Hair styles in 2015 were all over the place — with us dabbling in everything from wilder ombre colors to experimenting with ideas like hair contouring. And while it's been an exciting run, the new year brings a new curiosity to sample new looks, which means there's already a stack of 2016 hair trends we all need to try. While last year the fashion world had a penchant to lean towards bright, exciting hair colors (like dying your hair a silvery grey or trying out bright green or purple ombres,) as well as trying out defining silhouettes like the choppy lob, this year we're feeling a very laid-back French vibe. As in, it's all about putting in minimum effort, but feeling max beautiful.
Whereas before we've certainly enjoyed a bohemian-like approach to 'dos with long, loose waives and heavy, thick plaits, in 2016 that mood is taken a step further by just opting to go completely natural and wind-swept, where the majority of looks seem to not take much longer to recreate than five minutes time. Is that amazing or lazy? Creative, or uninspired? I suppose it depends what you do with it. Below are seven 2016 hair trends everyone should try!
1. Going With Your Natural Hair, Not Against It
With the non-beauty trend this past year and a heavier lean towards the disheveled, I-didn't-really-primp-this-morning look (just think of our obsession with Alexa Chung,) it's not a surprise that 2016 is leaning towards an all-natural vibe. As in, get haircuts that work with your texture, are minimum fuss, and let you air dry your locks. Rather than trying to change your hair, the fashion world is experimenting with keeping it as it is. Shows like Stella McCartney's dabbled in it, where they kept the models' hairstyles looking almost pedestrian. According to Harper's Bazaar, "If you've been looking for an excuse to ditch your hot tools and stop fighting your natural texture, voila!"
2. Make Your Bun Peacock
The messy bun is a staple in most of our morning hair routines, but this year why don't you give it a classy upgrade by giving it an elegant — if still not untidy — peacock fan. Shows like Dolce & Gabanna and Marchesa sent down lines of women in messy buns with bits of hair poking out from underneath the elastic. What's the inspo for this simple detail? Marchesa show hairstylist Antonio Corral Calero told Harper's Bazaar, "The girl here is really confident and quite romantic and I wanted to do something that inspired the real woman to recreate it back home." Feeling inspired yet?
3. Now's The Time To Accessorize
While it seems that trends are going towards a more au-natural vibe this year, they simplicity of such a look is being balanced out with a call for playful, eye catching hair accessories. If you've ever wanted to dabble with hair clips, brooches, gold rings for pony tales and braids, or anything equally whimsical and charming, this is the time you've been waiting for. With runway shows like Alberta Ferretti threading gold rings through tendrils of hair in an updo, or Marc Jacobs clipping antique-looking pearl brooches all charming-like in swept up hair, this'll add some excitement to your hair playing.
4. Tight, No-Nonsense Braids
Whereas last year we enjoyed bohemian, whispy 'dos, this year took a bit of a streamlined, if not slightly grunge approach to the braid trend. The braids that appeared on the runway either came in the form of tight, thin plaits peaking out from underneath straight hair (like at the Louis Vuitton show) or were woven into tight, high pony tails that were sleeked down and oiled up, giving off Cuban inspired vibes. Harper's Bazaar pointed out, "This season's braids — tight, streamlined, and functional — are a major shift from the loose ones that tend to pair well with airy dresses and pop up at festivals, perhaps because this season's collections include more leather and buttoned-up collars than ever before."
5. Low Pig Tails
Who would have thought you'd be wearing pig tails outside of your elementary school playground, but when worn with some interesting juxtaposition, the sweet and innocent look becomes interestingly edgy. Harper's Bazaar explained, "Today's pigtails, when worn low, close together, and with either gothic lipstick (Miu Miu,) dominatrix braids (Giles,) or heavy metal accessories (Chanel,) are so much cooler than the ones from the schoolyard."
This also stays in line with the low-fuss theme, which makes for super easy and lazy mornings, but yielding super chic results!
6. Big, Jessica-Day Bangs
It could be argued that Zooey Deschanel's bangs made her famous (or at the very least, memorable) and now we all can dabble with the bold hair move, too. With shows like Acne, Alexander Wang, and Vera Wang featuring blunt, thick, straight-across bangs, there's plenty of inspo out there to convince you to take out the bathroom scissors and get to snipping.
7. Messy Bedhead
It seems that the messier and wind-blown you look this year, the better. With designer powerhouses like Michael Kors and Tory Burch marching their models down with hastily swept to the side bangs, coaxed out tendrils framing their face, and intentional fly-aways embraced rather than patted away, the bedhead, wait-let-me-get-my-hair-out-of-my-face look is super in right now. For example, when talking about the inspiration for the deconstructed French twist in Tory Burch's show, Harper's Bazaar spun, "Her hair started out in this high, Bardot-esque twist, but it's hot out and she's sweaty and who the hell cares?"
See, embrace your natural hair, don't fight the messiness of it all, and spend a French-amount of effort on your 'dos this year. That's what 2016 is apparently (and fantastically!) gong to be all about.
