Referred to disparagingly by fellow Labour MP Gerald Kaufman as "the Norma Desmond of politics [...] always ready for her close-up", she was noted for always paying particular attention to her appearance. Variously described as sophisticated, stylish and glamorous, Castle was also characterised as vain, while her critics called her egocentric. Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock recalled she was distraught when her hairdresser cancelled before a television appearance; in response, Castle said: "If you're a woman in the public eye, getting your hair nice is a constant preoccupation." Her weekly appointments with her hairdresser were "an essential Friday engagement" according to Hattersley, although she occasionally wore a wig – which she nicknamed Lucy – for public appearances without the benefit of her hairdresser to hand.