Q: Kimberly Foster’s hairstyle on Dallas was one of my favourite hairstyles in the eighties. It had a short nape section with
exposed ears, but quite a lot of length on top. Is there a name for this haircut? Is it easy to create? How about maintenance? What
face shape do you need to look good with this style?
A: The style seen here has been a recurrent theme for decades. In the sixties there was the pudding bowl, the seventies had the
“Purdey”, and the eighties gave us the same style – with minor differences in techniques and execution. The particular variance worn
by Kimberly Foster features the classic weight line following along the top of the ears and occipital bone. The nape area is layered
in steeply over-directed layers that hug close to the neck.
The layers of the top sections are heavily textured and create a soft, feathered finish.
This makes for a style that is short and bold, but which retains a sense of femininity. It definitely brings focus to the eyes.
The style is great for women with wavy to mostly-straight hair, in all textures, from
fine to coarse. I would avoid the style for women with wide faces, but it works well for those who have longer faces, narrow faces
and whose faces seem overly angular.
Creating this cut demands that you decide on a basic length in the fringe area and
build from there. Cut a mirroring guide at the back in the area of the occipital bone, and then create guides on each side of the
head. Carefully connect these guide points around the head and check for balance frequently.
To layer the nape area, comb the hair upward to the weight line and cut the hair using
the weight line as a stationary guide. Once the layers are established, trim the perimeter to create the desired outline, along the
neck and at the ears. The upper portions are layered using uniform layering in a “circle-cut” manner. Afterward, there is need to
texture the hair using a point-cutting technique or light razor-cutting. Blow-dry the hair using a large round brush and styling
product to add volume and structure to the style. Once dried, a dab of pomade and/or smoothing serum can be used to add definition
and control any stray strands.
