Olivia Hawkins: Lobbyist

See a lob, get a lob.

I decided on Friday night, after about twelve hours on my phone, that I wanted a lob. I then made a non-refundable appointment at Jenna’s on 9th (Jenna Perry’s latest salon) for the next day at 4 pm.

As I laid in bed that night, the idea of long hair became grotesque to me. I felt the tips of my hair scratch against my back and it gave me chills in the wrong way. I twirled my hair into an impromptu bun and reminded myself that tomorrow was a new day—tomorrow would bring fresh ends about five inches shorter than they currently fall—a big change was eminent.

The deciding factor for me was a photo of Phoebe Dyvenor that Vogue posted. I may be arrogant, but I think we have similar features. I’ve been seeking a life change, this week I’ve been obsessed with adopting a cat. I installed some new sconces above my bed, but that wasn’t big enough to satiate the impact I’m looking for, even though they are adorable. Once I saw that post, it was over. I would be getting a lob, no matter the results of the Close Friends poll I enacted was (end result as I write this: 88% Yes, 12% No—I do not hold the two no’s against those two friends of mine, they are just trying to protect me).

If you’ve been here for a while, you would know that I had something akin to what the kids call a “French” bob around three years ago. Although it received rave reviews from loved ones and strangers alike, it gave me an identity crisis. I swore off short hair for the rest of my life.

Me, age 22, wearing an OGBFF baby tee at Rintintin on a Friday night, because DUH.

I have a hair and cuticle picking problem. 25 years old exceeds the limit for which that is endearing. I think the ceiling for that is around 21. There is nothing cute about praying to God your date doesn’t notice your pinky profusely bleeding under the table because you’ve been subconsciously eroding away at it for the past hour. Someone at work called this out to me a few weeks ago and I’ve thought about it every day. Since I’ve had long hair for a while now, the ends are ripe for picking—dry and split. As a woman with a career and responsibilities, I think I should take as many steps as I can to not spend meetings with a growing pile of hair on my keyboard, or bleeding fingers. The first step was Russian gel manicures (there ends up being nothing to pick). The lob seems like the next great step to take.

A lesson I’ve learned is to invest in your hair. Before the French bob of 2022, I got a layered bob before transferring colleges—perhaps the worst decision I’ve ever made. I wanted to look like Rachel Green, but I ended up looking more Toad from Mario Kart. It caused a lot of distress in my life for the ensuing next six months. The haircut was $60. I should’ve known better.

The great Toad cut of 2019, featuring a square iPhone case, different colored nails, and a tee tied in the front.

 

I decided to enlist the help of certified hair goddesses in NYC, the staff of Jenna Perry. Unfortunately, they are not conducive to people with corporate jobs, as their last appointment was at 5. Jenna’s on 9th, however, had all day availability on Saturday, perfect for my impulsive attitude. I looked up the stylist who had an opening on Instagram and saw her Rolodex included Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron—need I say more?

I walked in at 3:45, and less than an hour later, came out a whole new woman. I had a new lease on life. When my stylist, Monique, asked if I air dry my hair because that would change her cutting strategy, I knew I was in the right hands. When I showed her my reference pictures, she said that was not a lob, but just simply a haircut. She also said she would never give me a bob, which is the type of honesty and professionalism I needed. She got the exact length I wanted precise to the millimeter, gave me a bouncy blowout, and sent me into the night.

The first thing I wanted to do was put on eyeliner. I had dinner plans with some friends, so the timing was quite perfect. I opted for a more understated outfit of an Intimissimi cashmere long sleeve and my new favorite Los Angeles Apparel pants so the haircut could really speak for itself.

I’m truly overjoyed. A big haircut is just what the doctor ordered for me this winter, and I can’t imagine myself having long hair. Here’s a before and after for those who want to see the whole transformation:

You can literally see the light re-enter my eyes. Side note—I’m obsessed with this cashmere V-neck I found in my childhood closet this weekend. I filled up three ThredUp closet cleanout bags and need to order about four more to get everything out of there.

People are really getting a jump start on all things Holiday (capital H intended). I saw an ad for “Black Friday Week” on Amazon. This was stupid and #badcopy to me. A day can’t be a week. We need a new name for Black Friday now that it’s turned into 10-30 full days. Influencer holiday events are in full swing, and somehow infiltrate my feed despite cleaning it out of all traditional content creators. My friend had his work holiday party last week. I just threw out my pumpkin. It’s 55 degrees and sunny, and I’m talking about my winter haircut. Winter is a commodity now, not a season.

Since I already got an early Christmas gift a-la the Dime Piece x Timex watch from a few months back, my wishlist is light. At the top is the Fara Homidi lip compact in the shade nude 1, because that seems to be a cool Substack girl right of passage, alongside the classic J. Crew rollneck sweater, these slide-on loafers from Steve Madden, these boots from Favorite Daughter, and some other small things. Me in my loafers, rollneck, and the lob? Timelessly chic.

If you’re gathering gifting ideas and are local to NYC, I implore you to visit this week’s Coffee Date, Nahee, at her shop RainySundayMorning House. You can read more about it in last Friday’s letter:

This Friday, I’m very excited to share my conversation with Tayler, the co-founder of Happy Medium, an Art Cafe, shop, and studio of which I am a member of. Everyone in my life is receiving pottery pieces I’ve made over the past few months in her space, and I’m so thrilled to have been graced with her time to talk about creating and scaling a creative business, collaboration, and all of the new things their locations have to offer. Upgrade your subscription to paid to read the whole thing, and I’ll see you all then.