Great Lookz http://www.greatlookz.com/category/dressy_gloves.sheer_gloves/?s=16&p=1
As a redhead myself, I have always alternated between loving and hating my hair. I like it because it’s unique and I do get a lot of compliments (usually from adults & hairdressers). But once a girl in my high school complimented my hair and said she wished she had hair like mine and that I should never dye it. I had been thinking about dying it platinum blond (I know, I know) but because of that I didn’t (and also because my mom would NEVER let me. A funny thing about my mom is that people always see us together and say, “Oh! You have the same color hair” to which my mom replies “Yes, but hers (mine) is real.” My mom has naturally brown!).
My hair isn’t exactly bright red, it’s a more reddish-brownish-blondish, but still definetly red. As for pale skin, I’m not super pale, but I am super freckly. It’s weird because my arms and legs tan (not super dark but they tan) but my face doesn’t. So because of that I now use medium-tan fake tanner on my face. Horrible, I know, but just until my freckles & my real tan lighten up.
But I am so glad I don’t live in Britain after all the stuff I heard in these comments about yelling stuff at redheads. I mean, I notice here red hair is considered less attractive than other colors and that kinda pushes me to look good, like with my clothes and stuff. But for now, I’m happy with my thick red hair (I’m not happy with how is waves slightly and flips up and goes different ways and looks bad! So mucho flat iron for me.)
I’ve always been fascinated by red hair, only it’d look crap on me. The love only grew after reading Anne of Green Gables, and then about Harry Potter’s redheaded mum and best friend. And I do find the ginger jokes strange, too- it’s possibly the most striking hair colour there is.
Hi Susie!
I have been blogging about red hair for god knows how long and finally last Friday I went to the hairdressers and got my hair coloured the most awesome red. I am so happy. Thanks for this post. The timing is impeccable.
Thank you for everybody’s comments and this just proves that those people who initially had doubts about their redheaded qualities are all wrong….
Selina could be onto something with being ‘ginger’ as something of an acceptable prejudice in UK…. ok…somehow Chris Evans became unofficial rep of the redhead population in the UK and things just went downhill from there….
I’m glad the magazine bought some cheer for you guys….if you can’t get hold if it, please email me and I could try and help you out…
twinkle260@hotmail.com
I’ve always wanted red and curly like my grandmother, but since the rest of my family have blond hair, my wish never came true. And I don’t dare to color it.
Anyhow, I’m Danish and the ‘it’s an honour to have a red-head child’-thing isn’t true. There’s no particular honour in any hair color
Interesting post, it’s actually just a small few that appreciate or admire redheads as we are a minority and will soon be extinct. One doesn’t know what it’s really like growing up a redhead with freckles to be able to say we shoud love it, years of feeling the odd one out or being made fun of. Not to mention not all guys like redheads.
I can dye my hair brown but with my complexion i just look washed out, so red it stays since no other color seems to set correctly. I admire those who love their hair and skin, for I never have been able to.
I’m a fun, happy girl who looking for interesting people to chat with. Not looking for any kind of relationship, most likely just a friendship. I love watching movies, hanging with my friends, the usual stuff.
My video on a blog http://alenakir.blogspot.com
[url=http://alenakir.blogspot.com][img]http://www.rusintim.ru/upload/6119-1.JPG[/img][/url]
I also love red hair, though I myself am a midnight, meaning I have black hair. The man of my dreams is a Japanese redhead, his sister,too. I just would that there were more red haired female nude models, (preferably art models that are red haired women), that I could see. I learned that red hair is rare. That’s a perfect word. I
see that only brunettes get respect, and that blondes don’t seem to get any. Only reason “gentleman” prefer blondes is that they just want to toss them to the side after they use and abuse them. By me drawing redheads, I am keeping myself from “jerk” expectations. More red haired women, please. Thank, and Ida, I share your pain, but cheer up. i love the way you are, and you should too. Again, thanks, Susie.