Until recently, once a woman was over 50, hairstyles were very limited. It was expected that she no longer had any business looking attractive or interesting, let alone young, so she should adopt a standard hairstyle exactly like every other woman her age and maintain it – whether it flattered her or not. A few influential women in society were able to flaunt this notion, but the majority of women felt they had no choice but to along with the societal norm.