The wet look is back, among other trends
The Spring/Summer 2022 shows have made it official: the world is slowly turning a new leaf. Cue the roundups of the next big fashion, makeup, accessories, shoe, and bag trends, along with the joys of getting to try them out for ourselves. For some of us though (read: if you’re living in the Philippines), it will be a while longer before we wholly get to participate.
In the meantime, we’ve observed a fun little loophole: going ham on experimenting with beauty trends instead. We’ve seen it happen with the perm, which turned out to be the unexpected hair trend of 2021. The same goes for fun dyes, made possible and more accessible thanks to releases like Colourette’s Sky Dye and Bleach Cloud.
Clearly, something as simple as changing up hairstyles can be an antidote to the extended quarantine blues. Circling back to the Spring 2022 shows and all they have to offer, we point out the five recurring hairstyles from Fashion Month that you might want to take for a spin—and just in time for the holidays!
The Middle Part
It seemed like a handful of designers went the minimalist route for Spring 2022, opting for a dead-center part that’s simple and straight-to-the-point. The rest of hair looks were just as pared down on the runways of Altuzarra, Chanel, Sacai and more, where hairstyles ranged from a neat, combed-through finish to wavy, slept-in-looking tousles. Possibly the most beginner-friendly of hairstyles (and one you can do with your eyes closed). To get the parting just right and the roots in control, use a tail comb to make a neat partition down the middle and smooth out the roots with styling mousse or hair oil.
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Covering Up
This should double as trying out one of the season’s recurring accessories, too. Leaving things up to headwear, it requires little to no actual hairstyling (still counts, right?) Think: caps, bonnets, bandanas, headscarves; on the runways, they were face-framing in most cases but drooped low enough to cover the eyes in others. With roots fully concealed here, all that’s left to think about is how you style the rest of your tresses. Either way, consider 80% of your job already done.
Slicked Back
The Spring 2022 presentations clearly showed designers getting on the same page about one thing: bringing back the wet look. Along with hairstyles that follow (more like stick to, really) the contours of the face, came one hair look where everything is pushed all the way back and away from the face. It’s another beginner-friendly and low-maintenance hairstyle with considerable pay-off since it’s simple, easy on the eyes and effortlessly looks polished. To get it down pat, spritz water on blow-dried hair, comb a gel with a glossy finish through it, and use tools like pins and elastics to keep the final hairstyle in place.
Wind-Swept Curls
One thing to note about the hairstyles for Spring 2022 is that, for the most part, they didn’t appear overdone. While some looks required curling tools (if not, here’s your sign to flaunt your natural, full-bodied curls), the final hair looks still came off as lived in, natural—like wind had just blown through the models’ hair and fixing it is out of the question. It’s a lot of body, but that’s welcome. So lean into it: apply volumizing mousse to damp hair, curl in sections, and for that piecey finish, spritz portions with salt spray.
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Tamed Roots
The wet look returning sooner than you think. One iteration of the hair trend that proved prominent as well involved slicked down roots. At shows like Jil Sander, Miu Miu and Tom Ford, roots were kept neat as a whistle, pressed down and evidently reinforced with a lot of product. Whether the main look featured choppy, wet bangs or a deep side part, the main point was to keep hair along the top and crown slick and free of any lift or volume. (A potential go-to for no-shampoo days? We think so.)
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Spring 2022 went a little easy with the hairstyle choices, but who knows what new hair trend will crop up next? Until then, we have these styles—and what appears to be a lot of hair gel—to tide us over.
Art Matthew Ian Fetalver
