Locks after lockdown and sun saviours

Annabel Jones

What will be your emerging-from-lockdown haircut?

Last weekend, hairdressers in England finally reopened their doors. At last, we are able to put an end to our grey roots and shaggy ends. Lockdown has reinforced the power of a professional cut; its ability to transform your style and facial features from frumpy to fierce in an instant. Look back in history and every decade has had a distinctive haircut to represent the mood of the time, from Vidal Sassoon’s five-point cut in the Swinging Sixties to Farrah Fawcett’s feathered hairdo in the ’70s, to Jennifer Aniston’s layered shag in the ’90s. Hair has always had the power to make over one’s image in a way that even clothes cannot.

So, I’m dying to know, with three months of lockdown to dream up their next big hairstyle, what is the cut everyone’s gravitating towards right now? Celebrity hairdresser George Northwood says, ‘It’s all about getas ting your neck out; we’ve all been feeling cooped up for far too long – most of my clients want to celebrate with a new style and there’s a freedom in lopping off those grown-out lengths into a sharp, proper haircut that puts us back in control.’ He reveals, ‘I’ve been asked to cut a lot of chin-length bobs, inspired by Alexa Chung’s original haircut that I created 10 years ago. It has a definite graphic shape that brings out the cheekbones with soft, invisible layers, so you get this fine balance between a power bob and flattering, choppy texture.’

Northwood suggests that whatever length you’re going for, you take inspiration from classic cuts and have your hairdresser modernise them for now. ‘The most famous cuts stand the test of time, it’s just a question of tailoring them to your face and style.’ Take your pick from our selection of the best haircuts of all time, below.