Cast all flashbacks of butterfly clips and kitsch hairbands out of your mind; the humble hair accessory has come of age, and there’s a hair slide vibe to suit you no matter what your style…
Chances are you’ve been wearing ‘low key’, bed head hair for quite some time now. Simple and au naturel has been the mood for several seasons, with barely there makeup and nude nails following up quietly behind. If there’s one time to make noise in the hair and beauty department, however, it’s during the Christmas and New Year period, and AW15 catwalks certainly embraced embellishment in the hair ‘dressing’ stakes. Sure, the ‘messy hair, don’t care’ attitude was still in evidence, but dishevelled styles were softened, smartened up or given an edge by a touch of luxe material, jeweled clip or ornate headdress. ‘Tis the season to bring out the gladrags, so why not swap a chunky necklace for a vintage barrette, or even incorporate your favourite jewellery into your hairstyle? Hair accessories needn’t be girly or cutesy, as this lot prove. Find your niche, experiment with accessories according to the occasion and most important of all, embrace the change. You’re never too old for the fun bells and whistles of the beauty world.
For the vintage lover
Hair combs and trinkets can bring on a rush of whimsical nostalgia that feels even more warm and fuzzy in the winter months, and a single, unique, art deco clip nestled in tousled, second day hair is a thing of beauty. Again Anthropologie should be your port of call for flapper worthy pins and bands, or try securing embroidered ribbon around the forehead for a modern take on 20s style adornment. As Taylor Taylor Art Director Maria Galati emphasises, haberdashers can provide both a rich source of inspiration and material when it comes to creating thought-provoking, quirky and elegant styles:
“Haberdashers elastic doesn’t move in the hair, so can be very useful for holding updos in place, while ribbon weaved through a textured braid or chignon is inexpensive and chic.”
Even very small tweaks and additions to your day to day style can convey a retro feel, as Maria explains:
“Experiment with vintage rolls, or pin hair up on one side only and secure with a jewelled clasp. Sourcing older looking accessories is key to the look, or use jewellery as a hair accessory, fixing an ornate earring into the hair with kirby grips or weaving a necklace into a messy bun. A hair accessory doesn’t have to be conventional, that’s what often makes the look so cool.”
For purpose built vintage vibes however, ASOS are on it on the headband front and Aura’s delicate creations are fit for retro royalty; there’s a Grecian feel to the brand’s ethereal headpieces.
For the romantic
If you’re feeling a bit Renaissance or are partial to channeling the Queen of Hearts, let Dolce & Gabbana’s AW15 show be your moodboard. From crowns studded with gems and pearls to moulded red roses and opulent bands of pearls, headgear was hedonistic, majestic and unabashedly feminine. Get a precious piece of the action for yourself by investing in a Dolce & Gabbana original , a snip at £1,250 (Natalie Massenet showcased a similarly blingy model in the FROW at the Burberry AW15 show), or for a more organic take on the romantic trend, wear a crown of the floral variety. Crown and Glory is a one stop shop for faux flower garlands (among other styles), or keep it real by paying a visit to your local florist, one of Maria’s common points of call when designing bridal and occasion hair:
“Incorporating fresh flowers into not too perfect, simple styles always elevates a woman’s regular look. That’s the key with tying in more romantic or elaborate accessories; don’t stray too far from your personal style, and you’ll look incredible. For instance if you’re wearing flowers in your hair, it’s vital to consider the cut and pattern of your dress, and it’s probably wise to tone down your makeup rather than go all out. Essentially you want to look like ‘you’, at your most radiant and beautiful.”
In short, keep it easy breezy and let the flowers do the talking.
For the extrovert
From bold logo pins at Chanel to pimped up topknots at Prada, making a statement means that you require very little else to get in the swing for a party (although, clothes, obvs). The key with more adventurous accessories, as above, is to play your hairstyle down to allow your accoutrement of choice to shine on through (it’s that high-low dressing thing that Coco Chanel expertly curated). According to Maria, it’s more straightforward and a lot less less scary than you might think:
“Blast dry your hair to achieve a dry but healthy texture, and make sure you have a few essentials to hand. A mousse, medium hold hairspray that still allows movement and a bit of dry shampoo to muss things up and provide grip will serve you well.”
“In terms of interesting hair-up, Prada was my absolute favourite winter look on the catwalk. It was such an easy but impactful concept; just take a high bun, add a lipstick and a strong hair accessory and that’s it.”
Take it from the Taylor Taylor crew and drape jewels over your forehead (Star Trek but stylish), fix a loose ponytail with a fuzzy navy ASOS pom pom or even entrance admirers with a veil of black onyx beads . Mysterious, but extrovert at the same time. That’s how we do.
For the minimalist
Whether you’re after office appropriate accessories or simply crave something subdued but intriguing, a plain black band à la Chanel AW15 or neutral leather clip as seen at Derek Lam can add the same polish and kudos that clean, modest jewellery does. Choose unusual textures in earthy tones for the ultimate high fashion impact, and keep to just the one accessory at a time; it’ll look undone, faff-free and effortlessly cool. Hide hairbands by securing a material band around a lazy ponytail, secure a half up, half down style with a fabric barrette or sweep flyaways back with a black Alice band. For neat, Scandi-approved accessories, stop by &OtherStories or order online, or embrace clean gold lines by pinning in Anthropologie's Gilded Antler Comb , £18. Once you’ve finessed the nod to the hair accessories trend, you may even get into the spirit of one of the following more ‘out there’ hair getups…
Do you wear hair accessories? Would you swap your usual jewellery for hair adornment? Let us know below or tweet us @GetTheGloss
Make an appointment with Maria at Taylor Taylor’s new Liberty salon (I can personally confirm that is hair heaven on earth).
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