Ena Sharples chic ... how Kate keeps tresses under control with a hairnet!
THEY’VE always been decidedly more Ena Sharples than HRH.
But hairnets are the talk of the fashion world after the Duchess of Cambridge sported one on an official engagement.
As Kate braved a windswept war memorial in France last week, her personal hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker took extra precautions to make sure that the duchess’s elaborate chignon was kept on place.
The hairnet – once favoured by ladies of a certain age and personified by classic Coronation Street character Ena Sharples – was hard to spot under Kate’s jaunty black Locke & Co hat. But close-up photos show the net was there, matching her brunette hair.
Hairnets have seen something of a resurgence in recent months. Kate Moss’s younger sister Lottie wore one on the red carpet at Cannes, enabling her low bun to be kept neatly in place.
The secret to avoiding looking like a woman who spends Sunday afternoons scrubbing her doorstep, apparently, is to find one made from fine silk to help create a more discreet and chic look. They can cost as little as £2.80 for three.
Celebrity stylist Jason Collier, who has worked with Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller, said of the trend: ‘With fashion trends at the moment, kitsch is making a comeback, so it’s no surprise that the hairnet has made an appearance. With Kate showcasing the trend it is sure to be a huge hit this season. I think she is making a true style statement.’
Although Kate’s long chestnut locks are very much her crowning glory, she has been on the receiving end of criticism that her style is too fly-away, particularly when on more sombre engagements such as last week’s Battle of the Somme anniversary.
The discreet hairnet is not the first time the duchess has adopted a hair accessory that harks back to previous generations. In May she was spotted, off-duty, wearing an 80s-style alice band – a look once favoured by Princess Diana, her husband Prince William’s late mother.