Hairstyles

From Jane Fonda’s fist-raised mugshot to Joan Jett’s DIY razor cut, the shag has always been a cool-girl cut. Perfect for enhancing natural movement, the super-choppy, ultra-layered shag is always a flattering option and has plenty of potential for...

Restrained hair is proper, loose hair is romantic – that’s what tradition tells us, so what better than a half up look to confuse things? Historically in western culture, young women would put their hair up when they were of marriageable age – and that’s where it...

Humans have adorned their hair since time began, using shells, seeds, stones, feathers and other natural resources to accessorise in the days before Claire’s could provide us with ready-to-wear options. Some of the earliest hair beads discovered date back 76,000 years...

People have used chemicals and natural ingredients in the name of going blonde pretty much since time began. The list of what has been used to lift and lighten hair is never-ending: from dead animals and their bodily fluids to plants and food. While Celts used...

Not many haircuts have seen as many changes in interpretation as the undercut, which has gone from a military cut and style synonymous with Nazi officials to fashionable women, hipster boys and now, closing the circle, the far right again. The cut was originally...

Hairdressing has always been at the heart of a community, from the barbershop as a political meeting place to braiding as a social, communal activity. Professional hairdressers have long operated their own businesses, but the first widely acknowledged salon as we know...

Hairspray became widespread in the 1950s, but versions have existed since the 1920s – and its development to the product we know, love and inhale today relied on the technologies used for creating both carbonated canned drinks in the 1900s and insecticide in World War...

Development in hair technology reflects trends, which is why the 1920s saw innovation in hand-held hairdryers; cuts with strong shapes were in vogue, and looked best when dried with brushes – rather than just left to dry naturally. Early dryers were bulky and...

The scrunchie has gone from derided 80s fad to arguably the most worn hair accessory of 2020; are you even on Instagram if you don’t have a nonchalant scrunchie on your wrist? They provide an entry-level designer purchase and you can even buy facemask and matching...

From Botticelli cherubs to Honey Boo Boo, ringlets have long been synonymous with youth and innocence. However while they might remind us of creepy dolls these days, they have historically been worn by both men and women, and were even a popular style for military...