Hillary Clinton's Hair: The Ups And Downs (SLIDESHOW)

Back in the '90s, tracking Hillary Clinton's hair was a national pastime (sound familiar?). The Associated Press even ran this short piece about "World Wide Web designers" with the following photo in 1996:

While many people will go to the polls this year to select a president, others will go online to cast their ballots for another aspect of White House life: Hillary Rodham Clinton's hairstyle. Mrs. Clinton's ever-changing hair prompted a pair of World Wide Web designers to create a site displaying pictures of, at last count, 43 hairdos of the first lady.

Here's a slideshow of just a few of her hairdos from 1979 to present. Take a look then tell us which style you prefer in comments.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

1979

Comments

[Oxfordian]

Uhmmmm....

And your point would be...?

[joycehelene]

I used to change my hair-do a lot also, unfortunately I never became First Lady or Secretary of State, it's her intellect that counts not her hair. That's not a self put down, I'm pretty smart also.

[Democratdoc]

Well, one thing's for sure. There's a first-class intellect under that hair!

[usedtowander]

What misogynistic crap.

Hillary's hair? Michelle's arms?

Until you start commenting regularly about Harry Reid's package hair or package then these will inappropriate, stupid, bitchiness that doesn't deserve publication anywhere, anytime.

[benne]

Here, here!

[missviv]

Thank you! I feel badly for Hillary and any other female politician who has dedicated her life to her career and still have to put up with asinine comments about her hair. The woman has got much more important things on her plate than this.

[wendywins]

Hillary's hair.
Michelle Obama's arms.
Coverage of women in the political arena.

I think we should be really focussed on Barak Obama's cute suits and choice of accessories.
Not more boring things.....like real news.

Dumb article.

[dreadylocks]

She looked stoned in 1994.

[ChelseaC]

Love the hair in 1979 slideshow 1 and the bob haircuts in 1994--slideshow numbers 5&7.
Since Hillary has great hair, I think she should grow back the bob-- it suits her very well.

[partyofone]

Was that when those two-for-one coupons "Do 4 2" ran in the Washington Post?

[yougogirl1948]

Since this is the Style Section, I will make an appropriate comment about Mrs. Clinton's hairstyle rather than her politics. Hillary has always had beautiful, thick, shiny and healthy-looking hair. She is aging well and beautifully. Chelsea is a younger version of her mom.

[carl2012]

An article on Hillary's hair? Please. Get a life!

[partyofone]

The only reason a retrospective on Hillary's many styles and images is siginficant is that her views and positions have changed just as frequently.

Her presidential campaigin came up with new versions of "the real Hillary" every time the old Hillary was clearly not gaining traction. Hillary the experienced and inevitable, quickly morphed to Hillary the vicitim of evil men, and then Hillary the Rove-style misrepresenter and attacker.

As a political wife turned politician she was for health care reform, until she starting raises her own campaign funds and became a darling on of the health care lobby, and accomplished nothing on healhcare reform as a Senator.

She was for the war in Iraq to show she could be a strong commander in chief, and then against it when the polls showed her position was unpoplular with voters.

Now that she is SECRETARY OF STATE she has the capacity to take an important stand on human rights. But in her latest "makeover" Hillary is quickly abandoinng her past RHETORIC, and subordinating human rights around the globe to address the economic crisis and curry favor with the Chinese financeers of American debt.

[yman2]

"Now that she is SOS she has the capacity to take an important stand on human rights", but is "quickly abandoning her past RHETORIC"?

Funny, you keep arguing that she's just a figurehead ("tourist in chief") who's job it is to do photo-ops and follow the instructions of the "real" foreign policy team. Yet, when she makes a statement indicating that disagreement on human rights cannot be allowed to prevent progress in other areas, you blame her for doing what she's supposed to be doing, not the "real" foreign policy team.

What a surprise.

[partyofone]

Exactly yman2, she is tourist in chief, like she was as First Lady. And even then, she managed to box the ears of the Chinese government on women's rights, something her devotees pointed to as a qualification for presidential run and SoS appointment.

My point on the post above is that Hillary changes her values and positions as frequently as her hairstyles. She uses rhetoric to create an image, like she uses hairdos. Her commitments are as inauthentic and the color of her mane. Mrs. Bill Clinton, Tourist in Chief to two presidents. Great for Hillary. How many hair stylists on her staff?

[HillaryGoAway]

Thank you partyofone for always bringing your A-game to your posts. You obviously do your homework. And you are a very important counter balance to all the ridiculous uber praising of Hillary that goes on in the HP comments.

[yman2]

Yay! .. your cheerleader is back!

And you are a very important counter balance to all the sane, non-CDS posters.

[MeetJohnDoe]

Another poster with Clinton Derangement Syndrome. Incurable.

[partyofone]

Thanks. When that tired cliche is posted, I know it means you have no legitimate comeback. Point, set, match.

[ChelseaC]

Points taken.
But I I do hope that Hillary will be great SOS--I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

[MeetJohnDoe]

I miss the media coverage of George Schultz's hairstyles. Oh and Colin Powell's hairstyles, too.

But Obama's arms and the Secretary of State's hair? THAT's worth some non-sexist thought, eh?

FEH.

[partyofone]

Can we please get over the faux "sexism" ? You have a very selective and short memory.

There was a whole series of photographs just last week showing Obama going grey, with befores and afters of George Bush and Bill Clinton as well. We heard about Obama's barber, and expensive harcuts for john Edwards, and Bill Clinton locking down LAX so his "stylist" could give him a trim on Air Force one.

It is women NOT MEN who obsess on each other's hair and wadrobe. If Hillary wants to be taken seriously and have her hair ignored, why doesn't she stop changing the style and stopi the dye jobs and grow gray like Obama?

[don quixote12]

Apparently you think that only men are capable of sexism.

Just because soemone has female body parts doesn't make them aware and respectful of equal rights for women. Saraj Palin is a case in point -- about as sexist as they come.

There was mass outrage over the NY Post cartoon showing the monkey/primat -- and well there should have been -- but equivalent things taht are degrading to women, or of men, get a pass. Sexism is America's dirty little fetish.

[Anthro]

I was with you until you got to the end. Hillary hasn't changed her hairstyle much since she settled on the current short,l behind the ears with bangs that she adopted years ago. As to dying the hair, name me one woman in the congress or White House who has truly gray hair (Kathleen Sebelius, perhaps, but I'll bet my Clairol that she "brightens" her gray. Whether or not to color hair is a personal decision, like clothing or makeup or jewelry and has little to do with one's ability to do a job.

[ChelseaC]

So you can't dye your hair and be pretty if you want to be taken seriously? That's absurd!
Since when does a woman have to choose between being smart and good looking?Many women manage to do both just fine! Good grief!

[hagsvilleUSA]

hillary today looks better than ever, and i just love her!

[don quixote12]

The poll about Nancy Pelosi's hairstyles over the years was also done by Anya Strzemien.

Before Anya Strzemien does any more of these, she should post a photo of herself -- or a slideshow of her hairstyles that we can rate.

[KimberleyC]

You know, some of these "hairstyles" are really the same cut, but as we all know, our hair doesn't always cooperate the same way each day. That's what the professional hair stylers are for.

[jillroberts]

Her hair in 2003 was the best look for her.