Why do you think Cindy's hair was in braids during the last few seasons

[ElsieC]

Originally Posted by IamGGFan

I wonder this too, it doesn't combine with the theme song it says the youngest one in curls, but I don't think they should've made it in braids later in the final seasons of the show.

What is your opinion of why they started putting Cindy's hair in braids?

No one noticed that she still had curls at the end of her braids?

[ElsieC]

Originally Posted by UMfan77

Yeah. She didn't wear glasses during the last two seasons. They should've done an episode about her getting contact lenses. I'm pretty sure they were around during the early 1970's. As far as Jan's hair goes, by the last season, she was wearing it all down, not up in a clip.

That would have been a great idea

[ElsieC]

Originally Posted by hawaii five-o

Because Cindy was getting too old to be wearing pigtails. But the braids aren't much better. I think they kept "curls" in the theme song because it rhymes with "girls".

Holly Marshall had those same braids in Land of the Lost

[Tankeryanker]

Hmm, Erin and Elizabeth in the Waltons wore braids for a while. Laura Ingals wore them till she was, what, 14?

Maybe it was because of what else was on other shows?

Not uncommon for kids to wear braids back in the day.

[biffbronson]

That partially-pulled-back, loose style in the photo Bonniegirl posted several years ago (post #8) is one I like a lot, because we see the face and ears unobstructed yet also see the full length of the hair. Susan's hair is beautiful. Her bangs are a little short but I think age-appropriate.

I think maybe a couple of factors resulted in the braids. First it's important to remember that the years circa 1969-72 or so were among those where 20th century women's hairstyles were at their longest, very long styles were so popular. Likely Susan wanted to keep her hair long, yet the double-ponytail curled style would not have looked appropriate as she became a little older. (I think Anissa Jones was past the age for those in the last Family Affair season or so.)

So I think the braids were a sort of compromise - while not really curls, they were in a way, keeping Susan "in curls" with much longer hair.

Skater Dorothy Hamill, with her short wedge-cut, proved to be disastrous to long hair lovers like me circa 1975, when girls' beautiful long tresses fell to the scissors under the influence of her style...!

[TheLittleFaerie]

My guess is they wanted to give the impression she was growing up a bit still keep a little girl side to her. It might look a little odd to be approaching teenhood in those curls she wore in the early seasons, but braids wouldn't look so odd.