AMEN! And the only folks I find routinely admiring them are women. Now, I will admit that women inflict all manner of silliness in their own dress, and much of that probably is as a result of male dominance of the workplace for so long. But as ties are disappearing from even the 'professional' world, women of a certain leaning seem to want to cling to them. I think a tie is a symbol of subservience and enslavement. The boss can force me to wear one, and I succumb because I need the job.

As to the original question: really short hair works wonders, as does a 'hairstyle' that isn't far off from said helmet hair. If everyone is used to seeing your hair a certain way, it just looks normal.