Ask Aunt Tillie: That Crockhead Look

Blogger's Note: Since this blog is somewhat Amishcentric, I get questions from time to time from readers about Amish life and culture, which I refer to my Aunt Tillie, an opinionated, but humble Amish woman. Here is a recent question and answer. Please leave a comment or email me if you have questions you want me to refer to her in the future.

Dear Aunt Tillie:

I run a beauty salon on the West Coast. Since the Women's Wear Daily article on Amish fashion as the wave of the future, I have been getting more and more people coming in wanting an Amish-style haircut. I had read somewhere that the Amish cut their hair using an inverted bowl to get the lines right in front and back. In order to be authentic, I have used hand-thrown pottery bowls with a dark glaze. But the (excuse my language, but it really is necessary here) "damned" bowls keep falling off and breaking. Would it be permissible to use a Tupperware bowl, or do you think that would just be too hochmut?

Signed "Frustrated Hair Designer"

Dear Frustrated:

Maybe 100 years ago, Amish used pottery to give crockhead haircuts, but you know you have to change with the times. I see nothing wrong with using Tupperware other than (excuse my language, but it really is necessary here) "darned" parties to buy it. I used to use gallon ice cream containers, but they are way too big for youngsters. (Of course, with babies, you can use large margarine containers.) I have found the best way to do it is to forget about the bowls and use a chalk line. You just tie the ends of the line around the ears, give it a snap and you've got a nice clean mark to use to cut the hair.

Aunt Tillie