From ‘bimbos’ to bosses of the boardroom: the perception of being blonde is finally changing according to the largest ever survey of its kind
The ‘ditzy’ blonde tag is finally on its way to dying a long-awaited death.
According to new findings revealed in the largest survey of its kind by L’Oréal Professionnel , half of British blondes felt that the age-old stereotype of the ‘dumb’ blonde has now been redefined, with a wave of successful blonde businesswomen and celebrities adding emphasis to the point. However there are still strides to be made, with the benefits of not being blonde in the workplace shown to be greatest in London, where more than a third of women said they were taken more seriously if they went brunette. It made least difference in Wales though, with 11 per cent shown to feel the same way.
That being said though, the study asking 3,000 blondes - both natural and ‘bottle’ - to explore the changing attitudes of what being blonde means, revealed that nearly two-thirds thought perceptions of blondes had evolved for the better in recent years..
Celebrity blonde Twiggy, who was recognised in the research as one of the most popular blondes of all time, said: “It’s refreshing to see that the research reveals that perceptions about blondes are changing for the better.”
She added, “The concept of being blonde has changed over the years. When I started off being blonde as a model in the sixties, there were only a handful of colour options. Today, we can really personalise our blonde look to suit our complexion and our lifestyles.
“It’s also great to see that we have many more women in power, be it in business and in politics, who are blonde or bronde. From Hillary Clinton to Michelle Mone, Kate Moss to Taylor Swift.”
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A-list colourist Jo Hansford said: “Blondes themselves haven't changed but the social perception of blondes certainly has.
“More and more characters within film and TV portray blondes as being not only sexy, but intelligent, strong and independent. Characters like Claire Underwood, played by Robin Wright in House of Cards, and stars like Taylor Swift have helped break the stereotype of the ditzy blonde who just wants to have ‘fun’.”
So which blonde services are the most requested? Popularity of the classic ‘platinum blonde’ style is decreasing, with half of all blondes now wanting to look as, ‘natural as possible’ against just seven per cent who want to be ‘as blonde as can be’ according to the findings.
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This was also reflected in the celebrities named the most popular blondes of 2015. Taylor Swift came up top overall, with Rita Ora deemed the UK’s most popular choice. Third was Amanda Holden, fourth was Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Moss rounded off the top 5 to show a refreshingly wide representation of ages.
The popularity of so-called ‘bronde’ hair – a mix of blonde and darker shades – is also increasing. Nearly a third of women polled by researchers described ‘bronde’ as their current look.
The research marks the launch of L’Oréal Professionnel’s ‘I Am My Blonde’ campaign to encourage blondes to wear their hair with pride. The campaign raises awareness that there is a blonde to suit every person and is supported by more than 3,000 UK salons. It will see the launch of a new in-salon Blonde Boutique colour menu from this month.
Follow us @getthegloss and Ayesha @Ayesha_Muttu .
For more information about L’Oréal Professionnel’s ‘I Am My Blonde’ campaign, visit www.lorealprofessionnel.co.uk/blonde .
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