Emma Watson dazzles with her short 'do. Danny Martindale/WireImageNowadays, Emma Watson is a true style maven. Whether the 21-year-old is rocking her signature pixie haircut on the street, wearing a gorgeous, high-end gown on the red carpet, or appearing in ads for Lancome, her look is in the spotlight -- usually for all the right reasons. Unfortunately, she is criticized for her choices on occasion. "Fashion gave me a chance to feel like I was something outside of 'Potter,'" the starlet reveals to Britain's The Independent. "I'm a multidimensional person and that's the freedom of fashion: that you're able to reinvent yourself through how you dress and how you cut your hair or whatever."
Speaking of haircuts, Emma -- who rose to fame playing "Harry Potter's" Hermione Granger -- made quite a drastic change when she traded her long locks for a Twiggy-like look in the summer of 2010. The actress had to keep the length for a decade prior to that for playing her alter ego in eight films, and while she was excited for the change, not everyone felt the same because they weren't quite sure what it meant. "I had journalists asking me if this meant I was coming out, if I was a lesbian now," Watson recalls. "That haircut did make me realize how subjective everyone's opinion is. Some people were crazy for it and some people just thought I'd lost my s---. All I can do is follow my instincts, because I'll never please everyone."
In addition to experimenting with her style post-"Potter," Emma has also been free to take on new roles. The actress, who famously attended Brown University and is now studying at England's University of Oxford, appeared in the Oscar-nominated "My Week With Marilyn," and will star alongside Paul Rudd and Nina Dobrev in the romantic drama "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" next.
"Doing the 'Potters' was such a bubble and then having to figure out how to function in the real world has been a challenge," Emma explains. "But it's been the small successes for me: I know how to use a washing machine, I can cook. It's worth it to me not to feel disconnected from everything, feeling like I'm in touch with people who do other things than acting or being in the entertainment industry."
Are you a fan of Emma's short hair?
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