Heady mix of swagger and swank

Press, 15 October 1982, Page 14

Heady mix of swagger and swank

Europe’s hair fashion directions are revealed to Bronwen Jones. Would you like your hair styled pilot, pioneer, or pronck. modom? Chances are that this is the question modern women will be asked from now on the city’s many hairdressing salons. What these swept-up words could mean when applied to a person's tresses can be explained by Mrs Norma McMeeking. She has just returned from West Germany bubbling with information about the latest trends in European hair cutting and styling. The pilot style is short in the front and on top, but longer at the nape of the neck, while pronck is a longer version of the pilot. These two styles complement the “in" aviation look of leather jackets and studs, A satisfactory translation for “pronck” has not been found by the West Germans, but it roughly means “posh," says Mrs McMeeking. She intends to keep the German term. The pioneer style is for all those country-loving lasses who refuse to chop off their locks, some of their long hair is wound loosely, and pinned, while the rest hangs in buoyant waves. All three styles require a soft perm before cutting and setting. Acquiring one of these latest looks will cost about $4O. The hair will need trimming regularly to keep the shape, . and because the perms are gentle, they will not last as long as the traditional tight variety, Mrs McMeeking explains. “But wash and wear perms are definitely out. And this is good news.” People were getting too good at home perms and were not coming into the salons, she says. “Cold, stark” blondes and

browns are out, while golds and reds are now in. Clipped, geometric styles have been replaced by soft, bouncy curls. There are now styles for men, too — short at the back and longer on the top. These also require a perm, according to Mrs McMeeking. A lot of male,clients are more fussy than women, and many are coming to the salons for perms now that the traditional image of the New Zealand male has died, she maintains. “We have guys who play rugby coming in for perms. Men are better educated in hair care now. Gone are the days when if you had more than a haircut you were considered feminine.” Mrs McMeeking who teaches grooming at the Christchurch Polytechnic, was among four Christchurch hairdressers that were sent by Wella New Zealand to a hairdressing course in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt. -Fifteen New Zealanders went, six from the South Island.