Messy Hair: The Modern Shag Hairstyle

Women’s hairstyles have changed drastically throughout history, and sometimes the styles of today mimic the styles of the past. In 1971, there was a hairstyle created by Paul McGregor called the shag, and it was created for Jane Fonda (for her role in the movie “Klute”) and soon became very popular. The hairstyle matched the grunge look of the 70s and was named so because of its matted and messy look, which became known as the shaggy look. When the 80s came, the shag drifted into the background as hair became bigger, and it was not until after the turn of the 21st century when it made a come-back as rock stars popularized the look and made it more edgy. Today, there are various shag styles to choose from and a shag cut can be for short, medium, and long hair.

The shag style can be cut in different ways, and on of the popular forms of this style is called the choppy shag. It is best to go into a stylist for this hairstyle, but since the choppy shag is meant to look uneven you could do it at home. Prior to cutting and styling you need to wash and shampoo your hair, and then dry with a towel to leave it damp. Next, comb hair out and part your hair where you want it, and then section it off (top, right side, left side, right nape, left nape). Then take one section of hair, hold it away from your head and cut with the scissors pointed towards your head (upwards) for the choppy look, and repeat this on the other sections. If you want layers, then take the edges of your hair into your fingers and make small cuts upward (as you did with the rest of your hair), and this will give you a choppier look.

For the long shag, the hair will have defined layers that will give it the shaggy character, and this style is good for women who really want the 70s look with a little modern edge. A long shag can be styled in so many ways, and some of these ways include flipped-out, messy, curled, and straightened. The medium length shag will have more of the rock look, which layers will help provide an edge, and it looks good when flipped out or messy. The short shag give the edgy rock/punk look, and it looks best when messy and matted, as the original short shag was meant to look – but with more of an edge.