There is a specific haircut that seems to be very popular among residents of The Hudson Valley. This fluffy, feathered hair-pyramid graces the heads of many locals, but where did it come from? Who invented it? And why do we love it so?

I first noticed the Hudson Valley haircut when I returned from vacation several years ago. After spending time away from the area I sensed that there was something different about many of the people I saw on a trip to the mall.  Then it hit me... everyone's hair was much "fluffier" than I remembered.

After sharing my observation with a friend, he simply replied, "Oh, you mean the Hudson Valley haircut?"  "What?" I thought, "There's a Hudson Valley haircut?" Then it all made perfect sense. Travel anywhere in the world and you're not likely to see a haircut like the one that seems to be on everyone's head that lives between Warwick and Kingston.

Ron Case/Keystone/Getty Images
Ron Case/Keystone/Getty Images
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The Hudson Valley haircut is similar to the one I remember growing up in New Jersey in the 80s. It's a feathered, dome-like style that looks pretty much the same on both men and women. Usually this shorter hairstyle is blow-dried back on the sides, creating the illusion of wavy stairs, climbing the hair-pyramid to the peak, where a part runs down the middle, signaling the top of the head.  Women sometimes sport different versions of the cut. One of the more popular variations adds a cascading set of bangs that flow from the top of the hair mountain over the proud wearer's forehead.

We may never know why The Hudson Valley loves this haircut so much. Perhaps the IBM boom in the 80's is a reason it's continued to survive. Maybe hairstylists in our area have continued to pass down the tradition, much like proud generations of tribal warriors. Conspiracy theorists could even argue that it's a government plot to easily identify and track residents from our area for unknown secret experiments.

Whatever the reason, I love this hairstyle because whenever I see one I know I'm home.

I say, "Long live the Hudson Valley Haircut!"

 

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