With autumn in full swing and winter (and, whisper it, Christmas) beckoning, it’s a great time to consider your end-of-year look. Nothing is more impactful – or more transformative mentally – than a new hairstyle, whether you go for a big chop or simply tie your hair up in a different way. Whatever your aesthetic, there’s a world of options out there, and if the beginning of this year – which was defined by short haircuts – is anything to go by, the end is going to be just as experimental.
The general mood? You might have guessed, but when it comes to hair, we’re taking inspiration from the past, and mainly the ’70s, when bangs, texture and blowouts were nearly as popular as they are now. We’re also throwing out “his” and “hers” cuts in favour of styles that blur the boundaries, putting gender fluidity at the forefront of hairstyling. And finally, we’re opting for shine, and lots of it – think healthy, glossy hair the light bounces off.
Below, Vogue spoke to some of the world’s top hairstylists to find out exactly what they think will be big this autumn.
Page boy bobs
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What does king of the bob, George Northwood, have to say about autumn hairstyles? “I’m cutting in bobs that are a lot more ‘page boy’ in style. The hair is slightly shorter at the front,” he says. “It doesn’t suit everyone and it’s not the prettiest shape, but it’s definitely something I’m doing a lot more of.”
The “Sachel” cut
The modern Rachel haircut was everywhere last summer, and it hasn’t gone away yet. The latest iteration of the style, according to Syd Hayes, is the “Sachel”. “It’s when a shag haircut meets a Rachel!” he says. “If you’ve been growing out a shag, this is the perfect moment to rock the modern Rachel – ask your hairdresser to keep the shape around your face a little longer, but keep the sliced layers.” Great for those who have naturally straight or slightly wavy hair, his top tip is to keep things really choppy.
’70s fluffy texture
“All things ’70s are still quite prominent and I quite like fluffy, textured hair as a trend,” says Northwood. “A bit undone and Goldie Hawn, but modern.” Back then, they didn’t have the myriad tools we do now, so any fluff was natural, but nowadays Northwood has a method to achieve the look. “Rough dry the hair, but do a very half-hearted blow dry – don’t over-do it and leave some of the natural texture still there,” he advises. “Then, use a round brush and go through the mid-lengths, loosely tonging a few bits. Don’t make it perfect.” It’s one trick he uses regularly on his client, Daisy Edgar-Jones.
The “clavicut”
If you’ve got fine hair and want to amp up texture and volume, look no further than the “clavicut”, which according to Bernardo Vasconcelos is just the ticket. “The haircut involves creating invisible layers to bring incredible movement to the hair,” he says. “The cut is set at the collarbone, hence its name, and suits anyone.” Pair with some baby highlights and expect your hair to look fuller and thicker in no time.
A tucked end
“It’s like rich girl hair in the ’80s movies,” explains Jen Atkin of the style she says is very now: a tucked-under end. An easy one to try, whatever your haircut, all you have to do is blow dry, straighten or curl your hair under at the ends, towards the face. “I recently started doing it and it makes your ends just perfect – just like a really beautiful blow out in seconds.”
A gender fluid mood
Female hair is becoming more androgynous and male hair is becoming more feminine, so says Northwood. “The pixie cut is an obvious one – there are way more girls feeling brave enough to go really short, while men are doing longer haircuts,” he adds.
Voluminous up-dos
In the spirit of ’90s glamour and shunning the effortless aesthetic for hair that looks polished and preened, Vernon François touts voluminous up-dos as the trend to try this autumn. “They ooze glamour and are coming into focus with all hair textures – kinky, coily, curly, wavy, straight, braids and locs,” he says. “Add your own accessories and embellishments to take it up a level.”
Return of the blow dry
Drying our hair naturally – or air drying as it’s otherwise known – has been popular in recent years. The emphasis has, until recently, been on hair that is (and looks) as low-maintenance as possible. While that school of thought certainly still exists, many are upping the ante on hair health and pursuing expensive-looking shine, says Luke Hersheson.
“Summer is all about air dried and beachy hair, which can often feel a bit dry, but now we’re in autumn it’s all about rich, luxe, expensive shine,” he says. As a result, many are letting their hair grow longer and getting layers and detailing around the front cut in, rather than chopping it all off. He references Brooke Shields and Monica Bellucci as hair icons for this sort of hair.
How to nail the perfect blow dry? Start straight out of the shower (don’t sit with your hair in a towel for long), comb through your hair and “then rough dry it – pull and stretch the hair using your fingers like they are a brush”, he says. “Then the brush has to do less work.” Cue less frizz and a glossier blow dry.
Face-framing fringes
From shag bangs to full fringes, one of the easiest ways to switch up your look is to try a fringe. Hayes references a ’70s style as one of the most popular to gently draw attention to facial features. “The corners of the fringe by the edge of the eyebrow are longer, which gives an arch shape over the forehead, and then the layers behind the fringe flow into the rest of the haircut,” he explains. “Therefore, when you take your hair up into a pony, there are some soft layers framing the face and jawline, which is a big trend right now.”
