Meet summer halfway: wear your hair half-up, half-down for a beachy barnet this season

Not quite up, not quite down, totally in. This season's no-hassle hairdo is part tight and part tousled
'Kate' Braid at the Braid bar, hair twists at Valentino and a simple look at Céline
Pictures: Oliver Hadlee Pearch, Lucas Flores Piran and Matteo Volta
Emma McCarthy1 June 2015

The summer months and high-maintenance hair are notoriously unhappy bedfellows. From now until September(ish), most of us would rather look like we’d just stepped off the beach than out of a salon, with loose waves, messy plaits and sunkissed highlights compensating for the fact that there isn't a shoreline in sight.

Lazy summer hair — much like the great British summer — is something to savour while you can. But — much like the great British summer — it doesn't always turn out how you hoped. There is, after all, a fine line between a carefree beachy tousle and a bedraggled tangle.

But this summer the hair gods have gifted us with a style which is both effortless and groomed to an acceptable social standard: the half and half ’do. Pulled together but not perfectly polished, the 50/50 involves sweeping back the top half of your locks while leaving your lengths to flow freely down the back of your sundress.

Half-up, half-down hair - in pictures

1/5

But this style isn't just in favour with those who would rather enjoy another Aperol Spritz on the rooftop of Frank’s than go home to wash their hair, it's proving popular with the fashion pack too.

At Céline's spring showcase, Redken creative director Guido Palau masterminded one of the most coveted — and most attainable — styles of the season with gently teased hair (invest in a set of large barrel tongs and a bottle of Redken's Wind Blown 05 spray to recreate) secured with a chic circular gold barrette. This understated statement served as the perfect accompaniment to Phoebe Philo's less-is-always-more aesthetic. But as Guido points out, this look is no one-trick pony.

“The spring/summer trend of half up, half down hair is super versatile,” says Guido, who also created a romantic take on the trend at Valentino, with tumbling waves and a twisted band of hair sprinkled with gold seashells. “It’s a simple idea that can easily translate from day to evening depending on what barrette or jewellery you decide to wear in your hair.”

Of course the real beauty of this hairstyle lies in the fact that anyone can master it, no matter what your level of skill. Dexterous types can relish the opportunity to try different twists and plaits and get creative with the accessories — elegant for the office, jazzy for the weekend, and jewelled for the evening. But don’t be put off if you’re not so handy with the tools. This style looks just as effective with a simple half-ponytail.

If you are in need of a helping hand, head to The Braid Bar at Selfridges and ask for the Kate: a pretty 50/50 heart-shaped plait.

Now, bring on summer.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in