Hair musing: Jemima Kirke

In the Bible, Samson derives all of his strength as a warrior from his long hair. And though she’s more Brooklyn than battlefield, we think that the famously lengthy-locked New York-based actress, artist and activist Jemima Kirke might be something of a spiritual descendent.

Though she is best known for her acting, Jemima is also an artist, activist and mother. Most recently she campaigned alongside her Girls-co star Lena Dunham on behalf of Planned Parenthood, a major reproductive and sexual health service for women in the USA, when it came under threat by legislation last year. She is also a respected painter in the art world, having shown her work across the US in both solo and group exhibitions; her children, a girl and a boy, are aged six and four.

Jemima’s long hair is a trademark characteristic, made familiar to millions via her role as Jessa in the comedy-drama Girls. And despite their obvious connotations of femininity, her tresses also give her a quiet but powerful gravitas, both in photographs and on film. This is never more true than in the many images captured during Jemima’s two pregnancies, where her long, natural blonde hair lends her more than a little earth mother magic.

Though she has flirted with the long bob and other shorter styles, Jemima always seems to return to her Rapunzel-esque length in the end. Though her honey-hued blonde is a constant, in the past she has also opted for temporary washes of pink, and is often spotted wearing her hair in braids and plaits - styles which fit in perfectly with her bohemian personal style.

What we find particularly interesting about Jemima’s aesthetic is that she is a chameleon. She looks just as comfortable in oversized Wu-Tang Clan t-shirts as she does in more polished looks at film and television premieres: what always shines through, regardless of what she is wearing, is her presence. This is in large part down to her commanding swathe of hair, which never looks overly groomed. Rather it is let to fall naturally and plentifully over her shoulders - a big plus in the Glasshouse book.

Whilst ‘boho-chic’ is a perennial summer trend, nobody embodies the true meaning of that combination better than Jemima Kirke. Whilst the ’bohemian‘ look is certainly about the clothes you choose to wear, it also involves expressing one’s creativity and self through appearance. We can’t think of anything that represents Jemima’s artistic spirit and strong mothering instinct better than her long golden hair - a style that is not a style, shared by women over centuries.