To some extent, fashion has always reflected economic and cultural disparity. In ancient Rome only noble women dyed their hair red while poor women wore theirs dark. In the middle ages the wealthy wore towering headdresses while commoners kept their tresses covered with wimples or wore them in simple braids. But for the last century or so hair trends have equalized a bit. In the twenties, women both rich and poor wore swing bobs; In the sixties, everyone was teasing and spraying to create the beehive. But lately the media has been giving a lot of coverage to looks that are hard to pull off at a conservative nine-to-five. Trends like rainbow hair, undercuts, and big, wild texture don’t work at the office. Is Capital fashion a fantasy or our future? Click the style notes to learn more. ––  Laura Martin

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