65th annual primetime emmy awards: hair hits and misses

It was a tale of two lengths at the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, with bobs sizing up against Hollywood's favourite long and glossy locks for two very different red carpet tribes. Much has been made of the prevalence of short styles on the catwalk of late and while I'm always a sucker for beautiful, traditionally glam blow-dries, I'm also super-excited to see so many female stars doing something different and daring to go short. We grilled Matthew Roskell from The Francesco Group for his verdict on the stars' styles... The Bob (Faux or Otherwise) Michelle Dockery We say: Michelle looks gorgeously glam with this blow-dried bob, oozing with shine and hugging her head perfectly. It's just as classy as we'd expect from Lady Mary and provides the perfect showcase for her jaw-dropping Prada gown and that halterneck bow. Matthew says: "I really like this elegant look. Michelle Dockery’s hair is healthy and full of life.  This look reminds me of an elegant Parisienne woman whose hair is their crowning glory. "To recreate this look prep the hair with moisturizing products and blow-dry sleek with a bristle brush then smooth the top surface with an iron and secure one side behind the ear."   January Jones We say: Snaking waves that Betty Draper would be proud of. January likes to mix things up on the red carpet but we're suckers for her retro glamour and with her icy blonde shade and steely blue eyes, this is a true Hollywood heroine look. Matthew says: "Again another example of an old Hollywood style, with a modern feel. "The deep side parting has a feel of the 40's but feels a little more contemporary with the strong blonde color. To achieve this look set the hair on large heated rollers, allow to cool and brush through with a bristle brush until waves form. Slick the shallow sides of the parting back and secure behind the ear." Christina Hendricks We say: "Like her Mad Men colleague January, Christina is fond of harking back to the Hollywood glamour that their characters are so fond of. Red hair and set waves are always guaranteed to be a winner in our eyes, but these could have been brushed out a tad more to avoid the slight Shirley Temple vibes." Matthew says: "Christina Hendricks' look screams old Hollywood to me and I think the retro feel is perfect for a red carpet look. The blend of copper tones work against her porcelain skin tone beautifully. I think the shape of the hair works well with her shoulder detail on the dress. "To recreate this look set the hair on rollers or with a medium barrel tong, pin to cool and brush through with a soft bristle brush until waves appear." Elisabeth Moss We say: "Elisabeth bucked the trend set by her Mad Men associates, but what else would you expect from trailblazing Peggy? "Her hair was apparently inspired by Michelle Williams' latest Louis Vuitton ad and we think the updated icy shade and textured styling work just as well for her." Matthew says: "I like this simple understated look. The dress has clean lines and simple colour therefore I feel the understated hair works well. Possibly a little hair around the shoulder line may have added some detail, but overall it works. "To achieve this soft texture, work mousse through dry hair, blow dry with a soft wave and pull back into the nape of the neck, leaving the fringe soft and loose." Kate Mara We say: "Hollywood award ceremonies aren't always the best place to tackle a tricky trend, but hats off to Kate for giving the notoriously tricky wet-look a go. "It would have been good to have seen a slightly cleaner parting - that bit at the front is just itching to be combed out of the way! Still, we applaud anyone who goes for cool for rather than classic glamour on the red carpet." Matthew says: "Kate Mara’s look here is a little too editorial for a red carpet. This look would be perfect for fashion week, but I think it's a little too stripped back for a red carpet. "I would have kept the hair a little more product free, and less close to the scalp. Beautiful, shiny and with some lift would have felt a little more dressed in my opinion." Claire Danes We say: "Claire surprised everyone with her faux-bob, which went above and beyond any faux bob we've seen before for the ultimate convincing cut. "As well as winning the gong for Best Actress, she also takes our prize for most talked-about hair on the evening."                   Long and lovely Cat Deeley We say: "It's good to see Cat doing something other than her tried-and-tested beachy blonde waves, but this style feels a bit bland - not one thing or the other. "Our ideal finish for this dress would have been a long snaking plait with lots of detail down the back. It clearly needs to be a look that work with the scoop, but the straight hair doesn't make enough of a statement." Matthew says: "I am a fan of Cat Deeley's hair in general. I admire the fact she has tried something a little more edgy, but I feel it looks a little unfinished. "The dress is a strong statement in itself with the plunging backline, so I personally would have had a softer texture and pulled the hair higher to expose more of the back.     Carrie Underwood We say: "Carrie is famously fond of the prom queen look, but it's getting a bit boring to see her looking so samey on the red carpet. "She's another one that's crying out for an updo. Give the woman a messy plait - even prom queens are over this look now!" Matthew says: "Again this is a classic red carpet style for Carrie Underwood, but I feel it is a little to "done" "For me the hair should be a little more effortless, and therefore more contemporary. "The combination of the jewellery and heavy base makeup make this feel a little too "prom" rather than red carpet. To recreate this look I would tong the hair more loosely, and have less height at the crown." Anna Faris We say: "Anna looks like a 50s pin-up girl with this full fringe and glossy curls combo - even the hair colour has a fake feel about it. "It's a bit wiggy, but somehow it works - although a bright red lipstick would have been the perfect finishing touch over this slightly more subtle shade. If you're wearing three pairs of eyelashes, might as well go to town on the lips too!" Matthew says: "This for me really does not work for Anna Faris. The tone of blonde is far too brassy for her complexion, and also clashes badly with the dress. The bold fringe adds to much heaviness to her face, something more sweeping would complement her face better. "I would have liked to see the hair swept back from the face to minimize the clash of color between hair and dress." Alison Williams We say: "Oh, Alison. She's like the US version of Kate Middleton with her glossy brunette blow-dry. "It's undeniably a bit boring, but when your hair looks this good who can blame a gal for letting it speak for itself?" Matthew says: "Allison William’s hair complements her strong angular features by introducing softness around the face, with the subtle caramel highlights adding light to the complexion. I would possibly reduce the length a little to make this look a little more contemporary. "To recreate this look use a large barrel curling iron and take large sections, wrapping away from the face. Allow to cool and brush out for a soft elegant wave." Alyson Hannigan We say: "We're long-time Alyson fans and as she's so often scripted as a slightly geeky girl, it's always a thrill to see her looking so glamorous on the red carpet. "Her red hair looks fab with the Quality Street-purple of her dress and the waves are a flattering and feminine option." Matthew says: "Alyson Hannigan’s hair is a true example of a beautiful, classic red carpet look. The asymmetric styling adds details to the simple shape of the dress and the copper tone adds warmth to her complexion and has a beautiful shine. There is nothing I would change; classic and beautiful. "To recreate tong large sections of the hair, brush through and sweep everything to one side. Then securing it with pins and adding hairspray for a smooth glossy finish." Zooey Deschanel We say: "Zooey often takes her kooky, twee thing a bit too far, but the volume in this blow-dry take the hair from retro rehash to total vintage vixen. "It might be a bit Barbarella for some tastes, but there's nothing we'd change about this sexy style." Matthew says: "Zooey Deschanel hair here is definitely glamorous, statement hair. The soft color really adds light to her complexion and the heavy, yet her textured fringe adds a bold, contemporary feature to her look. "This style does run the risk of looking a little dated due to the amount of volume, however because she is a young woman and the dress is a simple silhouette, I think it looks great. To recreate this look I would use a strong hold mousse and blow dry the hair with a large round brush, and then wind large sections around a velcro roller and allow to cool. Once cooled, back brush the roots and smooth over the surface of the hair, finishing with hairspray. "