Hair icon: Sienna Miller

Every month we unveil our handbag.com hair icon, with top styling tips from the UK's finest hairdressers on how you can recreate her day and night looks yourself...

By Jessica Hopper

Whether she's pioneering Boho or channelling a certain Factory Girl, Sienna's never far from the thoughts of any fashion forward female with a purse in hand. We've wanted her wardrobe, we've lifted her sunny, '60s beauty look, and this month, we're having her hair!

More beauty column inches have probably been devoted to Sienna's locks than to Posh's skinny frame or La Lopez's derrière – but we still can't get enough of her carefree, no muss-no fuss mane. She may have defined an era with those tousled tresses of Boho, but she's moved on and her latest looks are still effortlessly hot and taking the salons by storm. With her portrayal of '60s icon and Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick in coming flick Factory Girl looking set to bag Sienna her first award as well as cue a thousand hairstyle copycats, and her now grown-out '60s crop making waves on red carpets everywhere, we thought we'd enlist the help of hairdressing hotshot and Sally Brooks to show and why you should recreate these styles yourself this season…

Sienna goes short
Little Miss Miller shocked the scene when she swapped her infamous boho locks for this super-cute Sedgwick crop. 'I think this is the best Sienna has looked,' says Sally of úber-chic London salon Brooks & Brooks, 'She has a petite frame and features and this grown-out crop highlights these beautifully. It gives her a much edgier, cooler look and is a complete contrast to the longer, flowing, boho locks of summer 2005.' Once Factory Girl hits British shores, this crop will become one of the most coveted 'dos of the decade, but just who can pull it off and who should steer well clear? 'This length best suits those blessed with an oval or heart shaped face, but can be adapted by leaving more length through the nape making it more flattering to other face shapes,' Sally advises, 'ask your stylist for a loose, round, graduated shape with a disconnected fringe panel. If you have really thick hair or even a lot of fine hair, be prepared for the sides and back to be under cut to achieve the shape and keep it looking cool rather than “Mumsy”.' Sadly, for all you curly girlies (including myself) Sally doesn't recommend you attempt the 'Edie' – 'those of you with really wavy or curly hair had best avoid this style…unless you want to spend hours at home with your dryer and straightening irons!'

No matter the occasion, Sienna keeps her style easy, carefree and always gorgeously imperfectSo what if you will suit this shape and fancy going for the chop, how can you recreate this look yourself at home? 'Blow-dry hair with plenty of MOP Styling Tonic Spray(£8.99, www.mophair.com), using a small Denman paddle brush to keep it flat. Tame any really unruly areas with irons but remember, the shape is rounded so make sure you iron with a bevel rather then making hair “straight-straight”,' warns Sally, 'Finish off by rubbing a small amount of defining cream, such as Kevin Murphy Easyrider (£12.95, www.hqhair.com) through the ends.' A low-maintenance 'do with maximum impact, if you fit the description Sally feels best suits this shape, go for it and bring a little swinging '60s style sex-appeal to your season.

Dull, lifeless colour just won't cut it when it comes to this style, so why not take a leaf from Sienna's book and opt for a show-stopping silvery-blonde? 'The colour works really well on this short gamine crop,' says Sally, 'the icy blond, blended with a deeper beige shade gives a good texture and almost wig-look, which is very reminiscent of the era it portrays. However, it also has a very contemporary feel about, as Sienna is one very cool chick.'

Want this colour? Sally suggests asking your stylist for 'a slicing technique through the whole head, using a bleaching cream to achieve the icy blonde and then tinting in between the foils using a darker contrasting tone.'

Sienna goes up
No matter the occasion, Sienna keeps her style easy, carefree and always gorgeously imperfect, as Sally says, 'Sienna epitomises laid back chic. Her “lived-in” chignon is less than polished, but completely ladylike and incredibly easy to recreate at home…'

'Start with slightly dirty hair or if it has been freshly shampooed, blow-dry with plenty of MOP Styling Tonic Spray (£8.99, www.mophair.com), then take a section across the top of the head from ear to ear and clip away until later,' advises Sally. 'Next, take a semi circular section just behind the first and gently backcomb the root to achieve some height. Twist the ends and push upwards and under to create the shape through the crown and secure with a few grips. Now pull the rest of the hair from the back section into a ponytail below the crown. Use large, barrelled tongs and wind sections around to create a soft wave. Randomly pin sections in and around the ponytail, leaving a few ends out so it's not too neat.'

'Now, not many people can carry off a centre-parting,' Sally warns, 'so opt for a slightly off centre or low side-parting for a more flattering finish. Un-clip the remaining top section and wind the hair around the large tongs, then bring this back towards the chignon and secure with grips. Finish with a mist of light hold hairspray, such as Schwarzkopf Silhouette White (£3.95).'

Now that Sienna's crop has grown out, she's opted for a softer colour with golden beige tones, 'much easier to grow through without a too-heavy regrowth, which is ideal on longer hair,' adds Sally. If you're finding your current colour difficult to maintain (hey, we don't all have A-list style budgets!), why not try going one or two shades darker, like Miss Miller? 'Sienna has been having regular T-section top ups, which means the hair is slightly blonder and more frosted at the face framing area and deeper and more grown out underneath, which is a lot more natural. It's also easier on the hair,' Sally point outs. 'Maintain the hair with a good quality aftercare programme, like Schwarzkopf Colour Save Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment (from £7). Also when the colour starts to fade or warm (as all blondes do), use a silver shampoo from the same range to cool it back down.'

If you'd like Sally to tease your tresses Sienna style, or any other style for that matter, then catch her at top London salon Brooks & Brooks, 13-17 Sicilian Avenue, London WC1A 2QH (020 7405 8111 or www.brooksandbrooks.co.uk)