The Telegraph says big hair is "back with a vengeance". Apparently it's all Elle McPherson's fault because she wore this absolutely mental hairdo to take her son to school last week.

I hate to break it down to the world but Elle's look was stupid to say the least. The fact is she can just about get away with it because she's beautiful and slim and the length of her legs distracts you from the mantronly curls. Unfortunately, the trend seems to have picked up and in no more than 24 hours Cheryl Cole (who is doing the X-Factor in the States) and Sarah Jessica Parker have given it a go and failed miserably.

I might be overreacting but I feel like if enough of us join efforts in criticising this horrendous look someone with power will take notice and they will prevent this from happening again.

What do you make of this?

[JustJared]

Rihanna's hairstyle hit - Part 2

I know I'm being a little mono-thematic as of late with my posts about celebrities. I just slowly develop these fixations with the way some of them never cease to surprise me, in a good way. Only a month ago I couldn't get enough of Rihanna's red-hair look as you might remember from this post. A few days after I wrote about it she proceeded to add some hideous hair extensions, also in red, which completely put me off. She kept those for about two weeks but it was way too long for Ri-Ri. She is back in town for the X Factor finale and she's gone back to the short hair do that made her famous in a more natural colour than we've seen over the last few months. And so, I am back as fan #1 of her look. I find the her short hair very flattering and sexy. It also adds to whatever she wears, which is what everyone should want from a haircut. As part of her latest outfit she wore a very cool camouflage hat that complimented the leather and knit grey outfit and that, together with the pink backpack, injected the right amount of colour.

What do you think of Rihanna's style changes? Are you a fan?
I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net]

Giulia does ombré hair

You see, Giulia and I are very much in synch. We decided to work together on soVIPzone because half of the time we don't even need to speak to know what the other is thinking. We buy the exact same magazines and tell each other to read exactly the same articles, things like that. The latest took place in Halloween. I was home in Madrid and Giulia had her BFF Lala over in London. G had been pretty busy the previous week with uni work and so she barely had time to check some of the posts I made for the blog, like the one about ombré hair. And yet, her and Lala sported the look one of the nights.

I'm off.

[Picture: Giulia]

A guide to: white & ombré hair

A few days ago I was thinking if how incredibly exciting it was to watch Lady Gaga at the beginning. The anticipation of her next change of hair or her next outrageous outfit was unbelievable. After only a few months, a year maybe, that excitement has kind of worn off. I am not uninterested in what she wears or what says but I no longer feel that anticipation which predicted something unique coming up.
And then I saw this picture. Gaga had been in London doing some work with Nicola Formichetti and she got a very refreshing makeover. Call me crazy but this white ombré hair looks great on her, almost natural. I feel like she should follow the hair's direction with her clothes and she'll be on the right path. I think it's time for Lady Gaga to shock by starting to create her own personal style.
But it was the hair I was most excited about. I have been a fan of fake white hair forever and I have this frustrated feeling inside that I should dye my hair green or bright (smurf) blue, at least, once in my life. And so I went through my picture archives to find out how people have been experimenting with the different versions of ombré and white hair in the last few years.

Colour ombré
It got extremely popular a few seasons ago both in and out the runway (by Proenza Schouler). The most popular version was that of the picture from The Sartorialist of the girl with the peroxide blond hair and the pale pink highlights. It is probably the most "natural" way you can use unordinary colours on your hair but it can also go wrong (see below). The other two examples show how you can also let the fake colour take over the natural one by creating a degradé from the root to the ends —metallics look particularly good like this.

White
As I said, I am a big fan of white hair. I envy old people and their white locks because shows you've lived and you're proud. But letting nature work its magic is not the only way to achieve this. The most famous white-haired person (apart from the Queen) is Karl Lagerfeld. I am unsure of the natural colour of his hair but he has often said he uses a chemical to keep it white because it also helps tame his locks in a ponytail. George Lamb's is exactly the way I'd like my hair to look. Instead of dying it back to how it used to be ('Just for men' lol) just embrace it and introduce it in your look. We have obviously seen it on AdR as well (in the shape of a wig) and on older fashionistas like Iris Apfel.

Natural
Within the boundaries of hair dying there are some options that without looking natural still can pass as common. That's the case of peroxide and bleach blond dyes —as seen on Abbey Lee, Mark Ronson or Kate Lanphear. They key is to keep the roots colours (to avoid looking trashy) and the cut clean and simple. The most natural option for ombré hair, though, has to be the one that celebrities the likes of Rachel Bilson, Alexa Chung or Elisa Sednaoui have been sporting lately. It could simply de described as brunette meets blonde. I love the effect it has so much I have been recommending it to a dear friend of mine lately. Hope she listens.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Jak & Jil, Zimbio.com, The Sartorialist]

Gwyneth's chic hair

As much as I love and enjoy womenswear I have to admit that I am quite lost when it comes to women's beauty. I know when make-up really good or really bad but everything in the middle is obscure territory to me. I am a little better at hair, although I will admit that I am a sucker for the just-rolled-out-of-bed "do" for daily looks. And that's exactly why I love what Gwyneth has been doing with her hair lately. She obviously has washed it, straightened it and then sprayed a little hairspray  to keep the fringe to the back, but it looks very natural and fresh and ridiculously chic. And the best part is that it works as a dressed-up look and on a daily more casual basis as well. There is something so sexy about a woman with her hair like that. See the difference looking at these pics of Gwyneth a few weeks ago in the same McCartney Current/Elliott khaki pants.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net]

let the sunshine in

On Wednesday night I attended the opening of the musical Hair in London. I came intrigued and left excited, astonished and utterly inspired. It seems shocking how the hippies, a sociological movement that happened so many years ago can feel so current and still inspire fashion nowadays. The Broadway cast, which showed the reason why the show is still so popular, strolled around stage in the most fun combination of flared and patched-up denim, tasseled suede and tie-dye colours.

Clockwise from top left: Chloé SS10 poncho, Vanessa Bruno Athé denim dungarees, Sass & Bide crochet vest, Chloé SS10 patched-up double denim, Jimmy Choo tasseled suede bag, Citizens of Humanity sleeveless denim jacket, Proenza Shouler sandals, Catherine Malandrino fringed dress, Halston Heritage slouchy bag, Acne fringed suede jacket, Lover cotton shirt.

[Pictures: Style.com, Net-a-Porter, Hairthemusical.co.uk]

I left the show as happy as can be and waiting for the moment to get home and put together a collage like the above that, to be fair, doesn't so much justice to the theatrical experience. I encourage you to get yourself tickets for the show asap and, in the meantime, to enjoy the soundtrack. I will be surprised if you can stop singing "Let the sunshine in" for even a minute. I know my flatmate can't.

I'm off.

what da HAIR?!

All my life I've had this strange fascination for hairstyles, a fixation I cannot fight which ultimately throws me to radically change my look every few months. To all of the ladies reading, this will sound far from new, as you obsessively do your hair non-stop to achieve that utopic idea that the perfect hairstyle is. Truth to be told, most men share this obsession —I dare say— as intensely with the difference that we spend more time "undoing the do" to look naturally scruffy. This is why I submerged myself into the detail shots of my favourite collections, to find what's now hot for us. And how surprised I was to find that we —or rather you, girls— have not only seen them once but have been unconsciously staring at them repeatedly for some months now. Indeed, it is our lately favourite drama Gossip Girl that has been portraying the latest hairstyles for guys. Have a look.

Top to bottom: John Varvatos, Hermès, John Varvatos

Both: Gucci

Pas-Gossip hairstyles I like:

Left to right: Lanvin, Paul Smith, Lanvin

Opinions?

[Pictures credit: JustJared and Style.com]

I'm off.