A dear friend of mine told me I should try wearing dresses, makeup and heels more often, and growing my hair to attract men. I laughed and told her that that just wasn't me, and said that you don't need to do that to be attractive to men. It still made me sad inside that she thinks that external trappings like that are the best way to attract a partner.
Sure, some men find those things attractive, there's no denying that. But I have found much the reverse since I had my hair cut short. Although I have had far less harassment on the streets - sooo much less cat calling, whistling or honking - men that I am already acquainted with seem to find me more interesting. I'm not sure whether this is an effect of suddenly being (openly) single, but it is certainly a desirable effect!
I definitely think that someone should do a study on the length of (female) hair vs. harassment received from strangers.
