Janeways hair: What's with that?

I LOVE CAPTAIN KATHRYN JANEWAY! Don't worry if you didn't absorb that statement, as it will be repeated several times during this article.

So anyway, yeah, I love Captain Janeway and there are a million and one reasons why. This piece focuses on not one or more of those reasons, but instead on a subject which has plagued Janeway and Mulgrew herself for many years, and still does as far as Kate is concerned!

Janeways hair! We've heard Kate Mulgrew talk about this subject many-a time and at conventions it's her most commonly asked question.

''So hey, I'm Cedric from Outer Mongolia, I'm a big fan [wipes runny noes and squints over his jam jars]...What was with the hair?''

As she has explained in the past, the 'Suits' became a little nervous over putting a woman in the Captain's chair in what was ultimately a Boys Club. This could have brought a grinding halt to the franchise as males in their 30s were the biggest demographic. Would they follow a woman? Well, of course, we now know the answer to that question, and Voyager is one of the most loved of the Star Trek spin offs.  So why was Janeway's hair such a concern for the studio bigwigs? ('wigs'....see what I did there?)

A persons hair says a lot about them, and when creating a character, the hair style can denoted many things without them saying a word. It could give an indication of what their job is, how vain they are and how they view themselves, whether it be a practical style or for display, rather like a peacock. Whilst shooting the Pilot of Voyager, Janeway was given a feminine, shoulder-length, natural smooth flat bob, which was quickly dismissed by Paramount - many feel because it was simply too 'girly'. Janeway was quickly given her famous Bun of Steel (which I personally think makes her look like a school dinner lady), and please note: Aunt Bessie sports the same hair style today!

We've all heard of Aunt Kathy, well, here's Aunt Bessie.

The bun was eventually followed by my personal favourite, the volumised bob. There were a few variations of the bob, for example, the 'Year of Hell' bob that I'm sure had a few people going ''ahhhhh, that's why it ain't happening with Chakotay, she's a Les...'' ANYWAY...

Janeway sported several styles through Voyager's seven seasons, and her hair became as legendary as her ship and crew, but did it really make a difference how she wore her hair from episode to episode? Well, let's switch her hair with another Starfleet Captain and see.

PicaJane?

The hair department is clearly a very important piece of the Star Trek production puzzle, yet through bobs, short and long, flat and volumed, buns with varying degrees of firmness, French Twists, hair broaches and Rapunzel-waves that tickled her arse-crack, Janeway was unmistakably in command and anyone under that command knew who the boss was... even her bun used to repair itself between torpedo blasts.  Now THAT'S a diva if ever I saw one.

So what would I have done if I'd have been dressing for the Voyager hair department? Well...

PS. I love Captain Janeway