Celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke says Taylor Swift’s bob is the perfect cut for women of ALL ages because it frames the face and can be made edgy or elegant

  • Celebrity hairdresser says short hairdo is better for framing face 
  • Noticed trend fro celebs rejecting having long hair just for the sake of it
  • New trend is for styled locks and heavy bleach rather than natural waves 
  • Key to making it work is hair that's already in good condition

By Siofra Brennan For Mailonline

Published: 10:36 EST, 8 June 2016 | Updated: 13:21 EST, 8 June 2016

The beauty world went crazy when Taylor Swift stepped out at California festival Coachella with dramatically shorter and brighter locks.

Now celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke has revealed that the singer has pulled off the haircut that is perfect for all ages because of the way it frames the face. 

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL Nicky, who tended the tresses of Princess Diana and the Duchess of York, said: 'When you find things that can be adjusted for older and slightly younger market it's a winner.

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Nicky Clarke says that singer Taylor Swift's new short bob is a a perfect for all ages because of the way it frames the face

Nicky Clarke says that singer Taylor Swift's new short bob is a a perfect for all ages because of the way it frames the face

Nicky said the secret to the style's success is that its a good base for doing anything with, and you can make it polished and elegant or messy and grungy.  

'It's an easy one to adjust as soon as you lift up off the shoulder and it's between there and the ear,' Nicky said.

'Whether you add layers or a fringe you have something that's easy to work with.' 

'Taylor Swift has gone through massive changes and ended up with the kind of look that can be neatened up or made to look funky or edgy

The star has bucked the trend for a natural look by going for a heavily bleached locks 

The star has bucked the trend for a natural look by going for a heavily bleached locks 

Night Manager actress Elizabeth Debicki has been praised by Nicky for rocking an on-trend blonde crop

Night Manager actress Elizabeth Debicki has been praised by Nicky for rocking an on-trend blonde crop

'For Taylor, she tends to err on the side of being effortlessly glamorous and it works for her.

'And I think there are more and more celebrities like Taylor not just having long hair for the sake of it.

He cites Night Manager star Elizabeth Debicki as another celebrity who is making a statement with a short style and bright blonde colour. 

HOW TO GET THE TAYLOR SWIFT ICY BLONDE BOB 

THE COLOUR 

Sam Burnett, Owner & Creative Director of West London salon Hare & Bone, is an award-winning hair stylist. He says: 'Bleached blonde hair is definitely having a moment!

'This cool, platinum blonde can be achieved in different ways; Taylor Swift has opted for a graduated blonde with natural depth through the roots.

'A freehand balayage technique allows you to control the depth of the colour which is perfect for achieving her cool rock and roll chick look.'

Jack Howard is widely credited with bringing Balayage to the UK and has worked with Gillian Anderson, Poppy Delevingne, Vanessa Kirby, Abbey Clancy and Suki Waterhouse.

He said: 'It's noticeably that mid level cut that it works really well with, not the super pixie crop that we often associate super blonde with but the longer version which is on trend for hair cuts this season.'

THE CUT 

The edgier shorter cut is what sets this look apart from other more typical Hollywood styles.

Sam Burnett said: 'A shaggy, undone bob has been created for Taylor by cutting slightly into the hair and framing the face with a choppy fringe and shorter layers around the cheekbones and jawline.

'To achieve body and movement, shorter internal layers are chopped through the back of the hair, keeping the ends of the hair very blunt.'

MAINTENANCE 

It's not easy to achieve this colour, and it's not easy to maintain it either. The bright colours can become dull and brassy if they are not given proper care.

Skyler McDonald Creative Director at SeanHanna and Global Ambassador for L'Oreal Professional said: 'The colour can easily pick up pollution, any minerals in water that can make the hair colour appear yellowish, or dingy, so watch out for this.'

However she advises that you can tone the hair at home with mauve shampoos and conditioners to stop locks from taking on a yellowish tone.'

Jason Collier, hair stylist to Victoria Beckham, also advises: 'I recommend using a high graded Silverising shampoo like Original & Mineral Conquer Blonde Silver Shampoo which will maintain colour and hair condition for longer and Khairpep Mask once a week.

'The KhairPep Transforme leave-in masque with K18Peptide for thicker hair is a restorative, intense therapy masque which will start working immediately to repair your damaged hair leaving your hair stronger, healthier and more elastic which is the perfect product for bleached blondes to maintain colour.'

'To achieve this colour, you will need very strong chemicals applied to the hair, I would really recommend that you consult a genius colorist before doing this. 

'You may have some hurdles in the way of achieving this look. An example of this could be, previous colour, bleach already applied to the hair, condition problems.' 

'Taylor has gone very blonde. There's a lot of heavy bleach going on which goes against the grain for the more soft and natural look and you can get away with that a lot of that when it's short.'

While the style looks great on the 26-year-old singer, Nicky said that those in the next decade and beyond shouldn't be put off by thinking it's too young and edgy.

'If you're around 18 it doesn't matter if you have 18 inches of hair hanging around you. You're off at a festival and it looks fine. 

Singer Taylor Swift has rejected the blonde perm she rocked in her days as a country singer in favour of an edgy blonde bob 

Singer Taylor Swift has rejected the blonde perm she rocked in her days as a country singer in favour of an edgy blonde bob 

Hairdresser Nicky Clarke, pictured with his girlfriend Kelly Simpkin, used to tend to the locks of Princess Diana and the Duchess of York 

Hairdresser Nicky Clarke, pictured with his girlfriend Kelly Simpkin, used to tend to the locks of Princess Diana and the Duchess of York 

'Dead straight and slightly edgy with that grungy unwashed look is fine.  

'But when you're a little older and you need a bit of help when your hairdo frames the face it makes things easier.

'When you get older you want to look a bit more groomed. You don't want to look lazy.' 

Nicky's top tip for anyone thinking of a Taylor Swift crop is to make sure their hair is in tip top condition. 

'Glossy, shiny hair is always in fashion,' he explained. 'It's easier to mess things up if you start with a decent base. 

'You can always make things look more matte and edgy if you're starting from a decent base of your hair not actually being in bad condition.'       

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