Last December, I received confirmation that I had been accepted into Miss World Natural Beauty as a finalist and, once again, to Miss British Beauty Curve. I was over the moon and so keen to do well that I began to think about what makes a pageant queen - looks-wise.
Don't get me wrong: I know as well as anyone anyone else that there is more to a queenly title than the aesthetic. I do already try to be kind, charitable, supportive and compassionate in everyday life, which I believe is what a queen is all about. But I wondered what a queen looked like.
I read lots of articles on winning dress colour, make-up techniques, etc... but the overriding thing that I took away is that they all have flowing locks. Masses of beautiful, long hair. Straight, wavy or curly; black, brown, red or blonde - no matter; it's always long and there's always tonnes of it.
Well, that's that says I one dreary December day; I'm going to have to grow my hair again. And so the past few months have been spent conditioning, trimming and generally preening my hair in a bid to get it long again. The result- something that I was deeply unhappy with.
Why? Because it finally dawned on me: I was conforming to 'The Man'. You know, that mythical being that we all charge with being enforcer of the 'norm'. For me, winners had long hair - end of.
Problem is that this meant betraying who I am. I am a person who likes my hair I short to mid length vintage styles - I don't suit long, flowing hair. I like being an individual. And besides which - I got accepted onto each pageant, by pageant directors who were fully aware of my cropped barnet!
If they could accept me into their pageants, knowing that I don't fit the 'pageant winner' norm; then I could learn to accept that maybe, just maybe, sometimes a winner can have short-er hair.
