London Style

Saturday afternoon I went to the Vidal Sassoon Barber Shop on Brook Street in London. Stuart, who’s been with Sassoon for 35 years, gave me a great haircut. It was around 4 pm and there were three stylists working and each had one client after another. As I was watching what was going on in the shop, I noticed that there’s a resurgence of men caring about their hair. A lot of younger guys have short-cropped hair with a little length on the top—a classic men’s cut. I’m trying to grow my hair out a bit, so I asked Stuart what trends he has been seeing. He said that older guys (50+) are moving away from the short crop and keeping their hair a bit longer. Just a note: Sassoon techniques are a great foundation for your work. If you get a chance, check into taking a class at Sassoon Academy, http://www.sassoon.com/academy.

On the street, I’ve seen some really cool cuts, and a lot of guys with hair color. What I’ve noticed with women’s hair is that they’re letting curls happen naturally. The trend here is moving away from very straight or smooth styles—we’re just starting to see this trend happen in the United States. Europe fashion is a strong indicator of what’s coming to the States. I predict that we’ll be seeing more texture and curls as this trend jumps the pond.

When it comes to fashion, the English (and Europeans in general) have a bit more formality. Their style is more deliberate than it is in the States. Casual doesn’t mean a pair of jeans and a T-shirt necessarily; it’s usually paired with a scarf, a belt or interesting shoes for a more intentionally styled look. Summer came early to London—it’s been warm for the past three or four weeks—so we’re hints of summer fashion. Colors are vivid, with a lot of pink, and texture is big—linen for clothes, suede and canvas for shoes. Check out the links below to see for yourself what’s happening in Europe.

British Vogue - www.vogue.co.uk

British Elle - www.elleuk.com

Look -  www.look.co.uk/

InStyle UK -  www.instyle.co.uk/

Thanks and Good Luck!
Gordon