Emerson Salon – Capitol Hill Seattle

This past weekend, The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art held its annual MET gala exhibiting and honoring women’s fashion. Its a star studded event and a perfect opportunity to see who was bold and beautiful and who was not. This year there seemed to be less daring fashions but more play with shorter hemlines and interesting silhouettes. The hair in particular was very diverse and showed how the right hair style can compliment a high end fashion piece.

We saw two hair trends emerge from the MET steps carpet. The first trend to show itself was the 1930’s -esque smooth waves and high shine. We saw a lot of this at the Oscars red carpet but this look differed in that the waves were tighter and more high fashion. Taylor Swift, Kate Bosworth and Sarah Jessica Parker all donned the trend. The winner of the night overall was Kate Bosworth. Her hair was phenomenal and probably utilized many “old school” techniques like shampoo setting pin curls and finger wave patterns. (An honorable mention goes to SJP as she has had some hair missteps over the last year. Her color was perfect and soft and the waves weren’t too distracting from her gorgeous Halston gown.)

The other trend of the evening was the slightly messy and “unkempt” loose waves with some light frizz . It is somewhat disappointing to see this “meh” hair in contrast to the wonderful gowns but its generally understood that at such an event the hair is not the star of the gala. We want to bring our attention to the intricately constructed gowns. Claire Danes and Chloe Sevigny stayed understated but accessible with their hair looks. Claire had tousled, messy waves around her shoulders and Chloe took her relaxed wave into a simple, messy updo.

Lastly, a look unto itself was Renee Zelweger’s blond bob with texture and facial framing. Noone else had anything similar to her hair and she smoldered with it! Going shorter is always a risk but this length is great as it must be easy to style and looks great messy or perfectly coiffed.

Looking to use one of these trends on your hair? Here are some tips:

• Always start with freshly shampooed and conditioned hair.
• Use a thermal protectant like Bodyguard by Kevin Murphy (before blow drying.) It drives out water moisture and leaves in the Peruvian bark moisture needed during heat styling.
• Use a flexible hairspray like Alterna’s Working Spray while styling until you are completely finished. Then use a harder hold to set. Try Session Spray by Kevin Murphy.
• Don’t forget the shine. When taking pictures you want the hair to gleam regardless of the amount of hairspray added. Rapid Repair Spray by Alterna is great during styling because not only is it shiny, but if you make a mistake it can break down extra product in the hair. When complete, use Spray Shine by Alterna: it gives a luminous shine but sits on the hair and does not break down product.
• And remember! These trends are only for inspiration. Make your hair look your own by working with natural textures or play with hair jewelry.

We love fabulous hair whether it be formal or casual, trendy or classic. Have fun with your hair! Come in to Emerson Salon and we promise you’ll enjoy it!

post by D’Arcy