Archive copy by Jenni Baden Howard

Size matters

The look: bigger is better. On the Gucci catwalk, hair was wild and seriously mussed-up.

‘We’re going to see lot of big hair over the coming months,’ says jet-setting celebrity stylist Charles Worthington, who teased the tresses at Matthew Williamson’s autumn/winter 2003 show and coiffed Joely Richardson for this year’s Golden Globes (he’ll be back for the Oscars next month). ‘The trend for volume and glamour will continue into next season, too.’

How to get it: ‘Use volumising styling tools and products, but focus on the roots - the hair won’t get weighed down,’ says Worthington.

After washing (use a body-boosting shampoo and conditioner, for maximum effect), apply a volumising styling spray and roughly blow-dry. ‘When you have removed about seventy per cent of the moisture, section your hair and wind it onto large Velcro rollers. Finish drying it with a diffuser or hood dryer, ensuring it is completely dry and cool before removing the rollers. Finish with a soft layer of hairspray, and then back-brush gently from the roots, for that Gucci lift. Add extra shine with a glossing spray.’

Crucial kit: Charles Worthington’s Big Hair Body Beautiful Shampoo and Conditioner (£4.19 each), Great Body! Styling Spray (£3.99), In Fashion Volumising Brush (£4.95) and Ultrafine Hairspray (£3.69, at Boots); Umberto Giannini’s Incredible Body Uplifting Thickening Shampoo (£3.95) and Conditioner (£4.45, at Boots, Superdrug and Sainsbury’s); Paul Mitchell’s Volumising Spray (£9.75, tel: 01296 390590).

The pony club

The look: the simple ponytail gets a glamorous twist (literally) for spring/summer. High, Fifties-inspired ponytails with fringes were sported at Louis Vuitton, while at Cacharel they were worn low and to one side. ‘These are two, very different takes on a perennial fashion favourite’ says Michaeljohn session stylist Matthew Alexander, whose clients include Natasha Richardson and Lady McCartney.

How to get it: ‘The Vuitton ponytail can be worn with one-length hair, but it works best with a style that is long and layered,’ says Alexander.

Brush hair back into a ponytail (leaving the fringe, if applicable), secured tightly at the roots, positioned between the crown and the nape of the neck. ‘Apply a spritz of thickening spray to the ponytail and blow dry it using a large bristle brush. Add bounce and a soft curl with three or four large, heated rollers, placed vertically and pinned until completely cool. Remove the rollers and brush through with a Mason Pearson natural bristle brush.

‘The Cacharel ponytail is secured at the nape of the neck and off-centre, allowing the hair to fall over one shoulder. A fringe can be given more texture and volume with mousse, applied at the roots before blow-drying.’ Add a sexy sheen with a serum or shine spray.

Crucial kit: Michaeljohn’s SalonSpa Root Lift Thickening Spray (£4.99) or Mighty Mousse (£3.99, at Boots); Mason Pearson’s Pure Bristle Brush (£52 for the large size, tel: 020 7491 2613); Nirvana Natural’s Shine Spray (£4.95, tel: 01494 880855).

Body beautiful

The look: va-va voom at its most chic (the bedhead look this is not). At shows such as Alberta Ferretti and Jasper Conran, hair had noticeable lift (focused mainly at the crown), but the overall effect was beautifully groomed.

‘It’s a highly glamorous, controlled look - no chilling out in tracksuits with this one,’ says hairdresser Michael Van Clarke, whose Marylebone salon attracts a sophisticated crowd. Van Clarke’s user-friendly Know How products arrive this month.

How to get it: ‘Don’t forget the foundations - an effective volumising shampoo and conditioner are just as important as your styling products,’ says Van Clarke. ‘Lightly apply a thickening spray at the roots, followed by a body-building mousse on the mid-lengths and ends. Using a large, natural bristle brush, blow dry the hair in sections, from root to tip. Avoid dragging the hair down, keeping the brush at a ninety degree angle. Before removing your brush, blast each section with cold air. Tip your head forward, work a tiny dab of shine wax or serum through the mid-lengths to ends and finish with a light holding spray.’

Crucial kit: Michael Van Clarke’s Volume Know How Shampoo, Conditioner and Thickening Blow-Dry Spray (£4.99 each), Full Bodied Mousse and Holding Spray (£4.49 each) and Smoothing Know How Solid Serum (£5.49, at selected supermarkets, chemists and John Lewis); Sexy Hair Concept’s new Dense Thickening Spray (£8.85, tel: 020 8381 7793).

Surf chic

The look: soft, beachy, centre-parted and accessorised with surf goggles at Prada. At Ralph Lauren, hair had an equally natural, summery feel with lots of shine. ‘The look is sexy, modern and couldn’t be simpler to achieve and maintain,’ says John Frieda session stylist Greg Morgan.

How to get it: ‘After washing your hair, apply a texturising styling spray while it’s still damp,’ says Morgan. ‘Divide hair into three sections - one from each side, and one at the back - with a centre parting. Finger-twist or twirl each section in a clockwise motion, and pin the end back up towards the scalp. The sections should resemble three, loose and twisted bundles. Allow hair to dry naturally or use a diffuser. Undo the bundles and gently shake out your hair, creating loose, tousled waves.’

Crucial kit: John Frieda’s Beach Blonde Cool Dip Shampoo and Smooth Sailing Conditioner (£4.25 each) and Ocean Waves (£4.95) spray (at Boots); Kusco Murphy’s Beach Hair (£14.50, at Pure Beauty and Harvey Nichols); Mop’s Defining Cream (£7.95), which softly enhances waves and shine (tel: 01282 613413).

Colour Codes

Hold the highlights - this is the season of the brunette. ‘Warm shades of brown look great against tanned skin, and make hair look shinier and healthier,’ says celebrity colourist and Clairol’s creative director James Brown, who tints the tresses of Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and Sarah Jessica Parker.

While Brown stresses that drastic (especially permanent) changes call for professional consultation, he maintains that going darker at home - he swore by Clairol’s Nice ‘n’ Easy permanent dyes before the company recruited him - is easier than lightening up. ‘It’s so much harder to get a perfect blonde.’