Think Texture. Think Layers. Think the Ultimate Cool Girl Hair. 2016 is the year of the shag! Learn what to look for when creating the modern shag, and just how you and your clients should style your masterpiece with advice straight from STYLE.MASTER Sarah Lund.
The end goal when cutting a shag is that perfect balance of being effortlessly unkempt in a pulled together way. Alexa Chung is my personal shaggy icon, no one rocks this haircut better. Moving into 2016, it is the perfect way to transition from a long bob to something more modern.
Things for stylists to consider when cutting:
- Always cut with the natural movement of the hair. The haircut should make an impression while keeping styling to a minimum.
- Achieve movement by using the full blade of your scissors to cut into the lengths of the hair.
- To keep your shag from looking too dated, always cut your layers square. Keeping corners in your finished haircut is what separates a 2016 shag from a David Cassidy 1970’s shag.
- When working with so many layers, be sure the ends have plenty of texture and are free from bulk. It’s never a bad idea to undercut a denser head of hair to ensure the top layers lay flat and square.
- The perfect shag always has the perfect fringe. For a shorter fringe, always hold the hair our directly from the head and again, keep square and with maximum texture. For a longer fringe, consider lengths that flow away from the face at the cheekbones.
- Never skip out on your consultation. According to CUTTING.MASTER Jay Fata, “Implement consultations into your service, taking inventory of your client’s hair texture, density, face shape, and anything else that may affect the cut. Factoring in those details promotes a better finish.”
To achieve that highly desired shaggy bedhead finish, keep styling to a minimum.
- Use UN.DRESSED in damp hair to enhance and define texture and movement in slightly wavy and curly hair types and allow to air dry. Finish with DOO.OVER for volume and hold.
- For pin straight hair, wrap varying sized sections once around a 1” iron in alternating directions. Don’t curl every section; the more random, the better! Tousle with POWDER.PUFF on mid lengths and ends.
- For client styling at home, have them set hair with a medium flat iron before going to bed. In the morning, use hands and DOO.OVER to give a more disheveled appearance. Refresh day 2 and 3 with FRESH.HAIR.
For more hair tutorials and inspiration, stalk KEVIN.MURPHY and Sarah Lund on Bangstyle!
