BRONDE MOMENT
The summer hair trend that has brunettes turning their backs on the dark side
ELECTIONS — even damp squibs like this one — yield characters and images that endure long after the polls have closed and the country has been condemned (or, ConDem-ed — if the status quo has its way). Pundits will argue about what will linger longest but SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has a convincing case for winning the battle of the brands.
For Brand Sturgeon is a cohesive one: the nipped-in suits in zesty colours, the slimmer silhouette, the bronde haircut. The former two are tried and tested; but the bronde do puts Sturgeon tentatively on the fringe (pun intended) of a trend. For while the fate of Sturgeon is TBC, her hair colour is having a moment that will weather all manner of constitutional storms. It’s the story this election is yet to break.
“Bronde” designates a sweet spot between brown and blonde: clumsier names include “dirt y blonde” and “light brown” — or even “Seventies blonde”. And, Gisele Bündchen, few can accomplish this natural look naturally. It’s achieved by layering honeyed highlights over a darker basetone. It is definitely the “no-make-up- make-up” of hairstyles, and while it requires upkeep, it must appear not to. It looks best mussed, or “tousled”. It certainly should not look like a DIY dye.
At the Met Ball on Monday evening, the hue got a good billing: celebrities who have signed up include supermodel Cara Delevingne, Sarah Jessica Parker, Queen Bey, longtime hair idol Jennifer Aniston and J-Lo — who is currently endorsing L’Oréal’s “Go Bronde” ad campaign (“Sexier than a blonde, spicier than a brunette”). Jennifer Lawrence’s locks are on fleek in the Dior ad campaign; professional fashion plate Olivia Palermo opts for a bronde do. Vogue editor and Met Ball arch puppeteer Anna Wintour has been wearing a bronde bob for decades. Emily Bluntonce described her attempts to go blonde as “not terribly attractive — a combination of lemon juice and Sun In”. Luckily, bronde goes much better with cut- glass vowe l s and classic ally Engli sh poise.
Why the appeal? Partly — as is inevitable when a trend captivates multiple generations — because bronde is a universally flattering colour. While few are natural brondes, most aren’t far off — so it lacks the shock factor of a bleach job, or a sudden plunge to the dark side. It’s a trend disguised as pragmatism; it’s smart and glamorous without seeming too uptight, as those with perfect highlights inevitably do. It’s understated, which
It’s a universally flattering colour, and while few are natural brondes, it lacks the shock of a bleach job
invites other features to take centrestage: Cara’s eyes look all the more lynx-like against the backdrop of her bronde hai r. Obvi ously, t hi s only applies to beautiful women. Bronde works for both indie kids and easy breezy socialites.
Stylist Josh Wood loves the look, as does George Northwood, who looks after the locks of luminaries including Alexa Chung and Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley — both of whom have shaded to bronde under his well-trained hand. St ylist Mat Soobroy, who works at Charles Worthington’s salon on Percy Street, has applied the bronde treatment to clients including actress Gala Gordon (part of Cara’s clan of wifeys) and Call the Midwife’s Laura Main. Soobroy reckons that bronde has “replaced the heavy-duty highlighted look”.
Bronde comes from the same stock as “balayage”; where lighter highlights are applied freely through the hair to create a sun-kissed rather than styledup ’do. Soobroy thinks that bronde works for those who find balayage a bit too “St Tropez for work. It is a lot more forgiving… it works for people whose original hair and skin colour is blondei sh, or f or t he more dark- hai re d, without looking forced. It’s not as harsh or radical as a big shift in colour, but everyone will notice it.” He practises what h e pre ac h e s — hi s ha i r is a professionally-kempt bronde.
Bronde i s par t of a wider trend towards bespoke haircare. Sitting in the stylist’s chair now, the colour chart is a highly nuanced spectrum and the options for application are far more tailored than just “full-head” or “semitint”. Hairdressers become alchemists, mixing shades and making rainbows to apply to well-treated locks.
If there is a downside, it’s that going bronde requires a careful colourist, lest you lose the very subtlety you set out to achieve. It’s best worn with a very s i mple c ut t hat re qui re s mini mal upkeep: anything too Sloane Square pri ncess or di re ct i onal Hoxtonite rather jars with the simple, summery personality of the colour.
The country might not know which way it’s going — and the verdict may not come for another month. Leave Whitehall to its feverish buzz and book yo ur s e l f in fo r a b ro nd e - i n g : it ’s indecision writ large across your mane, but without the wide -reaching constitutional consequences.