Unless you’ve spent the past year living on a hippie commune with no access to Instagram, you’ve by now noticed that purple is the most coveted hair color of 2021. As a lifelong devotee to the shade, I’ve spent more time than I care to admit scrolling through the 1.1 million Instagram posts tagged #purplehair, and the look is so badass that I’m feeling extraordinarily tempted to dye my virgin brown locks lilac (well, semi-virgin. I put blonde streaks in my hair once, 10 years ago, when having blonde streaks was necessary to survive the eighth grade with your reputation intact). Putting aside my insatiable desire to pass for a badass at least once in my life, here are 10 reasons why I think we should all consider taking the purple plunge:
- You’re no Kate Middleton, but you’re still royalty, baby: And what better way to prove that than by dying your hair the color most favored by royals?
- Because we’re all going to wear purple when we’re old anyway, right? Take a page out of British poet Jenny Joseph‘s book. In her 1961 poem “Warning,” she wrote, “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple … But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised when suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.” I like the way you think, Jenny.
- It’s rebellious: OK, so dying your hair purple might not elicit gasps from the Instagram community, but you know your more conservative friends and family will be clutching their pearls when you debut your look. (Related: Click Here For 20 Reasons To Dye Your Hair Red)
- It’s a great way to celebrate your youth (or youthfulness): It doesn’t really matter how old you are—dying your hair purple tells the world that you’re a free spirit, and that’s a character trait you can have at any age.
- It’s a non-permanent way to change your appearance: Tattoos and piercings are fun, but for most people, they’re kind of a big deal. If you’re not ready to commit to a body mod, dying your hair purple is a dramatic way to change your look without permanently changing your body.
- Halloween is coming up, and you’d have a built-in costume: Don’t know what to be for Halloween this year? Just dye your hair purple and show up to the party. Nobody will ask who you’re supposed to be because it will be obvious: you’re a badass.
- It’s Justin Bieber’s favorite color, and he may or may not be single right now…: Considering how often he and Selena Gomez makeup and break up, your purple hair might help you win the Biebs’ heart. (OK, so maybe that’s not the most persuasive reason on this list, but I digress.)
- It was hands-down Katy Perry’s best look: Her hair has been green, blue, and pink, but nothing has looked better on her than purple.
- And Nicole Richie’s: Nicole was reportedly inspired to dye her hair lavender after coming across this doctored Instagram picture of herself. And they say nothing good can come from Photoshop.
- And Kelly Osbourne‘s: Kelly looks so good that you’d swear purple was her natural color.
Women’s Hairstyles Expert, Contributing Editor
Born with a blow dryer in hand into a family of hairdressers. Amy consults for leading beauty brands and has trained personnel at cosmetic salons. Her repertoire of editorial work includes brands like Salon Today, Hairstyle Guide Magazine, and New Beauty.
