Hair this Fall is all about extremes. Extremely short, extremely long, extremely dark, extremely blonde…
The most fashionable looks are those that have pushed the envelope. This is what happens during times of economic crisis; women show their style by relying on what they have. Bright makeup, extreme hair and DIY fashion (ripped jeans, restructured pieces) become trendy again because they are cheap and attention grabbing. We’ve seen this in our study of the bright, bold and repurposed runway shows.


That’s not to say you have to dye your hair pink and style it into a mohawk this season. However, if you’ve been considering an extreme hair cut, now is the time to be daring and go for it!

1. Pixie

The Pixie has been popular for a few seasons now. Victoria Beckham was the forerunner of this trend. She managed to pull off the look by over-styling and wearing with ultra-feminine clothes. Katie Holmes followed suit about a year after Posh, but didn’t style her do much at all, making her look boyish at times and middle-aged at others. As both Victoria Beckham and Katie Holmes have moved on to other styles, Rihanna has kept the look in season with her super chic do.
It’s not just Rihanna that has this look in vogue for the season. Posh and Katie basically introduced the style but it took a few seasons for it to become mainstream. This Fall, we’ll see many women, young and old, taking the plunge to try the Pixie. If you’re one of them, remember the trick is to over-style and wear feminine clothes.

2. Cropped Bob

Agyness Deyn made a huge impact last Fall when she stepped onto the Michael Kors runway with a bluntly cut cropped bob. Since then, we’ve seen derivations of the look including Paris Hilton’s messy cropped bob. Just to clarify, the cropped bob is not the same as a pob (Victoria Beckham’s hairstyle a few seasons ago). The cropped bob is much chunkier and is usually one length (right below the ears) with blunt shorter layers and bangs. Even Posh has grown her hair out to a very sleek version of a cropped bob.

3. Shoulder-Length Bob

Is the cropped bob a little too edgy for you? Or, maybe you’re growing out a pob from last year. The shoulder-length bob is a nice in-between haircut that also happens to be stylish. Though it’s not as extreme as the other styles here, it can be pushed to the extreme with a super dark or super light hair color. Heidi Klum, Gwyneth Paltrow and even Lauren Conrad have all shown how sophisticated this classic style can look. To wear this long bob, style it super straight and sleek or with flowing curls. Shoulder-length bobs are also nice because they are a great length for adding extensions.

4. Long

Long, flowing hair is the top hair trend this season. Unfortunately, this is a difficult style to attain if you cut your hair short for last year’s hair trends. Luckily, extensions have become quite mainstream. Quality extensions are now accessible and affordable for us regular women. Just take a cue from Katie and augment what you have.
If your hair grows fast or you already have long hair, you’re in luck. Style your long hair with retro waves, loose beach waves or smooth and sleek.

What about bangs?

As you can tell from the images above, bangs are still in this season. For more information about different bang types, read my article that outlines the top bang styles for 2009.

Thoughts?

Personally, I like the pixie and the cropped bob but they’re just not my style. My current hair cut is a shoulder-length bob that I’m growing out to a long hairstyle. Unfortunately, my hair isn’t growing as quickly as I’d like. Might be the season to try extensions!


What will you do with your hair this Fall? Will you go for a daring new cut like the pixie? Or, will you aim for the extreme lengths of the long hairstyles?


In the coming weeks, I’ll also be posting the top hair color trends and hairstyles for Fall 2009.