The year marks the true start of a new decade, and yet 2012′s fashion trends are all about revival. True, there is a unique undertone of a modernist style appearing, but take some of the most iconic styles of the 20th century, infuse them with quality, and you’ll find the basis for the dominant styles of 2012.
The year’s hair trends are no different. For fashionisers in 2012, hair is all about revivals and evolution. With styles and colours we’re seeing the best of 2011 reborn, whereas cuts are offering reworked and luxurious revivals of styles that sit perfectly with the year’s clothing trends.
The year’s hair trends are no different. For fashionisers in 2012, hair is all about revivals and evolution. With styles and colours we’re seeing the best of 2011 reborn, whereas cuts are offering reworked and luxurious revivals of styles that sit perfectly with the year’s clothing trends.
2012 Haircuts
The very short fringe / bangs.
Were it solely down to the costuming of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo it’d be easy to write this 2012 haircut trend off as far too limited in its demographic appeal to have an impact upon the wider fashion conscious. But with Dragon Tattoo likely to decimate the box office, Rooney Mara’s prime positioning across old and new media, and the fact that Mara has been described as bringing a mainstream sex appeal to the role of Lisbeth Salander, this is one haircut where you can say demographic appeal be damned. After all, if the potential success of the Dragon Tattoo film proves anything it’s that the mainstream is now far broader. Hence the H&M x Dragon Tattoo clothing collection. Hence this short fringe / bangs.
Very short bangs on Aymeline Valade
Working across a number hair colors, though obviously a better fit with dark colored hair, the very short fringe / bangs needn’t have any demographic connotations at all. It all comes down to face shape. Keep the cut really short with a smaller forehead or a little bit longer, ala Bettie Page, if that’s what works better for you.
As if to prove both the latter point and the fact that the demographic limitations simply don’t exist with this really short fringe, you’ll find its a haircut that has also featured well away from the world of well-worn leather and umpteenth piercings. Model Aymeline Valade took the short fringe / bangs to the John Galliano spring / summer 2012 catwalk, and did so with a distinct level of modern elegance.
2012 hairstyles (all lengths)
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(Clockwise from top left) long and blonde with a 70s air at Kevork Kiledjian S/S 2012; a center part with 2012′s wet look at Alexander Wang; with a near-shoulder length bob at Luca Luca; with thick and dark hair at Luca Luca.
Center part That means that the center part continues to be all about long hair and soft waves. Naturally, there are other 2012 hairstyle trends that it aligns itself with and you wouldn’t be amiss to wear a centre part with the likes of the year’s wet and long hairstyle and its in-numerous up-dos. |
As the default hair parting for most women it seems somewhat silly to cite a centre hair part amongst 2012’s hairstyles. But bear with us. Hairstyle trends often have more than one element about them, and that’s the case with the centre part in 2012. Suited to all hair colors, the centre part aligns itself with two or 2012’s revival trends: ‘60s fashion and ‘70s fashion for spring / summer 2012.
Wet Look Hair
Perfectly slick or unceremoniously textured, flowing free or tied up high. A vast number of styles across the spring 2012 runways had one thing in common: they all had a wet-look finish. With oils, sea-sprays and gels aplenty dominating the runways it would be neglectful of us not to count wet look hair among the list of 2012 hairstyle trends – and to look at how the style in its many forms can translate to everyday life.
Wet look hair: the wet hair you can go outdoors with.
Perfectly slick or unceremoniously textured, flowing free or tied up high. A vast number of styles across the spring 2012 runways had one thing in common: they all had a wet-look finish.
Women’s side part
The centre might be where hair sits if you want to rock a 60s or 70s vibe in 2012, but for those looking for a part that offers up more of a fashion-forward vibe then your 2012 hairstyle is all about the side part.
Wear it left, right, up, down, wet, dry, when you’re in a hurry or taking your time… it matters not. What matters is that in 2012, if you’ve got the hair to suit the styles, you move your hair part to the side.
2012 short hairstyles
Rock crop haircut
Given it has so many devotees, the pixie crop isn’t disappearing from amongst 2012’s haircut trends. But it is being adapted. In the face of the likes of the 1920s fashion revival, we’re seeing the pixie crop deviate into several different styles. There’s the 60s and 70s crops, there’ll be the 20s crop, and, for 2012, there’s the rock crop.
The short haircut for those to whom both the very short fringe (see below) and the rockabilly hairstyle (see above) appeal, the rock crop takes on an androgynous edge in 2012. And it does so for both autumn (fall) / winter and spring / summer 2012 courtesy of Lanvin popularising the haircut on both of its seasonal catwalks.
Afro hair
If your hair type leans to thick, textured, corkscrew curls then 2011 is the perfect time to embrace them; toenhance them. Forget the straightening irons and chemical treatments, the influence of 70s fashion means there’s no better time to go with the ‘fro. And if there’s one lesson learned from this beautiful shoot byVivienne Mok its that a voluminous, textured ‘afro’ hairstyle doesn’t have to be accompanied by flares and platforms, rather it can work just as well with soft, romantic chiffons and lace.
Model Myriam Averlant’s halo of bushy spirals are faded through with caramel highlights for an even more striking effect; a perfect colour variation to try for summer 2011 and one that will carry through easily to the cooler months as well.
The mod bob.
The 60s might be long gone, but that's not to say that its Mod vibes are any less alluring. With the 1960s very much a part of the fashion scene again, our attention turns to the hairstyles and haircuts that not only have overtones of the decade, but also romanticise it. And romantic is precisely what the Mod bob is. When John F Kennedy was quoted saying, “Those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future,” the world should have given him credit for the not-so-closeted fashioniser in him.
In reality Kennedy was, without a doubt, talking about something much more serious in terms of politics, leadership, economy and technology, but as Fashionising.com readers you’ll know how we like to interpret words, images and clothes.
But despite the fact that fashion is always progressing towards the future, the coming year is all about anything but that. So much so, that it’s the perfect year for those of us who are nostalgic and cannot stop dreaming of the past, and an equally perfect year for those wont to follow fashion designers whose creative minds draw inspiration from the years gone by.
2012 med-length hairstyles
2012′s fashion is here, however, and with it the status of rockabilly hair changes. But that’s not to say it’s out altogether. Anything but. In fact, with the 1950s having an influence upon spring 2012′s fashion this is one hairstyle that has ended up with relevance to both men and women and we can comfortably add it to the list of men’s 2012 hairstyles as well as women’s 2012 hairstyles.
Double French twist
The trending hairstyles for 2012 range from the neat and elegant to the downright careless. Regardless of where they sit on that spectrum, the only real requirement is that they’re chic, evocative, and fun to create.
On the spring 2012 runway of Diane von Furstenberg, models emerged with a back-combed crown that swirled back into two mirrored French twists. The effect? A 1960s style bouffant hairstyle that crowns any outfit with an elegant vintage vibe.
Chignon with sweeping side waves.
Elegant, simple, day or night.
The chignon is like the hairstyle equivalent of a swiss army knife: it proves useful in every situation. It’s that elegantly simple idea that first took hold in the ancient cultures and has persevered through the changing fashion of the eras. Your mental association of the chignon might be that it’s a hairstyle for formal occasions; or perhaps that it’s the effortless thing you fall back on when time is short but an up ‘do is required. That’s the beauty of this ever-present, ever-useful style: it’s the weapon in your arsenal that will never fail you.
But as seasons change and fresh twists on ideas sweep through in the flurry of fashion weeks we look for new ways to reinvent the dependable chignon. In this take, it’s given a sweeping side part with soft waves on one side; a style that gives one look from the front, another from the back.
Wet-look chignon
Bottega Veneta created a harmonious interplay of colours, textures and fabrics on their spring 2012 runway, and contrasted it with a low-key hair and makeup affair. The optimistic chiffon dresses and leather-suede combo skirts balanced out the untidy, wet chignon.
We’ve discussed the versatility of a chignon on Fashionising.com before, and just recently gave you a detailed how-to tutorial for its elegant variety. But for those days, when you don’t want to spend too much time on your hair (or pretend it didn’t take too much time – tricky!), this loosely styled chignon is your friend. The idea is to create a wet look, just as though you’ve stepped out of the pool and slipped into a classic dress.
Piled up and pinned.
An effortless updo.
If there’s a middle ground between being stylishly done and carelessly undone, this hairstyle occupies it. It doesn’t require precision or complex tools (bobby pins are your friend – and lots of them) but it does require a little finesse to pull off that undone-done look of effortless chic.
Simple to create and suitable for all kinds of occasion (or no occasion at all, for that matter) this piled up and pinned up ‘do works best when a little textured and messy.
The retro faux bob.
Perfectly sculpted, elegantly simple.
The time we find ourselves in is one dominated by effortlessness. ‘Done’ hairstyles are, as such, a population in decline. The most admired glamour is the kind that moves, tousles, and looks nothing like a hair salon created it for a wedding.
But, if the runways are a reliable oracle, 2012 is a fascinating year for hair. In 2012 hair gets wet, it gets retro, it flows free and gets pinned up tight. The eras influencing fashion have much to answer for in the way of hair: the 20s and 30s give us bobs and finger waves, the 70s and 80s give us the kinds of glamour that come from blow dryers and tubes of gel respectively, the 50s rises to rockabilly heights and the 1960s has the most to answer for of all.
The trend towards 60s fashion gives us everything from Bardot bouffant bed hair to mod androgynous crops. It also brings back a unique opportunity to do a structured, pristine, ‘done’ style that defies effortlessness and still hits a trend note.
It’s as perfect as a Stepford wife, as ice cool as Betty Draper, as vintage as yesteryear and as modern as tomorrow. On the runway at Jil Sander spring 2012 this sculpted faux bob, inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, was a defining part of the ladylike yet easy aesthetic. And with the right styling, the right attitude, Jil Sander made a ‘done’ do somehow feel miraculously cool and even, contrarily, effortless.
“In the true DNA of the brand, this is a rich woman’s hairdo that looks almost so perfect, it has no period,” explains Redken Creative Consultant Guido backstage at Jil Sander’s show. “It could be from the future but also nods to the past. It’s inspired by the 1950′s but then becomes mid-century modern which makes it such a sculpted look.”
In our shoot by photographer Kelly Defina, hairstylist Annika Bowen recreated the hairstyle on model Sophie Van Den Akker and, as always, was kind enough to share with us the steps she followed.
2012 long hairstyles
Side pinned waves
The seasonal changes in the real world didn’t affect the chirpiness of Sonia Rykiel’s spring 2012 collection. Just as the sunshine yellow carpet graced the catwalk, it also reflected the crispness of vanilla-hued clothes. But the prime position was given to the Parisian-styled hair that injected overdue positivity to fashion shows in Paris.
You would have noticed an ongoing theme in our 2012 hairstyles guide – flowing waves and blow dries aplenty. What was previously shunned for being a boring hair-down technique has now been revamped. Thank you, catwalk shows.
Sonia Rykiel is also to be thanked for giving us a new approach to a curled hair blow-dry, one that translates itself to being classic and glamourously chic. As with other hair trends for the year, the side part here isn’t incidental: it’s a deliberate feature to draw attention to. The part is swept tidily across and secured with a hair barrette or pin, adding a youthful touch.
Redken’s Creative Consultant, Guido, gets the inspiration from the ever-so-bubbly designer.
“Inspired by Sonia herself – this season the look is a little 1940s meets 1970s, very flirty and pretty. The style is a healthy, bouncy blow-dry” he says.
Women’s rockabilly hair
If style pundits were in any doubt as to the status of the rockabilly hair revival that has been gradually gaining momentum over the last two years, then the display of 1930s through 1950s-inspired retro hair at the menswear fashion shows over the past few years was the final proof they needed. Designers including the likes of Jil Sander and Thomas Maier at Bottega Veneta sent out model after model sporting playful quiffs accessorised with rockabilly string ties and greaser gear. The message was undeniable: rockabilly – specifically rockabilly hair – was back. And it remained the key vintage-revival, attitude laden hairstyle of 2010 and 2011.
2012′s fashion is here, however, and with it the status of rockabilly hair changes. But that’s not to say it’s out altogether. Anything but. In fact, with the 1950s having an influence upon spring 2012′s fashion this is one hairstyle that has ended up with relevance to both men and women and we can comfortably add it to the list of men’s 2012 hairstyles as well as women’s 2012 hairstyles.
Half up Brigitte Bardot hair
Brigitte Bardot hair: a modern take
Some hairstyles have a habit of dipping in and out of fashion, while others are so classic they never seem to date. It’s one from the latter category that we focus on today, drawing inspiration from those icons of the 1960s that were so seductive, so utterly sex kitten, that it’s hard to imagine their voluminous hairstyles ever being less than desirable.
So while perfect as a 2011 hairstyle, and surely again in 2012 as the sixties fashion revival continues its rise to dominance, this is also a style that can be adapted and varied year after year, and thus one well worth mastering. It’s a modern take on a style we often associate with the likes ofBrigitte Bardot: a half up bouffant hairstyle.
The style will work on hair shoulder length or longer; the longer the hair, though, the fuller and more glamorous you can make this particular style.
Looped under ponytail
When we listed the center part as a hair trend for 2012 it was less about the part itself (we know it’s far from revolutionary) and more about the looks and styles that come with it. A center part with flowing locks can be hippie or casual or even jet-settingly glamorous, but pair it with this looped-under ponytail and it becomes an elegant look of equestrian proportions.
On Carolina Herrera’s spring 2012 runway, this showpony hairstyle was kept perfectly tidy, bar for a hint of teased volume and a few loose strands around the face that added an authenticy, as if just stepping in from a ride. Like others of 2012′s ‘done’ hairstyles this one is careful yet not over-fussy, and doesn’t have to be reserved for the evening.
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| Homemade curls A hint of nostalgia churned with a surprising twist of modernity was the theme for Prada’s spring 2012 collection. While the knife-pleated chiffon skirts rang the 1950s doorbell, the quirky prints brought back quirkiness from the sixties. This Milan show struck a playful and affirmative chord via the clothes, and the hair and make-up further enhanced its ladylike elegance. On this runway, even the hair reverted back to a little girl’s age with the neat side parting, tucked hair behind the ear (to show off the studded earrings, of course) and soft curls at the back. The Redken hair team worked with Miuccia Prada to create this 2012 hairstyle that would compliment the fashion without outdoing it. |
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| Long & bouncy With their hypnotically bright spring 2012 collection, the fashion world saw the last of D&G on the Milan runway. Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce announced the merger of D&G with the mainline collection of Dolce and Gabbana, but they made sure the exit on stage right for the label was an optimistic one. The monochromatic tones of printed text dresses and chaotic animal prints were glued together with free flowing, blow dried hair. Even though blow dries advertise themselves to be exceptionally casual and easy-to-achieve, in reality, they’re very conflicting. It’s important to get the optimum bounce in the roots and ensure the soft waves frame the face. To save you from the hair-related anxiety, the mastermind behind Redken’s hair team has shared his tips to get “a gorgeous blow-out”. |
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