Why we all need to be asking for an off-menu haircut
Forget copying ‘of the moment’ styles – a bespoke approach is best, says Annabel Jones
Every impeccably dressed woman has a tailor on standby to alter her garments to flatter her measurements. A nip and tuck here and there makes all the difference to an off-therack frock and it’s an investment that pays its way in confidence, emphasising and disguising in all the right places. The same is true for a haircut that’s been subtly adapted to the curves of your head and the angles (or lack thereof) of your facial features.
If you’re beyond the age of 40, then you’ll recall sitting tentatively in the salon chair clutching a magazine with the page folded to a celebrity haircut you long to have, only to be told it won’t suit. Sorry. Yet copying of-the-moment haircuts such as the “Rachel” and Victoria Beckham’s “Pob” is as out of keeping with today’s mood as dressing for your age. Besides, following trends slavishly is a sure-fire way to drown out your own sense of personal style.
“At hairdressing college you are taught to follow a rigid set of rules, but the most flattering haircuts are the ones that are created instinctively on the day to suit the individual – anyone can have any haircut, so long as the hands holding the shears have the skills to improvise,” says George Northwood, the stylist behind the Duchess of Sussex’s messy bun and Alexa Chung’s legendary tousled bob, which he has been evolving ever since. “Alexa’s bob is the perfect example of an intuitive haircut. We keep to the same basic shape, then change elements from the length to the shape and texture depending on how she’s feeling and the current fashion,” explains Northwood.
That’s all right for Alexa, who’s been going to Northwood for haircuts since the 2000s, but what if you’re newly acquainted with your hairdresser? Are photos a no go? “It’s virtually impossible to recreate a picture of someone else’s haircut on a different face, but we encourage our clients to save inspiration images on Pinterest or Instagram as a discussion point,” he says. Don’t limit your mood board to hair – Northwood says anything that depicts your style from fashion images to archive film stills all help to sum up the vibe you’re after.
Trust, it seems, is at the crux of a masterful haircut that’s designed uniquely for you. “Everyone in our salon is trained to work instinctively to create something bespoke for each client,” explains Northwood. “I never follow a pattern; I sculpt the hair in an artistic way, removing weight where it’s needed by slicing through the hair to create softness and shape around the face and around the nape of the neck in strategic places.”
There is one guideline: length. Most clients, explains Northwood, want a short crop, bob or mid-length haircut, which form the basic shape that’s adapted thereafter. “Our haircuts aren’t technical, we don’t overcomplicate it; we reshape each cut to create the right proportions for the person in front of us just like a tailor would do when altering a garment to a specific body type,” he says.
It’s the subtleties that matter most. Fringe or no fringe, layers or blunt lines, shaggy or torn, full in parts, thinner in others are the adjustments that can transform not only your style but your face shape. Northwood says: “I might slice through the hair wet with a razor to create shape and movement, then use thinning scissors on dry hair to take out bulk at the nape of the neck. It all depends on the individual’s hair, their face shape, lifestyle, age and fashion style.”
Intuitive haircutting is a smart way to elude the style rut so many of us find ourselves in. “You might have a haircut that’s worked well for you for years and then, out of the blue, it doesn’t. Instead of chopping it all off in a panic, a long fringe and some soft feathery layers around the face-line might be all it takes to transform your look. That’s the beauty of cutting to order: a carefully curated haircut can slim the face, lift cheekbones and accentuate the neckline,” assures Northwood.
Refreshingly, it isn’t about big gestures. “Small and often changes are the secret to getting it right. When you are constantly updating and collaborating with your hairdresser to tweak your length, fringe, colour and texture, then you’ll look better and better with age,” says Northwood.