Remember the thrill of going back to school? Box-fresh Kickers, squeaky clean belt bag and new hair that says 'Yeah I had a great summer holiday, and yeah I’m strongly feeling myself now'. We guessed at the Kickers and belt bag; in our day it was Dolcis loafers and a velcro satchel with a special mobile phone pocket at the front (#FutureWomenInTech), but new hair was still the most obvious way to announce yourself come September.
One easy way to do this, without committing to a Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors pixie cut or a Toni & Guy blunt fringe that suited less than 1% of the year group, was to go all out on the hair accessories. Think Cher and Dionne’s headbands and scrunchied high ponies in Clueless; Ashley Banks’ butter-wouldn’t-melt bows in Fresh Prince Of Bel Air; and Britney’s plaited bunches in "…Baby One More Time".
Nineties throwbacks were all over the catwalks at London Fashion Week this season, and while designers took inspiration more from '90s rave culture than schoolkids, the message was the same: have fun with your style. The era of minimalism and looking perfectly chic, like you could get a Brexit deal that anyone is happy with, is quickly being usurped by no-deal sparkly dresses, pastels, neons, cowboy boots, animal print, scrunchies and hair clips.
Click through for six back to school styles, created (and explained step by step) by hairstylist Ranelle Chapman, photographed by Lauren Maccabee, and modelled by our junior art editor, Meg O’Donnell.
All accessories by Claire's
Scrunchie Hi
Divide hair from ear to the crown, taking it into a half pony. Secure with scrunchie. Then gently pull out some baby hairs so it doesn't look too formal.
Oh Bow
Blow-dry hair using a medium round brush, curling the hair upwards at the end. Take a small section and use a one-inch curling iron on the ends of your hair to set the flick. Divide into desired parting and secure with bow clip.
Clip Crown
Spilt hair into a centre parting. Then divide three equal sections on either side. Twist each section away from the centre and secure with butterfly clip.
Buns Hun
Divide hair into a zigzag parting (you may have to ask a friend to help with the back). Do this by combing one-inch sections of the hair left and secure, then the next section right and secure, and so on until you reach the back. Comb hair into pigtails and secure with an elastic. Finally twist hair into buns and secure with grip. Add some colour with a bobble.
Teeny Plait
Start with the parting, then take two sections at the front and plait leaving two inches at the bottom. Secure with star bobbles.
Plait Flick
Brush hair into a side ponytail and secure with elastic. Plait the hair leaving two inches at the bottom and secure with another elastic. Then use a one-inch curling iron to flick a curl at the bottom. Add a bow hair clip at the base of the ponytail.
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