Royal wedding hair: hairdressers give their verdict!
Published
03rd May 2011
by rachael
As well as that much-anticipated Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen dress, Kate Middleton's hair was one of the most talked-about elements of the Royal Wedding.
Created by James Pryce of Richard Ward, the half-up, half-down 'demi-chignon' was elegant, romantic and timeless; but most importantly ensured Kate looked like herself.
We asked a selection of hairdressers to share their thoughts on what's sure to go down in history as one of the most talked-about bridal styles of all time.
"The Royal Wedding looked amazing. Kate looked stunning and I think James Pryce did an excellent job with her hair. The simplicity of the hair complemented beautifully the timeless elegance of the dress."
Patrick Cameron
"Catherine Middleton's wedding hair was absolutely magnificent; timeless, classic and elegant. She has opted for a natural long and loose style which we are used to seeing and she is comfortable wearing. Her hair perfectly frames her face and enhances the lace V-neckline on her dress."
Jo Hansford MBE
"Kate's hair was very simple, elegant and beautiful which complemented her dress perfectly. Kate is a no-fuss princess so anything over the top would not have suited her personality. Her style is all the talk in the salon today with girls opting for a soft bounce in their blow dry."
Karine Jackson, Karine Jackson, London
"The Royal Wedding was the epitome of class and Kate Middleton encapsulated this down to a tee. Her hair was elegantly sophisticated and mirrored her natural style. It was important for Kate to feel comfortable on her wedding day and opting for this style was the perfect choice for her. I wouldn't have done anything differently and I'm sure there will be many women now following her wedding day look opting for more simple and classic styles that ooze sophistication and glamour.
Claire Dawson, HOB Salons, London
"Kate's hair was princess-perfect - so glamorous and natural and the perfect look for someone her age. Setting her long hair with rollers made it look so glossy and bouncy and I noticed she'd had it glazed to make the older ends look as healthy as the roots and mid lengths. It's always a good idea to glaze long hair before a big event so the ends look in perfect condition".
Keith Kane, Keith Kane Hairdressing, Belfast and HJ's Northern Ireland Hairdresser of the Year 2010
"Kate's hair was perfect - nothing too fussy or regal but beautifully youthful and modern. She is the icon of the moment, so I've no doubt there will be a lot of salon requests."
Cos Sakkas, Toni&Guy International Art Director
"This was Kate's signature natural look, with the soft curls and half up, half down. It looked lovely but I think she played it a bit safe and would have loved to have seen it in a elegant classic updo, to show off the detail on the dress and her beautiful neck"
Wella Professionals Colour Club member, Deepa Tailor, Regis Salons
"I loved Kate's hair on Friday! To me the signature is not in the clothes she wears or her smile, but rather her hair. I was lucky to have been at the wedding commenting on the hair and fashion with both the BBC and S4C. When she came out of the car it was a relief for me to see her being herself and not selling out to the 'bridal look!' Her blow-dry is recognisable the world over and it's great that she kept a natural, recognisable look."
Wella Professionals Generation NOW 2010 member, Dafydd Rhys Thomas, Ken Picton Salon & Spa, Cardiff
"I wouldn't change anything about Kate's hair - I loved it! It complemented her dress, the tiara and the veil very well. Kate always wears her hair down so it was in keeping with her very natural style, but at the same time had been dressed into beautiful, tumbling curls. I hope that future brides take on board how Kate looked on her wedding day and don't try to make themselves look too different from their everyday look."
Anya Dellicompagni, Francesco Group
"Kate's look was absolutely great. It was romantic and flattering, with the hair gently taken back and sophisticated soft curls. We were delighted that our prediction of Kate wearing her hair down was correct too - we were on Tyne Tees TV predicting her look in advance as her grandparents are from Hetton where one of our salons is based!"
Janet Maitland, Janet Maitland Hair Excellence, Durham
"Kate is understated and quite classic in her personal style and wore the hairstyle to match on the big day. She is very proud of her healthy, shiny hair and the style showed this off beautifully. Her hair was most likely set in rollers to give the hair a little more bounce than usual, mainly because her hair had to last all through the day. I guessed before hand that her hair was going to be half up and half down and sure enough that allowed her to have the length that she is comfortable with and a little bit of shape around her tiara - the parting was set at an angle giving it a slightly more modern look. Her hair had been freshly blow dried for her evening outfit and was a slightly more glamorous version of her usual look to support the wow factor of that amazing evening dress!"
Charlie Taylor, Charlie Taylor Hair, Health & Beauty, Perth
"It must have been so tempting for her hairdresser to 'show-off' with the eyes of the world on their skills, however the final choice was breathtaking in its unmistakable simplicity."
Kai Wann, P Kai, Peterborough
"Kate looked absolutely beautiful. I love the fact she has stayed loyal to her hairdresser - and in doing so, achieved the most perfect option for her. She looked so comfortable all day long."
Melanie Giles, Melanie Giles, Bath
"She looked absolutely amazing - proving that less always equals more!""
Tracey Devine, Angels, Aberdeen
"The style Kate wore on her big day complemented her natural beauty and ensured that she looked like an elegant and modern Princess. However, it was very similar to how she has been seen to wear her hair on a daily basis and it would have been interesting to see her with something with a vintage twist - perhaps a 40's wave or set rather than a blow dry. If she were going to choose to be controversial, no veil and a single white Rose would have looked beautiful."
Georgia Denton, The Chapel Islington, London
"At the same time as being such a public, state event it was really nice to see that there were some personal touches at the Royal Wedding. With particular regards to her hair, Kate wore her hair down as Prince William loves her hair when it is down. She opted for a very classic and timeless look which was certainly fit for a queen. The entire look worked together perfectly - she looked beautiful!"
Aaltjemary Pollock, Mosko Hairdressing group, Scotland
"By day Kate's style was fit for a princess. The
hair, the dress and the Queen's tiara worked beautifully together and the half up do emphasised Kate's gorgeous locks perfectly. Swept off of her face, Kate radiated true beauty. By night Kate's hair looked gorgeous and voluminous with a slight curl. I can see that we'll be getting a lot of girls asking for a 'Kate' in the salons soon!"
Jed Hamill, GWI salon group, Kent
"Kate wore her hair exactly how I expected. Although perhaps a little on the safe side, she looked just beautiful and oozed elegance. She carried her look with so much confidence - it just goes to show that sometimes less is more. If I could have done it any differently, I think it would have looked great up in an elegant loose ballerina-type bun with that amazing tiara firmly in place showing off Kate's amazing bone structure and elegant neck line"
Julie-Anne Giannandrea, hHead of education and senior artistic director, Regis UK
"Kate Middleton's hair was simple but beautiful and shows that wedding hair does not need to be overly 'done'. I thought everything complemented each other and she looked absolutely stunning - hairdressers will be inundated for the duchess 'do!"
James Tetlow, James Tetlow Hairdressing, Heaton Chapel
"I loved Kate's wedding hair - so simple yet so stylish and blended perfectly with her make up and beautiful dress. I think when you keep things simple it brings out the bride's natural beauty and by having the hair semi-up you get the best of both worlds. Although a little early to call, I think Kate's definitely set the trend for those coming brides this season!"
Tiff J, 3thirty hair and Beauty, London
I'm glad she stuck with the team from Richard Ward ... she's been with him and the salon for years and it was nice that she was loyal.
Greta Feenan
Classic, polished hair with tiara and veil - it's Royal Bling!
McIntyre's Salons
Stunning seems to be the most apt word :-)
Danielle Jones
Amazing, I hope they are all proud of their hard work.
Shelley Pearson
Fabulous natural style in keeping with spring 2011 trends. This is going to be THE look for our brides this year - and loving it. The Hair Gallerie team are ready and waiting.
Tracey Walton
