From Colours to Cuts, These Are the 8 Hair Trends That Matter Most This Spring

Working with a brilliant team of fashion editors who have their fingers on the pulse means that, luckily for me, I've had the low-down on the spring/summer fashion trends for 2021 for quite a while now. The world of beauty, however, can be a little trickier to predict. We've already delved into the brilliant beauty products that shaped 2020, but the growing popularity of platforms like TikTok means that trending beauty often changes overnight. Combine that with the uncertainty around the opening and closing of beauty salons, and it's becoming increasingly tricky to forecast which beauty treatments and trends look set to take off in 2021.

However, after enjoying just one haircut during the whole of 2020, I was feeling frankly desperate for a little hairstyle inspiration, so I decided it was time to ask some of my favourite hair experts to take a peek into their crystal balls. And they didn't disappoint.

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610454716071-main

(Image credit: @AYSHA.SOW)

Turns out, this spring/summer, we're going to be looking to the past for almost all of our hair inspiration. From a classic '70s cut to a '90s-inspired approach to colour, this year we'll be embracing throwback hairstyles along with our natural textures and a more laid-back attitude towards accessorising. 

Keep scrolling for the eight spring/summer hair trends that will be everywhere this year and to shop the products that you need to re-create them at home.

1. Supersize Fringes

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617879744445-main

(Image credit: @INTHING_)

Fringe wearers, rejoice—big bangs are back. Great news if, like me, your fringe has been seriously neglected over the last year. "Post-lockdown, overgrown fringe? No problem—you’re bang on trend for spring/summer," says Dominic Roach, creative director at Butchers Salon. In fact, the bigger the better when it comes to fringes for the first half of 2021. Both "heavy, blunt, in-your-eyes" fringes and choppier bangs with "chic, '60s French vibes" look set to be popular, with Roach coining the trend the "XXL fringe."

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617880095434-main

(Image credit: @NAAOMIROSS)

Get the look:

2. The Shag

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617879316154-main

(Image credit: @THATCURLYTOP)

Yes, it might scream Charlie's Angels, but this classic '70s style looks set for a rerun in spring/summer 2021 thanks to the low-maintenance nature of the cut. "Internal layering for bigger movement and volume,” explains Roach. The shag is a great option if you're not sure when you'll be able to make it to the salon next. How do you really embrace this style for the season ahead? "Don’t forget to embrace the curly fringe," says Roach.

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610448286274-main

(Image credit: @TROPROUGE)

Get the look:

3. Jumbo Braids

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610566565903-main

(Image credit: CHARLOTTE MENSAH)

As well as big fringes, braids will be going supersize for spring/summer 2021. "Extra-long jumbo braids will be hot," says legendary hairdresser Charlotte Mensah, who has thrice been crowned Afro Hairdresser of the Year. "Thick, soft plaits will have all eyes on you," Mensah explains. "Not only do they take less time to put in and take out, but they are also the perfect canvas for showing off fashion accessories like rings, beads, and jewels."

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610482092962-main

(Image credit: @KERRYWASHINGTON)

4. Copper Tones

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610448900652-main

(Image credit: @ANYATAYLORJOY)

Although it might feel a little high-maintenance right now, spring/summer 2021 will still provide a chance to experiment with colour. The hue of the season? Copper. Our penchant for the shade started last year thanks to all of that 2020 box set bingeing. "Two of the most talked-about shows last year, The Queen’s Gambit and The Undoing, featured lead women with soft copper hair," explains Tracy Hayes, global colour and brand ambassador for Fudge Professional. "This tone will remain a huge influence in 2021."

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610449990647-main

(Image credit: @FKATWIGS)

Get the look:

5. Basic Hair Accessories

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617879170904-main

(Image credit: @EMMANUELLEK_)

Fuss-free hairstyling will be top of everyone’s minds for spring/summer 2021, especially as we continue to spend time at home. "Twenty-twenty is a year we won’t forget quickly, but I think one thing people really tried to do was find easier ways of managing their hair," explainss Jonathan Andrew, a Fudge Professional global brand ambassador. "Headbands and scrunchies are here to stay for a while." 

And whilst hair accessories have the added benefit of disguising second-day hair, Edmonds notes that they’ll continue to trend in 2021 as a way of experimenting with hair at home. "Hair accessories that take the hair back and jewellery and adornments around the top of the head or the ears all define face shape and hair colour," he explains.

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617881499404-main

(Image credit: @MEXICANBUTJAPANESE)

Get the look:

6. '90s Colourblocking

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610450801115-main

(Image credit: @BELLAHADID)

If you thought that TikTok beauty trends were going anywhere in 2020, then you were very much mistaken. "We saw '90s hair emerge as a huge trend in 2020, but we’re going to see even more of an increase in this style … thanks to apps like TikTok and celebrities like Bella Hadid," says celebrity hairstylist Calum Tierney. Reminiscent of the chunky highlights that all the popular kids rocked at school at the close of the 20th century, this look makes a seriously cool hair statement for spring/summer.

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610452188415-main

(Image credit: @JUSTINEMARJAN)

Get the look:

7. Flipped Ponytails

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617879478761-main

(Image credit: @AYSHA.SOW)

Another throwback hairstyle that we’ll see everywhere in spring/summer 2021 is the flipped ponytail—a '90s classic. "From J.Lo and Kim Kardashian to Hailey Baldwin, the neat half-up, half-down flipped ponytail has made a fashionable comeback as we look to create more polished hairstyles," says Tierney.

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610455362346-main

(Image credit: @JULIESFI)

Get the look:

8. Lived-In Texture

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1617881680324-main

(Image credit: @MARENSCHIA)

Roach likens this "return to a more lived-in, fuss-free approach to hair" to the '90s grunge era. Spring/summer 2021 is going to mark a return to more effortless, unstructured, and natural movement.” Lazy girls, rejoice. It’s all about air-drying to really show off the natural texture of your strands. Mensah agrees. "With so many of us exploring and learning about our natural hair during lockdown, no wonder a lot more women will want to let their unique textures thrive in 2021."

spring-summer-hair-trends-2021-291047-1610455938417-main

(Image credit: @CELMATIQUE)

Get the look:

Mica Ricketts