How to achieve the sleek NYFW hair trend at home

By Grace McGettigan
11th Sep 2018

How to achieve the sleek NYFW hair trend at home

Low ponytails might remind you of primary school, but there is so much more to this simple hairstyle than you think.

New York Fashion Week SS19 has proven plain hair doesn’t have to be boring. Shows including Tom Ford, Cushnie, Brandon Maxwell and Ulla Johnson (to name but a few) showed how easy it can be to jazz up a ponytail or bun. We’ve outlined three of our favourite examples below; all of which are chosen because of their versatility.

The styles below are professional enough for the office, yet sleek enough for eveningwear. Better yet, they’re all easy to achieve at home.

Create shine

Healthy, shiny hair immediately elevates a look from ‘every day’ to ‘elegant’. At Tom Ford, the models’ hair was pulled back from a side-parting into sleek and shiny buns.

Ensure your hair is recently washed for a clean finish; for best results, use shampoo and conditioner tailored to create shine such as L’Oreal Serie Expert Inforcer Conditioner from Terrisales, €25.99. When your hair is dry, brush it through with a nylon bristle brush (such as this Kent brush from Boots, €13.99). The nylon bristles create a natural shine whilst gently grooming your hair.

Once smoothed, secure the hair at the nape of your neck with an elastic hair-tie. Secure fly-away hairs with a small amount of hairspray. Avoid over-using product as this can make the hair appear rough and/or hard.

Photo: Gigi Hadid at Tom Ford NYFW SS19 via Tom Ford on Instagram

Add texture

Just because you want smooth, sleek hair doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with texture. This can be done in a couple of ways.

First, models at Cushnie had their hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, without any parting. Once this was secured with a hair-tie, the remaining hair was tightly braided and secured at the end with a second hair-tie. The texture of the plait takes the look up a notch, especially when combined with the hairs’ healthy shine.

Try to use elastic ties without a metal band, such as these Scunci Black Elastics from Boots, €3.99. Metal pieces on hair-ties can cause your hair to tangle and break; plain elastic ones like these are best for your hair’s health.

Texture can also be added to a sleek style using a hair clip, such as the one used by Ulla Johnson (below). If hair clips aren’t for you, consider tying a patterned bandana around your low ponytail, such as this one from New Look, €6.99. Alternatively, try a hair slide such as this Alan Hannah Devoted one from Debenhams, €75.

Photo by Cushnie at NYFW SS19 via Instagram

Photo by Ulla Johnson at NYFW SS19 via Instagram

Play with accessories

Lastly, bring life to your low ponytail or bun with accessories.

We touched on it above with the textured bandana and hair slides, but why not get adventurous? The photo below shows a model’s hair at Brandon Maxwell’s NYFW show. The giant ‘B’ accessory not only adds texture; it is also fun and playfully personal. Wear your bun plainly to work if need be, but dress it up before heading for drinks. Again, hair slides, such as these flamingo ones from Etsy, €4.66 work perfectly here.

Photo by Brandon Maxwell at NYFW SS19 via Instagram