new thread
I've been meaning to ask this question for a long time now; but everytime it comes up I'm either too busy w/ work and/or too tired to bother.
I mean, I completely understand when somebody says, "shoulder-blade length" or, "mid-back" or, "waist" or, "belt-length or, "butt-length" or, "hips", or...
But what the hell is, "classic?" What part of the body is THAT? The only time someone ever said that to me was several years ago (oddly enough, when my hair was much shorter, around mid-back length), when a co-worker said, "WOW, your hair looks great that way at that classic length!" At the time this guy said this, I thanked him with my best manners, of course; but around here occasionally someone will comment about someone's hip-length hair as "classic length"...
So, does that mean my current length is now, "UNclassic?", --- or just, "low class"-ICK!!
I think this term is one that they use over at the women's long hair place... where they refer to "bra-strap lenght", etc....
Apologies over being in a grumpy and sarcastic mood right now. It's just that I have to go back to work for another loooooong, grueling day, --- and if I see that term flung around one more time when I'm too tired to respond, I'm gonna be even WORSE (lol)!!
- Ken in "Classic" San Francisco
Hi Ken,
Well you hair looks classic to me, no in seriously it looks great it's looking in wondferful condition.
According to our friends at Wikipedia, classic length is midpoint on the body where the buttocks meet the thigh. I've often wondered what it mean't and I'm sure someone might come back with another answer I'm sure.
I'm not quite classic length but it certainly reaches beltline. I'll have to do a length shot at somepoint and call that an "Official" new year picture..rofl!
I hope that helps.
Cheers,
John.B
From what I've learned, that definition is pretty darn accurate.
I've spent a lot of time reading messages at sites dedicated to women's long hair, and classic length is talked about a lot. For many women, it's the next goal following waistlength, and then on to knee length. Lengths around the hips and downward have been some of the most spectacular heads of hair I've ever seen in person -- just unbelievable.
That's it, "when you can sit on it"!
Check this page about lengths, quite funny:
VERY funny, --- it just got funnier and funnier, the further down I scrolled!!! Thanks very much, ale!!
- Ken
Clearly, Ken, it means that you are a class act, and that any length you wear your hair is "classic". :)
Bob
Hi Ken, here is an image of a guy with classic length hair. (A special thank you to Sam for this image, which appeared maybe a year ago.)
Scott
Your co-worker was applying the word "classic" in its usual generic sense - a style that has survived the passage of time. If one were to designate a classic length for "long hair on men", it would be the length you described. What you see in art over the centuries and in movies portraying longhaired men in various eras, is hair to the shoulderblades or mid-back. If you polled the general public to see what the term meant to them, you'd likely get most answers in that range. Also, hair in that length is seen as less unusual than is hair that is longer, and it is less apt to get hair-specific attention. My hair is that length, and although I may often get comments about my hippie look or about my long beard, it is very rare for anyone to comment on my hair.
Women's hair boards use the term to mean hair down to your butt. This usage is seldom seen out of that realm. Few male longhairs would use it on here or even know what it means, unless they also frequent the women's boards. Get away from the Internet hair circles and out into real life, and no one at all would know of the women's hair board definition. This situation is not uncommon, of course in English, for an occupation or other subgroup to have its own terminology for things they work with.
The term in that group probably has its roots in the skittishness of many women to mention body parts. "Real men" [wink] would say "hair down to your ass.
Bill
I, too, had wondered about the term, I was thinking mid-back or so, like the classical composers.
Bill, seeing how others had used it, I, too, figured it was a way of camouflaging what you're saying. (classic) ~grin~
Just the same as "butt lenght", but a classy way to say it ;)
Ken don't you know where your "classic" is? In biology class when disecting frogs the first thing we did was remove the
classic.
LOL
I hear you though it gets annoying, at least if they said I have
bra srap length hair I could relate. I would look down and think
"well they do bounce a bit when I run but I don't think I need one of those yet" I just make it a point not to run in public.
So classic length another overused term we hate. So I'll use it whenever I can. (grin)
Kevin