Update your hair in an instant – get plaiting

Plaited hair is big this season. On the catwalk we’ve seen Alexander Wang, DSquared and Mui Mui coveting the style but all in very different ways. Tight and sleek or loose and messy – you choose.

Commenting on the trend, celebrity Lee Stafford says:

“Plaits and braids are set to be a key feature of this seasons hair trends. Keep them sleek and silky smooth or rough them up and add a bit of sexy ‘I just got out of bed’ matt texture. This is a trend that everyone can recreate in seconds and can really glam up ‘end of the day’ hair without hours of re-styling.”

At the Brit Awards, Fearne Cotton sported what has got to be the trickiest plait to achieve – the Herringbone. Here Lee Stafford shares his tips on how to recreate the look.

How to get Fearne’s herringbone red carpet look in 10 simple steps…

1. It’s really important to get as much volume and texture as possible in your hair before braiding it to stop hair from slipping, so using about a tennis ball sized amount of root lifting mousse, rough up hair from root to tip.

2. Create a side parting by drawing a fine tooth comb from crown to hairline, and arrange hair into place.

3. For more length and thickness like Fearne’s you can also add some clip in hair extensions at the nape of the neck.

4. Then pull hair over to one side, over the shoulder as if you were going to create a side pony tail.

5. Separate all of the hair that is on the side into two halves.

6. Take a very small section – a 'pinch' of hair, not a handful – from the left section of hair, and cross it over so it joins the section on the right.

7. Take another small section of hair from the right section of hair, and cross it over so it joins the section on the left.

8. Keep taking small sections and crossing them over to the opposite section. At first you may not see the herringbone effect, as you continue you will notice the herringbone pattern beginning to form. Continue until running out of hair and then tie an elastic band or wrap a bit of leather thong around the ends of the braid leaving a good two inches of loose hair at the ends to hold it.

9. This season’s braid is loose and soft so don’t worry if you have flyaway or wispy strands- in fact the messier the better!

10. Give hair a light mist of hairspray. You can also use kirby grips to secure loose strands of hair- this might be especially necessary if you have shorter layers cut into hair. Remember to use grips that are the same colour as your hair so that they are camouflaged.

www.leestafford.com