When I’m not vibing with my hair, I think: Okay, I need a haircut. I’ll book a salon appointment, get a good scalp massage and trim, but it doesn’t always fix my problem. See, I’ve come to realise that what I’m actually looking for right now is not a cut (the length is fine), but a different style.

This winter, there are a few specific hairstyles that experts are predicting will be especially trendy. Some utilise accessories, like the claw clip, while others speak to texture and provide alternative options to heat styling or braiding. All can serve as styling inspiration, if you’re in the market.

Ahead, scroll through five hairstyles to try right now — or really any time this season when you just want to do something different with your hair.

Half-Up

Recently, I saw Kendall Jenner wearing an Emi Jay claw clip in a half-up style and I was inspired to recreate the aesthetic. Celebrity hairstylist Jennifer Yepez then confirmed that the claw-clip half-up is definitely a budding trend with versatility. “If you don’t have a lot of hair, you can add extensions,” says Yepez. “You can leave curtain bangs out to make it a little more laidback, or pull them back for a more polished, sleek look. Then, I love to add waves to a half-up half-down look to give it a little more dimension.”

Y2K Pin-Straight

Yepez also cued me into another trending style, as displayed on actress Laura Harrier: long layers styled pin-straight. If you already have long layers, she says, the style provides a cool movement and shape with the illusion of “swooping.” To keep the finish glossy, use a hair oil on the ends — the step we all forgot in the early 2000s.

Retro Scarves

If you want to get a little more creative with a fashion angle, try a silk scarf, bandana, or even a balaclava. Retro hair scarves and knitwear had a moment on the runways during the FW2021 season, and now, we’re starting to see them on real people, like street-style influencer Josefine Vogt. Just this month, Kim Kardashian’s hairstylist Chris Appleton collaborated with Bvlgari, showing the versatility of anything printed silk: Wear it as a headscarf or weave it through a braid.

Statement Braids

The trend here isn’t the braids, but how they are styled. According to Geneva Fowler, a braid stylist and the founder of Beauty Beez, we’re going to see increased experimentation with protective styles, specifically braids, in colour and the way they’re designed. “People are going to want to be bold and have fun with their looks,” she explains. With braids, this can take so many different forms — one personalization is this half-bun updo on influencer Amaka Hamelijnck — but it’s always vital to make sure you’re protecting your scalp (Fowler recommends the Naturally Drenched Rebalance treatment).

Full Volume

If the disco-dancing emoji was a hairstyle, it would be full volume. According to legendary stylist Sally Hershberger, big hair is timeless. “Volume is always in,” she says. “I like to keep hair full with lots of natural movement so I always use my volumising mousse to get tons of volume without weighing the hair down.” Hairstylist Michelle Thompson provides a helpful hack for adding volume: Flip your part to the opposite side.

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