S J Forbes Reveal the Hottest Festival Styles for Summer

Hayley Gibson-Forbes, Director of SJ Forbes, reveals her three hottest festival styles for Summer 2017...

Highlighter Hair

Any style sported by Kylie Jenner at Coachella is a reliable barometer of a festival trend in the making, which is why we’re predicting highlighter-pen hues as the must-have shades of summer 2017. The neon green look shown off on the trailblazing chameleon’s Instagram page, along with glow-in-the-dark yellow and luminous shades of pink, are predicted to replace last summer’s pastels as the palette of this year’s festivals.

Wigs are an easy way to try out crazy neon colours without the commitment (and were a big trend at this year’s Coachella), but for a longer-lasting option, we would use a pre-lightening procedure and semi-permanent colour, in conjunction with a hair-protective treatment such as Olaplex, to drastically reduce hair damage, increase the vibrancy of the colour and make the tint last longer.

Braid-Y Bunch

Plaits have become a festival staple and for good reason: they’re easy to achieve, long-lasting and can be dressed up as playfully as your imagination allows. We predict multi skinny braids will take over from last summer’s dual boxing braids, and they’ll be adorned more than ever before.

On that note, don’t dismiss glitter through the scalp as ‘so last year’. This summer the trend will be just as big, if not bigger. For an (even) easier alternative to braids – and a look that was sported by a noticeable number of celebs at Coachella 2017 – go for grown-up pigtails. Tong long hair in to dishevelled waves and then loosely tie in to two bunches, using black leather, for a look that’s part-boho, part-rock chick.

Short Circuit

Long, flowing, bohemian styles are synonymous with festivals, and let’s face it, will always be popular, but we predict a soar in status for ultra-short styles this festival season. Inspired by the likes of Katy Perry, who showed off her new bleached buzzcut at this year’s Coachella, we’ll be seeing festival-goers sporting crops, blunt bobs and undercuts.

If you’re going for the snip, an experienced stylist will take in to account your face shape, hair type and texture and your lifestyle, before recommending the best style for you. For a festival-friendly alternative to going for the chop, tie long hair back, tying it at the nape of the neck and leaving the front section loose around the face, to give the impression of a shorter style. For extra style points, use your short (or faux short) style to showcase 2017’s top festival accessory: the oversized earring. Decadent Seventies-style drop earrings will be replacing flower garlands as THE festival accessory of 2017 and short, slicked-back styles are the perfect way to show them off.