Oh! I noticed that today too!  Theirs averages about BSL here though.  It's becoming more and more "popular" around this area, it seems, from what i observed this past summer (at work, mainly)

i think that the "trend" started slowly, so more girls had time to catch up, but watch, Spring's always brings scissors and dramatic cuts...

I'm in college and I've been noticing a lot of long-haired girls at my school. I don't know if it's a growing trend or I'm noticing it more because I'm working on growing my own hair out (and partially out of jealousy, lol). It's like when I got the perm...I noticed whether people's hair was straight or curly constantly. Before I was barely aware of it, and suddenly I saw curls everywhere!

But that's just me. For all of you who have been growing your hair for awhile, you're probably noticing something for real.   

Ella

I think, slowly, but surely, I'm starting to see more women over 40 with longer hair, too.  It used to seem
that once you got past 30, you couldn't have long hair,
but now I'm seeing women in their 40's and even 50's
with below the shoulder length hair and in some cases
even very long hair.    Most women my age have short
hair in this area of the country, though.   I still hear
the "women over 40 should have short hair" from some
of my friends and family.  (do they mean,ME?).  I  think
some of the celebrities with long hair over 40 have
started to change minds.

Some schools I've worked at I've see a surprising amount of long hair, but the school I'm at now, there is very little. I'm thinking maybe (here, anyway) it has something to do with diversity - where a lot of refugee and immigrant girls have long hair, it seems the white girls do, too.

A lot of kids nowadays have more money than what they know to do with, thanks to the generosity of Mommy and Daddy. Girls spend it on hair, makeup, and clothes. The more money you spend on your hair, the more often you change your style, the more damaged it is, and the shorter it is. So if you're a dedicated follower of fashion, you don't have long hair.

Although it's certainly possible to damage your hair at home for little or no money...

I agree with you, BB 

Cairn, throughout junior and high school for me, those with influence (or otherwise quiet confidence) were those girls with the longest hair. They tended to be the most emotionally secure. Now I have the longest hair of most of my friends and all of my relatives. so I can definitely feel the difference in influence and confidence.

I definitely believe long hair sightings depend on the location and the socioeconomic class... Although that has little to no say on the care and time that one puts aside for hair. A couple days ago I saw at least three women in Walmart with hair past waist length. Only one looked like she'd been taking gentle care, and the others looked like they didn't bother cutting (or washing it) for three years. Most of the longhairs in my area are of lower socioeconomic class or are foreign. Either it's a moneysaver, or it's a cultural remnant. (Isn't this awful? we have a high percentage of those living in poverty, and yet all the observations I can make are about their hair) There are obviously exceptions to the rule, like my friend CG, but just a general observation of mine... we have plenty of people from Eastern Europe, who have very well-cared-for pretty hair, and they love the snood thing... I might try it soon... But my town is a lower-income lower-cost of living town, despite the fact that it is a University-oriented place. but.. broke grad students and all... Short hair still costs money.

And I wouldn't worry, long hair shouldn't be on the list of trends... for long. By the time their hair gets damaged they'll cut it again.

Anais