How does one reinterpret George Cukor’s classic The Philadelphia Story into chic and easy tresses for the Tory girl today? Hair stylist Guido Palau, for Redken, shows us here.

The Inspiration
Katharine Hepburn’s movie The Philadelphia Story was the starting point, but the inspiration was really the classicism, feminism and beauty that Tory always brings to her women. So even though there’s a reference to a 1940 movie, the look isn’t Forties — it’s timeless.

The Look
Slightly romantic with a gorgeous velvet ribbon in the hair. The overall feeling is of ease, with sophistication.

The Part
A center part.

Prep
Freshly clean hair, which gives a kind of lightness to the hairstyle. To me, very clean hair can enhance individual texture. I’ve prepped the hair with Redken’s Diamond Oil shampoo and conditioner to give it a lot of shine.

The Steps
Create a messy center part using fingertips. Apply Satinwear 04 to the top section of the hair and around the hairline, before you blow-dry so there’s a little control. Use your fingers to flatten the hair at the top, keeping it tight and smooth. Pull your hair into a super low ponytail, keeping the ends natural for that soft look, and tie with an elastic. Then tie a ribbon around the elastic so it’s floppy and a bit asymmetrical. Finish with Fashion Work 12 hairspray to take care of any major flyaways. Soften the hairline again by pulling out a few hairs to soften the look. A little around the ears, a little around the temples… this sort of very soft, pretty look.

The Low Ponytail
It’s more romantic. A higher ponytail could look a bit schoolgirl-y. It feels sophisticated to have a ponytail that low, rather than sticking out from the head. There’s something nonchalantly chic about it.

From Day to Night
This hair style is great to dress up a day look, e.g. jeans and a T-shirt, as well as to pull together an evening look, like a black evening dress — it’s super chic. Again, it doesn’t really matter how the ribbon looks. Floppy and asymmetrical — this just adds to the charm. You don’t even have to do it with a center part — it could be off-center, to the side…

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