This week, Beyonce unveiled a drastic new look. Like so many stars before her, she’s opted for the chop – swapping her long, flowing, tresses for a bleached, pixie crop.
It’s quite a transformation. But here celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton – whose clients include Kylie and Elle Macpherson – explains why it’s a look that can suit any woman, whatever her face shape or age, and gives his verdict on the stars who’ve gone for the chop:
“The crop, as far as I’m concerned, is the little black dress of the hairstyling world. It can make any woman look fantastic. The two words I hear most when I talk about crops are ‘masculine’ and ‘frumpy’. But the truth is that a skilfully-done crop can not only shave years off a woman. It can also make her look thinner, funkier and sexier.
“When Victoria Beckham had her famous crop about five years ago we experienced a flurry of customers wanting the style, and I expect it will be the same now that Beyonce has followed suit. As a hairdresser, one of the most frustrating misconceptions about hairstyles is that long hair is feminine and short hair is not – a myth mostly perpetuated by men.
“Indeed, people assume that it’s only women like Beyonce with delicate, fine features who will look good with drastically short hair. They do look great, of course, but what many don’t realise is that a crop can also really feminise and soften a woman’s face – whatever her features and whatever her age. A pixie cut will make the eyes look bigger and brighter, it will define the jawline, bring out cheekbones and elongate a neck.
“On the more mature lady, when worn brushed away from the face and cut so that it sits behind the ears, a crop can be as effective as a face or brow-lift.
“Evenly cut layers in a crop will add body and texture to fine hair while thicker hair can be made more controllable with longer layers.
“Once the hair is cut, it’s a very low-maintenance hairstyle to look after and will often not even need blow-drying. I advise clients to use a gel spray to minimise any fluffiness on the ends.
“A pixie crop will, however, need cutting every four to six weeks – twice as often as long hair – in order to keep its precision shape.
“Any stylist will tell you that trying to persuade a client to part with her long locks can be a challenge, as there are so many psychological and sexual elements to a woman and her hair.
“But long hair only looks good when it’s bouncing with health and vitality and, unfortunately, that isn’t the case with a lot of women. What you end up with is lank, long hair that just hangs there.
“When a woman with long hair ties her hair back or puts it up she will nearly always look younger and fresher, so why not enjoy that all the time with a crop?”