New hair

 I am looking for honest opinions.

I went to the London Hair Clinic a couple of weeks ago. It's where Trendco has moved to, just behind the bustle of Oxford Street and its vast stores. In the 2010s I used to visit the old Trendco shop in Kensington every few months as I was experimenting with my hairstyle, and also living most of my time as female, so I got through a lot of wigs. I got to know Michael and the staff there quite well.

People who need wigs are people who can be quite self-conscious and upset as to why they are in such a clinic. The staff are therefore very considerate and professional. Many thanks, therefore, to Annie and the friendly team on reception and to my consultant Fabrice for a good experience.

This machine-made wig by Noriko in a style called Carrie has been my favourite option these past 15 years and I have always worn it in dark browns similar to my natural hair. The "cappuccino" colour below has been a good shade, but I have preferred a slightly lighter "coffee latte" in recent years. This style frames my face well, has a natural look, a good length and playful flicks and curls. Maintenance is not too difficult either.

 

Although Carrie is still made, it's no longer available in these shades . Fabrice therefore suggested "ginger brown" as being quite close, and that is what I settled for. Here it is in the lighting at home. 

 

It does have a slightly reddish tinge to it. I'll have to see what it looks like in natural light in due course.

I'd value your honest opinions on this and on the other options below. I have been wanting to try something new, as I expressed earlier this year, something that contemporary women of my age prefer to opt for; or something more usual in the Mediterranean where I now live.

Fabrice suggested the following shorter and more layered style as being among the "contemporary women of my age" choices. It's also by Noriko and the style is called Briar.

 

As for the "Mediterranean option", I explained that I was looking for a much darker, much longer and more free-flowing style as you see in, say, Southern Italy or Spain (the sort of hair you dance a tarantella or clash castanets to! Music optional, of course.) You can see how tanned I am and we're only half way through the summer. At home now I've put the right shade of tights on, a much darker "suntan" than the shade I wore in London, and this is my current skin tone, as you can see by comparing it to my arms. I've had to go a shade darker in my foundation makeup, too. So I think I'd like a shade and style of hair that's found more often in my new location. (In a similar way to shoes: these are the cute, soft pink trainers I bought in London. Every London woman seems to be wearing something like this right now. But they're less visible in the Med where women still seem to prefer more traditional leather styles in winter and open styles in summer.)

 

So here is Fabrice's recommendation, Noriko's Angelica in the shade "espresso", the darkest brown, almost black. 

 

Fabrice felt this wig was too long and could do with trimming. I think the length is fine. 

So, my personal views on the three styles are these. The advantage of my current Carrie style is that it makes me look feminine, hiding more masculine features that I don't like. It's my "safe" style, dependable and appropriate. I am unsure of the shorter, layered Briar as it exposes too much of my not-so-feminine face, although the colour and style are right for women of my age in the 2020s. The long, dark Angelica is, in my view, just what I am looking for for that change to South European more natural free-at-heart femininity. 

These latter two have been noted by the hair salon but I am not going to buy them without being sure I want either, hence my asking opinions. Two female friends I showed these pictures to had some good advice but I'd appreciate honest views from you readers on all three styles, even negative ones.

Thank you.

Sue x