50 Shades of Blonde

I've noticed that our favorite fictional blondes are not so simple as they seem. There are varying shades of blonde that are calculated to portray our favorite characters in different lights and darks. Let's take a look at just a few of these instances:

• Betty Draper

Betty Draper starts off Mad Men being Don Draper's wife, but by the end of the series she had me asking, "Don who?" Betty is the type of blonde that demands the attention of the room when she walks in. Betty's blonde is meticulous, high maintenance, and classic like her. You'll never find Ms. Draper with the littlest bit of root showing because Betty is the type of girl who makes a note of going to the salon bi-weekly. Hollywood loves to pin blondes and brunettes against each other, so it's no wonder Don went for Meg after his split from Betty. Of course there was that period of time where Betty dyed her hair dark to mark her re-birth and what not, but it was short lived because well...Betty is born to be blonde. 

• Amy Elliott Dunne

Gillian Flynn's decision to make Amy blonde was no mistake. Amy's blonde is girl next door blonde- the type of blonde that makes people ask "Is that your natural hair color?" Still, this is a David Fincher movie, and David loves his dark, muted colors. Amy's blonde is definitely less bright than most other Hollywood hues, and in some scenes her blonde almost takes the life out of her. Fitting. One of the biggest aspects of Amy's transformation after she fakes her death is that she has to cut off her beautiful, long, blonde hair and dye it darker. Desi makes sure Amy goes back to her roots shortly after, when he buys her a box of hair dye to "make her look herself again." Again, notice how the girl Nick has an affair with is a brunette to show contrast of character. 

• Skyler White

Skyler White's locks make their debut dreary and in need of a boost in season 1. It's the type of dishwater blonde that happens when you're pregnant and can't re-highlight your hair. Also, at this point she didn't have anyone to impress. One of my favorite things about Skyler is her transformation over the seasons, and her hair definitely transforms with her. Notice how much livelier and brighter Skyler's blonde becomes in season 3 when she starts sleeping with Ted Beneke. It's only when she finally has someone to take notice of her looks again that she starts amping up her head of hair. 

Season 1

Season 3

• Cersei Lannister

The shade of Lannister blonde is not only unique, it's important to the story line. Who could forget the vital scene where Ned reads off the descriptions of all of the past Baratheon crown holders? Cersei's children were the only "golden haired" members in that book, and it's all because of those lovely Lannister genes. Cersei's blonde is a shade of gold that comes off as high and mighty, just like her. It's also extremely fitting that her shade of hair matches the colors of house Lannister. The Lannister house motto is "Hear Me Roar", and Cersei's beautiful golden hair does just that. 

• The Lisbon Sisters

What would The Virgin Suicides be without the iconic manes of the Lisbon sisters? Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux and Cecilia all encompassed blonde in the best way possible. The baby blonde Lisbon locks were angelic and innocent, just like the sisters themselves (or so they seemed). Their blonde hair went perfectly with the dreamy color spectrums throughout the movie.