The Top Three (in-betweasons) Hair Trends and How to Achieve Them

Los Angeles-based stylist Jonathan Van Ness, Sola Salons Brentwood stylist in Stile (Studio 13) and mastermind behind Funny or Die’s hilarious, breakaway hit, Gay of Thrones, shares his insights on the top try-‘em-now trends, and offers tips for achieving the looks that’ll take your clients from summery chic all the way to fall fabulous. – Jamie Siebrase

The Lob

“I love the long bob, especially for people who want a big change without a big commitment,” says Jonathan, harping on how the look is young, chic, and allows a client to lose length without aging herself or going short for the long-term. (“By leaving some length, a long layered look isn't too far away,” says Jonathan.) It behooves a stylist to remember that today’s modern lob is a square shape that doesn’t graduate the hair too much. “It’s less Victoria Beckham; a good reference would be the wig in Sia’s music video for Chandelier,” Jonathan explains.

When crafting the lob, the most important thing, continues Jonathan, is establishing your game plan before grabbing those shears. “When your client is sitting there,” says Jonathan, “Make sure you have the length in the front you’ll need to make the haircut. With the lob, the front is so important!” Also important: Taking into account a client’s hair texture and their morning routine. “You want to make sure they can actually achieve their desired look,” Jonathan says. While a lob can work with any hair texture, if the client is, say, super curly, “You might need to talk about Keratin treatment to release a little texture,” Jonathan adds.

S'ombré

AKA the subtle ombré, this is a great color choice that’s low maintenance and surprisingly healthful for the client, given the nature of where the lightness lives. Plus, says Jonathan, “As a colorist, this is fun because you can really play with movement and placement in order to compliment your client’s coloring and face shape.” According to Jonathan, “The most common problem colorists encounter when doing the s'ombré is overshooting their target levels.”

Always – always, always, always! – measure the bleach. “You’re the one who regulates how quickly the hair lifts,” reminds Jonathan, noting that, before you ever start applying highlights, it’s wise to make sure you’re placing them where they’ll be visible in the final look. “You don’t want to bleach the hair underneath, where you’ll never see it. Instead,” explains Jonathan, “You want it to peek-a-boo.” To make this happen, Jonathan advises stylists hold down the hair to where it naturally lives. “Cutting the hair first is another way to help visualize where your placement should be,” continues Jonathan. Plus, if you highlight hair prior to cutting, you might cut the highlights out, or leave concentrations of highlights where you don’t necessarily want them. Don’t make that rookie mistake!

Bed Head

A beachy waves look can last for days, helps folks with the right texture embrace what they’ve got, and gets clients away from that damaging daily hair-washing grind. And, it’s so simple! “All you have to do is apply product,” says Jonathan. Try a smoothing cream on the ends before taking a plumping mousse to the scalp for big lift. When it comes to fine hair, round brush the hairline only, then use fingers on the rest to maintain body before you curl.

For more information about Jonathan, please use the links below: Sola Webpage Funny or Die Page Gay of Thrones on Twitter Gay of Thrones on Instagram Jonathan's Facebook Page To learn more about Sola Salons Brentwood, click here.