WHO SAYS GROWN UP HAS TO MEAN GROOMED? FROM CASUAL CHIGNONS TO WILD PONYTAILS, HERE’S WHY A DISHEVELLED ’DO CAN BE A SECRET YOUTH BOOST

The idea that our hair can define us as young or old isn’t a new one. But how we approach getting older has undergone a shift in the late 20th century, and looks very different to how it did for our grandparents’ generation. The upshot? There are no rules when it comes to how you wear your hair, whatever your age. If anything, messy hairstyles can prove to be the most flattering. 

‘The easiest way to achieve a naturally nonchalant texture is to scoop up your hair (damp if you have super-straight hair) into a loose knot on the crown of the head,’ says hairstylist Emil Zed, who created the looks we see here on model Femke. ‘Leave for an hour or so before releasing, adding in texture with dry conditioner or texturising powder to the mid-lengths and a bit of serum to the ends for separation. If it still needs more movement, use a flat iron to fashion a few random bends then let your fingers do the rest, mussing everything up to encourage as much character as possible.’

Once you have your base texture, there’s plenty more to experiment with. Read on as we share three messy updo hairstyles for easy, understated elegance.

‘This is essentially a deconstructed French plait, but with every new section that you bring in, you start further and further away from the main body of the braid so that you end up bringing in strands from around the hairline,’ explains Emil. ‘Begin by applying a nourishing, smoothing product to give each strand a bit of slip so that the braid comes undone a little on its own, but if your plait needs a little more girth, add some volumising mousse and gently pull it apart with your fingers after securing with a rubber band.’

While a low ponytail is traditionally seen as a little more austere than a perky mid-height cheerleader-esque pony, with some tactical tousling it can lend an effortlessly chic feel to an otherwise formal outfit. ‘Once you have your base texture, loosely pull the hair back towards the nape of the neck and secure with a clear elastic,’ says Emil. ‘Then simply tease out a few strands on the crown for some added height – think 60s Bardot by way of 2019.’

Nothing says ‘adult’ quite like an updo, but this not-quite-a-knot is anything but uptight. ‘“Deliberately unfinished” is how I’d describe this look,’ says Emil. ‘Start with a normal ponytail but only pull it halfway through and instead loop the remaining length up and back into the elastic to form a loose ‘S’ shape. It’s super-quick to do – a three-second type of style – and it shouldn’t look as though you’ve tried too hard. Spritz with a bit of hairspray to hold.’