After already coming for side parts, skinny jeans, and wireless headphones, Gen Z has now found their latest victim: blonde hair. Yep, that’s right. The often in-demand hair color has officially been deemed “cheugy” (pronounced “chew-gee”) — a term used to describe something as “basic” or “out of date”— by TikTok.
The blonde backlash began after a number of semi-viral videos from TikTokers like @girlbosstown posed the question of whether blonde hair — natural or dyed — is no longer cool after noticing that blonde celebs like Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber have been trading in their signature lighter locks for darker hues.
“Every celebrity, cool-girl, model is going dark with their hair,” @girlbosstown says in the video. “My question… is being blonde, like cheugy?”
But if you think that blonde hair’s supposed fall from grace simply has to do with a few supermodels wanting to switch out their hair color for the fall, think again. According to trend forecasting account The Digital Fairy (@thedigifairy), the trend away from blonde may actually have a lot to do with the current state of the world.
Referencing an article published by i-D, The Digital Fairy noted that this anti-blonde movement that we are seeing is a consequence of the pandemic.
“A lot of people are trying to grow out their pandemic-era, quarantine hack jobs that involved a lot of bleach and like, kitchen scissor haircuts. Also, since being blonde can get pretty expensive, it’s a good way to save money. This was a big trend after the financial crisis of 2008—called ‘recession roots’. It was just girls not having enough money to upkeep their blonde and growing out their natural roots, and then it became a trend. It really fit the indie-sleaze vibe of the time,” they explained in a video. “The trend away from blonde may be a trend towards some diverse ideals. Natural cuts and colors will continue to become more popular.”
As of late, HairTok seems to be welcoming in the era of “expensive brunette” which is characterized by more darker tresses—or as hairstylist Mallery Share likes to call it, a brunette color that “looks sophisticated and luxurious”.
Share says that she has been receiving a lot more requests for darker locks form her clients but states that it’s not unusual for this time of year.
“It’s definitely requested. Sometimes, it’s just a richer tone and sometimes it’s lowlights and sometimes, it’s a softer contrast,” she said. “But, this is always the trend around this time of year anyway.”
Share definitely has a point. In addition to Hadid and Bieber, we’ve also seen Billie Eilish, Chrishell Stause, and Sarah Hyland debut newly dark locks, in this past week alone. Truthfully, it’s kind of an unwritten rule at this point to go “darker for winter, lighter for summer”. But, time will only tell if this anti-blonde trend ends up sticking around for a while. For all we know, come spring TikTokers may officially declare that brunette hair is now “cheugy”.
Do you think blonde hair is “cheugy”? Let us know in the comments below!
