Unruly elegance

By Beauty Asisstant Katie Corcoran

Think romantic curls, loose pony tails, messy yet well maintained hair and playful plaits. This season sees the return of the ethereal feminine look that can often take lots of pins, a bit of hard work but leaves you looking like truly elegant, natural and like you just ‘threw\' your hair up...

Ann Demeulemeester

The key to this look is well maintained hair. Its long, its über straight but its glossy and this look doesn\'t lend itself well to dry brittle hair. If you\'re going for super long and super straight then keep it simple and make sure you use a good weekly hair treatment to keep the hair in tip top shape. Celebrity hairdresser Errol Douglas says that ‘texture wise you want a matte finish as this is really hot right now, and don\'t use too much product\'

Marc Jacobs

Use your fringe to frame your face and pull back the hair into a loose romantic style pony tail as achieved at the Marc Jacobs show. Perfect for bad hair days and when you want to add some style to a bland winter\'s day.

Michael Kors

Keep long hair ethereal-like but use a little back combing at the roots to give it some lift. Then tie it back or leave it loose and let it frame the face. This is great for creating volume on thinner hair.

Ralph Lauren

Give short hair a funky crop and flick longer strands out with thin straightening irons. This is a softer cuter version of the Aggy crop which was so popular last year...

Nina Ricci

This is perfect for longer hair and following the A/W fashion trend of ‘folk gothic\'. Keep hair in good condition and with long brushed through curls to create a sexy romantic ‘I haven\'t really tried\' look.

Thakoon Sean

This is romance mixed with glamour and is great for gals with long hair. Blow dry the hair straight and then back comb the roots for volume. Flick fringes and partings to one side and you instantly have flowing hair with serious volume and added natural elegance.

Michael Kors

This is modern but also stylish as well as allowing you to leaving loose strands of hair to frame your face with a romantic elegant look. Hair spray is the trick to keeping this beauty in place.

Thakoon Sean

This may well be one to ask the hairdresser for but it\'s worth it, as it creates a great messy yet romantic finish. Loose stray hairs complete this look and the volume of the up do leaves you with some seriously playful, rather elegant locks.

Ungaro

Twisted plaits and messy hair are totally hot right now for the new season. Play with your hair and experiment with new styles, don\'t be afraid to try something new. Incorporate rolls and plaits where you can. James Brown says ‘Very messy, child-like plaits perfectly compliment both the folk trend and gothic/glamour for A/W 2008. Great on day-old hair, create middle-parting and plait hair on either side of the head from the ear down. Keep in overnight, and the next morning, pin both plaits randomly at the base of the neck, tucking in the ends over each other.\'