Housewife style

Hello. My name is Renee and I watch the Real Housewives. Wow. It feels good to have it out in the open like that. However, I want to clarify. I do not DVR the Real Housewives like I do with Project Runway and Top Chef. If I miss an episode of the Housewives, it's not a big deal. In fact, I usually do miss episodes when they initially air. But when those housewives start yelling at each other, flipping tables, pulling wigs, pointing and shouting at each other, I just eat it up. Some might call it trash TV, but I don't know what other kind of TV there is.

What do the Real Housewives have to do with my blog? Well, I'll tell you: they are nothing if not fashionistas. Some have better style than others, but it's clear that they are all very interested in fashion. Sheree, an Atlanta housewife has her own line. Teresa has a degree in fashion. Jill is always having designers make things for her- gowns, jewelry, bags- she loves it all. Bethenny (my favorite housewife) has super cool style and is a personal friend of Ginny Hilfiger. I am not here to discuss any of those housewives tonight. I'm here to discuss the trashiest housewife of them all- Kim. There seems to be a lot of talk about her hair. Her big blonde mane looks so fake and she's gotten a lot of criticism for it- especially when she told her I-thought-I-had-cancer-three-years-ago-but-it-turns-out-I-didn't-and-that's-why-I-wear-a-wig story. (FYI- Cancer doesn't make you lose your hair- chemo does.) In wearing that ridiculous synthetic Barbie-doll wig in every episode, she's set fake hair back indefinitely. Even if you are the kind of person who can wear fake hair without anyone being the wiser, you have to keep it a secret, lest you be thrown in the same category as crazy Kim.

I wear fake hair. I wore my first piece to my friend Lyndsay's wedding. I was part of the ceremony and performed a piece for piano written by the groom for the bride. Aw, aint' that sweet? Well, the wedding was going to be attended by lots of college friends AND professors, so I felt the need to not only sound good, but to look good as well. I went in full beat- lashes, fake hair- the whole nine yards. I've worn fake hair to dinner parties, to work, and out with friends and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. I think that wearing fake hair pieces is an excellent was to spice up your style. I like to keep my hair in a cute bob about chin length. Once it starts growing past my shoudlers, I run out to get it cut. Obviously, short hair is limiting, but if you know how to incorporate a hairpiece, you can still have plenty of variety without growing your hair out.

A popular hairpiece is the Fun Bun by EasiHair. Remember scrunchies? Think of the Fun Bun as a scrunchie made out of synthetic hair. Just pull your natural hair back into a bun- at the nape of your neck, the back of your head, or high on the crown- and then pop the Fun Bun over the bun. It looks best if you layer two Fun Buns on top of each other. At the nape of your neck, it's a nice casual look, the higher you go, the more formal it looks. A Fun Bun at the crown looks like a prom or wedding up-do. (And it takes about 1/10 the time to accomplish.) Even better than the Fun Bun, is a the Magnetic hair wrap, also by EasiHair. No, it doesn't have magnets- that's just the style name. The Magnetic is my personal favorite. It's a comb with two bendable wires attached to it. The wires are covered with the hair. Just like the Fun Bun, you start with a bun, but with Magnetic, the next step is to insert the comb at the base of the bun. After that, you wrap the hair around the bun in whatever style you like. It covers the bun a lot more efficiently than the Fun Bun, while achieving a nearly identical look.

I used to love when Megan Mullally's character Karen Walker on Will & Grace would wear a hair piece. Remember when Jack pulled it off her? Hysterical! I have a friend who wore a big, curly fall to an audition and halfway through the dance combination, the fall flew off her head and landed in front of the audition board! How embarrassing is that?!?!? Hilarious, but embarrassing! But I digress... Another great faux hair line is Jessica Simpson's HairDo. My favorite are the clip-in bangs. How cool is that? I also love the volumizing clip-in-extensions. They are a little pricey, but in terms of comfort and quality these are top notch. With faux hair, you get what you pay for.

I hope this has given you a few faux hair options to look into and I sincerely hope that you do. Don't let that trashy housewife Kim deter you from trying out an extension piece, or a Fun Bun, or even a full wig. Just remember these guidelines:

1.) Go to a salon to have the color matched to your natural hair. The worst tell-tale sign of fake hair is an imperfect color match. Keep in mind that if you buy your faux hair in the winter, it might not match as well in the summer after you've spent some time in the sun!

2.) Never just attach a hairpiece- that's another of the worst tell-tale signs of fake hair. Always work a piece into your own hair- bobby pins and hair pins are helpful when doing this. It only takes a few minutes and the effort is more worthwhile than you can imagine.

3.) Keep your hairpieces clean and well-maintained. There are special shampoos available for synthetic hair. If it's a curly piece, wash it gently, then let it air dry. Limp curls will re-set themselves after a gentle wash. Also, it's perfectly fine to comb your hairpieces if they get a little tangled. Just don't overdo it, or you'll have a frizzy piece that no one will want to see you in.

Good luck working fake hair into your style repertoire- you'll be amazed at how fun it can be once you get started!