This Is The Summer Haircut Everyone Will Be Getting After Lockdown
If fantasising about getting a haircut on the other side of lockdown hasn’t prompted you to consider a drastic change of look, you’re in the minority. Being too nervous to experiment with a daring new style suddenly seems foolish, now that we know how it feels to be deprived of salon access altogether. Plus, as with those trips to the hairdresser that coincide with a house move, the end of a relationship or the start of a new job, a transformative hairstyle can symbolise new beginnings. And what better way to begin life after lockdown that with a visit to the salon to get 2020’s cut of the summer?
As seen on model Freja Beha Erichsen in Zara’s spring/summer 2020 lookbook, this summer’s most sought-after chop is a jaw-grazing, mussed-up delight that leaves the neck bare, exposing skin to the breeze after a long stint stuck indoors. It makes a statement, but it’s still soft and subtle, as loose and languid as we hope to feel once summer starts in earnest. “What’s lovely about it is it’s very feminine and suits all face shapes – because there’s nothing about it that is harsh,” says hairstylist George Northwood, who is responsible for Alexa Chung’s slightly longer but no less textured mane.
How to sum up this soon-to-be ubiquitous cut? “It’s a one-length bob that’s personified by a slightly shorter length at the back and a longer length at the front,” Northwood says. Leaving the nape of the neck elegant and exposed, it is perfect for days when it’s simply too hot to have your hair down, and adds a playful touch to breezy summer ensembles. In fact, Northwood singles out its easy nature as being one of its key selling points, since the cut looks just as good after letting hair dry naturally as it does when properly styled. “It’s also got that texture that looks nice with dresses in summer,” says Northwood. “I always think tousled hair is better in summer, while you want more structure in winter cuts.”
Considering it? The good news is, this is a style that works just as well on fine hair as it does on thick – the trick is to get the cut just right, explains Northwood. “The thicker the hair, the more you have to slice into it and make it more choppy, but then you get some lovely texture and movement, otherwise it can become quite mushroom-like.” Curly girls should approach with caution, however, since a cut like this will require extra management and, arguably, some straightening and smoothing, too.
Texture is key for summer so look to salt and texture sprays, like Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist and Playa’s Endless Summer Spray, to impart that effortless bedhead look that takes T-minus three seconds to create – simply spray through roots and ends, ruff up your ends, and you’re good to go. “If your hair is really straight, you should put an S-wave through hair using straighteners or curling irons,” advises Northwood.
As the summer months pass and autumn approaches, look to the choppy bob seen on Bottega Veneta’s Autumn/Winter 2020 runway, a sleeker and more refined take on the look that requires little more than a change in products to achieve. Use a smoothing serum like Davines’s Minu Illuminating Hair Serum, and add a subtle wave with straighteners.
Blog by : VOGUE UK