The leaving it long on the sides was the best option for years as the way they used to knot/ventilate the pieces was not compatable to short styles as they would knot 3-4-5 strands of hair in one knot and the bases would be seen as they were too thick until the thinner materials were used.

Also it is still the best option for newbies who have no experience at cutting it in, Easy when you know how.