KEY POINTS:
Even if you're not generally considered loose or easy, this winter your hair certainly should be. Especially if you're putting it up.
Long gone are the days when you went to the salon to get a slick, intricate up-do, complete with plaits, buns, rolls, a blow wave, set and layers of lacquer.
"The whole nature of hair-up work in salons has really changed," says Lucy Vincent Marr, of Stephen Marr salons. "It was once quite a complicated art form but it's become a lot more user-friendly and accessible. People no longer want overly sprayed or manipulated hair."
The clearest evidence of the trend toward easier up-dos can be seen on catwalks. Sure, some uber-hairdresser might have spent weeks planning the hairstyles after which a team of stylists spent hours creating the looks. But the result still makes the models look as though they fell out of bed, tucked their hair into a ponytail and ran out of the house to catch the last bus to the fashion show.
Basically it's all about artful disarray. French rolls, chignons and high ponytails are all hip and happening but they're far from flawless. There's frizz and flyaway all over the shows.
All of which actually makes a thoroughly modern up-do a lot easier. Next time you get your hair cut you could also ask your hairdresser to spend a little extra time instructing you on a looser do.
"Hairdressers tend to like to keep away from hair-ups," Vincent Marr concedes. "It's like a hang up from the past or something. But if you've got someone who understands this whole approach, get them to walk you through a few different styles a couple of times so you can do it at home."
And in the meantime, read on to find out how some of our finest local stylists like to work a modern up-do.
LUCY VINCENT MARR
Of Stephen Marr Hair and Beauty
One of the biggest things is keeping it really uncomplicated. You don't want to use a lot of hair accessories and you don't want anything that's too jazzy or naff. A plain tortoiseshell slide or bobby pins are best.
Preparation is really important with hair-ups. The hair works better when it's been slept on. So I usually advocate washing the night before and then sleeping on it. Your hair gets a nice heavy wave in it and it's super cool to manipulate the next day.
IAIN SMITH
Owner of Me Salon
A loose sort of texture is best. Looking at the latest Oscar awards you can see that the big, big hair is gone. Naomi Watts is a good example - she had that almost Grecian sort of texture to her hair. It was a loose wave in the front, sort of unstructured and it almost looked like a short haircut with the rest of the hair tucked underneath with pins.
For the professional [woman] I'd recommend something like this: grab a pony tail and roll it into a loose French roll. Then keep the front in a smooth side part. If you keep a little movement in the back, a little softer and looser, while smoothing out the front, then you're still looking modern but you're also looking tidy.
With my clients I've also been putting in a stronger fringe. Rather than simply sweeping the fringe across the front. That gives an up-do more of an edge too.
For some recent weddings we've seen women with satin ribbons across the front. Putting them in can be a bit tricky but Alice bands are also a good look at the moment.
And with elements like plaits, we're doing maybe two, quite roughly, then twisting them together so you almost can't tell they're there but you just get a glimpse of the texture.
GREG MURRELL
Creative director of Ryder salon
You know how you put your hands in your hair and you get a certain shape? Well, once you've got it the way you want it, then just put hair pins where your fingers go. Your fingers are holding at the tension spots. It takes some experimentation but once you've got the concept it works really well. It's important to know what kind of shape you're after with the hair first though.
The other thing that works well is grabbing a piece of hair, twisting it toward the head, holding that twist and then putting the pin in where the tension point is. It results in a very natural, easy kind of look.
You can do a little bit of loose backcombing too - but not too much. Backcombing gives the hair more binding factor. If you're going to use hairspray try some thing like KMS California - it has a nice medium hold.
MARGO REGAN
Freelance hair and makeup artist
If I'm just doing a general hair-up, I'll probably keep it quite messy. The hair needs to be nice and dirty to get a good texture to it. You could use something like Kevin Murphy's Anti-Gravity to get some texture in the hair.
Personally I would tend to shy away from anything too fancy but if you're going to go for something slick, then I'd be thinking a little bit gelled back, like a Helmut Newton girl. A tight ponytail works with this look.
The other thing I like is pinning hair up using a [big, blunt] tapestry needle and some thread. You scrunch the hair up and sew it together where it is. No, I don't think you need to be a hairdresser to do this because it can actually be easier than pinning your hair sometimes. I'd use a bit of leather but if it's a special occasion I might use some gold thread or thin ribbon. And if you don't want anyone to see the thread then I'd find some that's the same colour as your own hair.
Ponytails are still very current but they don't seem to be as low at the nape of the neck as they were last season.
A lot of people also forget about the u-shaped invisible hair pins [also known as bun pins or French pins]. They're not as visible as bobby pins and you can put them in, then bend them to the shape of your head. Bobby pins can slip out or look bulky and flatten the hair down at times.
IN
Simple Alice-style bands, in elastic, ribbon or fabric
Minimalist clips
Loose texture and soft waves
Messy elements, like rough plaits
Bold hair ties that work with trends like acid-bright colours (geometric shapes, black and white) or more romantic looks (simple florals) for special occasions
Small, simple diamante clips
Fringes
OUT
Butterfly clips
Scrunchies
Two bunches at the side of your head if you're over five
Overly intricate hair-ups
Large over-the-top diamante clips or decor
Coloured hair ties
Big hair
Lots of backcombing
