History Main / PowerHair

It consists of a short cut reaching the jawline, parted in front and coiffed expertly with mousse or hair net and swept towards the edge of the jaw, so you'll never see it cross in front of the face like many a lovestruck DamselScrappy does incessantly. Power Hair is patterned somewhat on the hairstyle commonly used by [[TheFlapper flappers]] in [[TheRoaringTwenties the twenties]] . Another common variation is cutting it short all over but leaving it longer near the top and "sweeping" it upwards.

* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', Kiyomi Takada wears her hair short. She is a respected TV personality, and "official" spokeswoman for Kira.

* ComicBook/BlackCanary is one of the biggest {{Action Girl}}s in the DC universe. Occasionally her hair is cut short when not in a wig, though starting sometime in the 90s she grew out her hair and dyed it blond. This style was one of her shorter cuts.
* ComicBook/PowerGirl, another major DC ActionGirl and usually sports a bob cut, but from sometimes goes for the power hair approach.

* Creator/AngelaLansbury in the original ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate''. She's the the power behind the throne of her politician husband. Her Power Hair is poofier, but is short enough to qualify.

** Vice president Selina Myers has a longer version of this in the first two season and most of the third, around a medium length, but averted this in the opening montage symbolizing her earlier career aspirations. Amy, her chief of staff, has hair ending slightly longer than hers while Sue, her secretary, has longer hair than both though she keeps it in some sort of bun most of the time.

* In the music video for "Stupid Girls," Music/{{Pink}} wears her hair like this while she plays a presidential candidate, while lamenting that young girls are being encouraged to be [[BrainlessBeauty shallow and passive,]] and buying into that expectation.

* Wrestling/VickieGuerrero initially had long hair, but had switched to this around the time she became Official Consultant of Smackdown. Coincidentally the shorter hair coincided with her becoming a more straightforward evil authority figure, when beforehand she had been in a lengthy romantic comedy storyline with {{Wrestling/Edge}}.

** She always had a youthful hairstyle that that went past her shoulders... until she became first lady, at which point she quickly opted for a shorter, more "mature" style. This got her promptly labeled as [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen power hungry]], even though she never made statements stronger than general expressions of ambition (which is what politicians need to have of course).

* This hairstyle has been nearly ubiquitous in United States politics in the 20th century. Politicians to feature a variation of Power Hair that is trendy at the time include multi-time Presidential candidate Jill Stein, multi-time Vice Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, Senators and Democratic Presidential primary candidates Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, three of the four female justices to have served on the Supreme Court, nearly every woman to hold a Cabinet-level position up through the Obama administration, and every First Lady from Eleanor Roosevelt up through Michelle Obama (who grew her hair somewhat longer in office).
** Power hair appears to have abruptly fallen out of favor in the mid 2010's. The 2020 Democratic Presidential primary candidates who sported longer hairstyles include UsefulNotes/KamalaHarris, Tulsi Gabbard, and Marianne Williamson. Melania Trump also has long hair, as do a number of the female members of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's cabinet. Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Rashida Tlaib also have hair that is shoulder length or longer.

* The two female presidents of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, used variations of Power Hair during their respective term. Both women had since worn their hair longer after leaving office.

* This hairstyle has been nearly ubiquitous in United States politics in the 20th century. Politicians to feature a variation of Power Hair that is trendy at the time include multi-time Presidential candidate Jill Stein, multi-time Vice Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, current Senators and Presidential primary candidates Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, three of the four female justices to have served on the Supreme Court, nearly every woman to hold a Cabinet-level position up through the Obama administration, and every First Lady from Eleanor Roosevelt up through Michelle Obama (who grew her hair somewhat longer in office).
** Power hair appears to have abruptly fallen out of favor in the mid 2010's. Current Presidential primary candidates without a version of Power Hair include Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, and Marianne Williamson. Current first lady and former supermodel Melania Trump also has long hair, and a number of current or former members of Donald Trump's cabinet as well as many freshman Congresswomen also have hair that is shoulder length or longer.
** Power Hair, like many women's hairstyles, also has some degree of racial and cultural aspect. Vice Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke, who is Obijwe, had long hair. Due to stereotypes associated with Black women's hairstyles, many politicians with textured hair, such as current Presidential primary candidate Kamala Harris, have worn their hair relaxed and long. Michelle Obama grew her hair out from Power Hair into this style during her time in the White House, and because of the aforementioned stereotypes, she stopped doing Sasha and Malia's hair in styles such as twists and box braids (popular among parents of children with textured hair due to their comparatively lower maintenance) during the Presidential campaign in favor of a long, relaxed style as well. However, almost three years later, Michelle was seen sporting a natural, curly hairstyle.

* Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
** Subverted with NZ's current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Hair that doesn't scream "I want to speak to the manager", but a softspoken "I ''am'' the manager".

* In ''WorkingGirl'', Tess is pretending to be the boss, rather than a secretary. In order to pull it off successfully, she says she needs "serious hair".

** Imelda Marcos (First Lady of former president Ferdinand Marcos), who was ''de facto'' powerful enough to practically co-rule with her husband[[note]]and did in fact hold various official positions, among them Minister of Human Settlements and Metro Manila Governor[[/note]], also codified a rather era-specific Power Hair style consisting of a tall pompadour, although this was a common hairstyle among Filipino women from around TheSixties to TheSeventies.

** Imelda Marcos (First Lady of former president Ferdinand Marcos), who was ''de facto'' powerful enough to almost co-rule with her husband[[note]]and did in fact hold various positions, e.g. Minister of Human Settlements, or Metro Manila Governor[[/note]], also codified a rather era-specific Power Hair style consisting of a tall pompadour, although this was a common hairstyle among Filipino women from around TheSixties to TheSeventies.

** Imelda Marcos (First Lady of former president Ferdinand Marcos), who was ''de facto'' powerful enough to almost co-rule with her husband (and did hold various positions, like Minister of Human Settlements, and Metro Manila Governor) also codified a rather era-specific Power Hair style consisting of a tall pompadour, although this was a common hairstyle among Filipino women from around TheSixties to TheSeventies.

* UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher, former British Prime Minister. Her hair was in a perm when she was younger. The current British PM Theresa May also sports Power Hair.

* This is the default [[ImportantHaircut haircut given to young girls who are selected as]] ''otokoyaku'' (actresses specializing in {{Crosscast Role}}s in the {{Takarazuka}} Revue, due to its ability to be styled into a fully masculine appearance when playing men onstage. Older otokoyaku are still expected to keep their hair relatively short, but some have it further cropped into a pixie-ish style, while others grow it out to a more tousled, feminine shag that only looks male onstage.

* Cruella de Vil in ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' was perhaps the earliest Disney villainess with Power Hair. Accentuated by dividing it into half white and black. One exception is hers was not moussed, so it would sweep around across her head and face when her temper went out of control.
* Ursula in the Disney version of ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' had the second variety of Power Hair, made all the more striking when compared to Ariel's [[HeroesWantRedheads billowing cloud of red hair]].

Hair that doesn't speak of "I want to speak to the manager", but speaks "I ''am'' the manager".

Hair that doesn't speak of "I want to see the manager", but speaks "I ''am'' the manager".

Swedish politicians Mona Sahlin, Maud Olofsson, Beatrice Ask, and the late Anna Lindh.

* Other notable female characters usually known for long hair who have appeared with short hairstyles include ComicBook/BlackWidow, ComicBook/CaptainMarvel (Carol Danvers), and ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}.

** Power hair appears to have abruptly fallen out of favor in the mid 2010's. Current Presidential primary candidates without a version of Power Hair include Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, and Marianne Williamson. Current first lady and former supermodel Melania Trump also has long hair, a number of current or former members of Donald Trump's cabinet have longer hair, and many freshman Congresswomen have longer hair.
** Power Hair, like many women's hairstyles, also has some degree of racial and cultural aspect. Vice Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke, who is Obijwe, had long hair, and due to stereotypes associated with Black women's hairstyles, many politicians with textured hair have chosen to wear their hair relaxed, in a style that is often somewhat longer than the typical Power Hair, as was the case with current Presidential primary candidate Kamala Harris, or Michelle Obama in her second term. (Notably, due to those stereotypes, Michelle Obama stopped doing Sasha and Malia's hair in styles such as twists and box braids during the Presidential campaign, and the girls' hair was also long and relaxed during the family's years in the White House. However, Michelle has recently begun wearing her hair in a curly, "natural" style, three years later)

* 2020 Presidential primary candidates Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar both have Power Hair.
** However, the other four female candidates (Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Marianne Williamson)have subverted this trope.

* The female presidents of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, used variations of Power Hair in their term of office.
* Swedish politicians Mona Sahlin, Maud Olofsson, Beatrice Ask, and the late Anna Lindh.

* Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile. Also, several of her female advisors ''and'' ladies from the opposition, like right-wing senator Evelyn Matthei.

* Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives (and former Speaker).

* Carly Fiorina, a California businesswoman, is a prime example of Power Hair. Incidentally, she also headed up H-P (as Chairman, President, and CEO 2000-2005) and also ran for office (a US Senate seat from California) in 2010 (and lost to Democrat Barbara Boxer, who incidentally also sports power hair).

* Played straight by Swedish politicians Mona Sahlin, Maud Olofsson, Beatrice Ask and the late Anna Lindh.
* The Brazilian (ex-she's been impeached) President Dilma Rousseff

* Devon King from ''Series/MidnightCaller'', who took over a near-bankrupt station when she was twenty-one and brought it into the black in three years, does her hair like this.

It consists of a short cut reaching the jawline, parted in front and coiffed expertly with mousse or hair net and swept towards the edge of the jaw, so you'll never see it cross in front of the face like many a lovestruck DamselScrappy does incessantly. Power Hair is patterned somewhat on the hairstyle commonly used by [[TheFlapper flappers]] in [[TheRoaringTwenties the twenties]] (emancipated women, the ones you always see in Al Capone movies with tube dresses to the knees and cloche hats shaped like little tea cosies on their heads). Another common variation is cutting it short all over but leaving it longer near the top and "sweeping" it upwards.

* Angela Merkel, [[UsefulNotes/TheChancellorsOfGermany Chancellor of Germany]]. Even though, ironically, her hair was even ''shorter'' and more boyish during her GDR political career and in TheNineties.

* Other notable female characters usually known for long hair who have appeared with short hairstyles include ComicBook/BlackWidow, ComicBook/CaptainMarvel (Caron Danvers), and ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}.

* Ursula in the Disney version of the ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' had the second variety of Power Hair, made all the more striking when compared to Ariel's [[HeroesWantRedheads billowing cloud of red hair]].

* While her current costume includes long red hair, that's a wig attached to her cowl. The current ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} has short red hair.