Dido flip

From Haircentric.com

Female hairstyle c2001-2 in imitation of the singer and songwriter Dido Armstrong (b.1971). The term was noted by the Sunday Times in a profile of Dido following her winning two 'Brit' awards in 2002: "Having a distinctive chopped hairstyle that has been widely copied as 'the Dido flip' attracts the paparazzi like hungry mosquitoes ..." (24 February).

Stylist Steven Ward, of New York's Garren Salon, described the 'flip' as a "short choppy shag" (Sunday Times magazine, 2002). Dido herself was quoted as saying, with reference to its "wannabe" effect, that she "love[d] it when you turn up at gigs and the first few rows all have your haircut" (ibid).

In some ways, this was an unlikely trend because, although Dido occasionally posed for fashion magazines, she did not obviously promote that side of her persona. Indeed, in 2005 she appeared to depricate artists who relied too much on their appearance, being quoted as saying "I've always tried to keep people focused on my music, not on me. So I don't parade around with a bra top and hot pants" (Daily Mail, 24 June 2005). Paradoxically it was perhaps the ease with which "ordinary" young women felt able to identify with Dido that led to the 'flip' catching on.

The style was sported for a time by Chelsea Clinton, daughter of the former US President.

Other eponymous styles of the late 20th and early 21st centuries included the "Bo Derek" and the "Rachel" (after Jennifer Aniston's character in the TV series Friends).

Links

[1] Hair secrets of the stars: Dido's look