Q: I wanted to know if you have heard of a haircut called The Chop?
A: Well, from what I’ve seen (both with the public at large and among professionals) the “chop” has come to refer to what was previously
knows as a gamine haircut. It refers to a short-cropped haircut (usually super-short) with a lot of texturing and styled to look slightly
wind-blown. Rocker Melissa Etheridge is currently sporting a chop hairstyle.
The use of “The Chop” to refer to a particular hairstyle brings up once again the problem many
people face when they are trying to get a particular hairstyle. Styles that were once called “Pixie Cuts” and “Gamine Crops” are now
being called “The Chop”, and there is no difference in them apart, perhaps, from the methods used to give the cuts added texture. The
best way to communicate with your stylist what you want is through the use of specific descriptors, instead of hairstyle “names”.
The reverse is also true for stylists when asked about styles they offer. Don’t forget to always
ask your stylist if he or she knows what you mean when you ask for a specific hairstyle to make sure you and the stylist are on the same page.