Variety is the spice of life and the new watchword for hairdressers is: a haircut should allow people to style their hair differently every day. Women with short hair should try a feathered cut with a short but distinct fringe, leaving the ears free, recommends Johannes Hess of the German state of Saarland's hairdressing guild.
Feathered means that the hairs are cut to different lengths. To take away the haircut's severity, soft contours are important this year. "That means some short and some long hairs cover the contour, so it falls more softly," says Hess. Variety can be created by applying additives such as gel, wax or matt paste.
"You can style the hair smoothly or spikily, or create a rockabilly hairstyle," says Heiner Heijen of Lower Saxony's hairdressers guild. Medium length hair layered at the ends is also very fashionable at the moment, according to top German hairdresser Sebastian Boehm. But at this length, there should be stark contrasts in the haircut, says Hess: "A compact, heavy fringe complements a fine, layered haircut."
Fringes are also becoming wider. Boehm recommends "Undone Hair" - a hairstyle that doesn't look like a style but which nevertheless has a system behind it: "The ends look dry, everything's a bit flatter." Trends in long hair are tending towards the Brigitte Bardot look, says Heijen: creating lots of volume with backcombing and a distinct fringe.
"Although the next day you can use straighteners," he adds, emphasising the variety possible. Boehm thinks geometric styles and straight lines are important for long hair. For example, long straight hair without layering and a strong fringe.
The hairdresser recommends wearing it in a high ponytail, after first straightening the hair. But women should wear fewer accessories with such a haircut, says Heijen: "Since the haircut alone leaves so many possibilities, hair accessories aren't really a trend at the moment."
"It's really about playing and living with the structure and the haircut," he continues. Although variety is in fashion at the moment, that doesn't mean everything goes - some styles are disappearing. The undercut, where the hair on the sides is cut short while the hair on top is longer, is no longer fashionable, and uniform hair colours are also on their way out, says Heijen.
It is more important that the colours integrate with one another and match the softer haircuts. Heijen recommends a hair dying technique known as painting. Hairdressers use a brush to paint the strands of hair and create a more natural look, without using foil and huge dryers. But if clients want something more severe, Boehm recommends colour blocking. "That means the colours don't actually match, for example, a cold and a warm colour, or a natural and a more explosive colour."
For a less conspicuous look, Boehm recommends earthy, muddy colours. Colours from brown to khaki and grey are possibilities. But he says the trend for ombre hair, where hair is darker at the roots and lighter at the tips, is now completely outdated and boring. For long hair, Boehm and Hess both believe that apricot and cherry tones, as well as pastel greens and lilac, are fashionable.
For men, trends are developing slightly in the other direction to women's. "With men you're seeing more hair and very neat cuts," says Hess. In contrast to the softer haircuts seen on women, more severe, straight contours are fashionable for men, adds Boehm. But styling is allowed to look messy, he continues. Wavy hair, which looks as if the man has just got back from the beach, is going to be in fashion again this year, or a messy ponytail. "Alice bands and crimping are becoming trendy again for men," says Boehm.
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