The autumnal pilgrimage to the hair salon is one of those yearly rites of passage, like spring cleaning your house or putting up the holiday decorations. Part of it is practical: Doing away with those post-summer ends frayed by sun rays and pool water. And part of it harkens back to childhood, when sharpened pencils and freshly trimmed locks signalled you were back-to-school ready. Even if your classroom days are far behind, that “blank notebook waiting to be filled” feeling still comes back every fall. A promise of possibility, a chance to start anew… Who will you be this year?

It’s officially back. After the multi-season dominance of middle parts, picking sides feels fresh again. On many runways, hair of all lengths and textures was asymmetrically split, at times lending an air of mystery by partially covering one eye. Not only are side-parts wonderful for adding volume, they also soften the face, which makes them incredibly flattering.

Time to break out the round brush: Power blowouts are going to be big this season. There’s something undeniably chic about bouncy, gleaming locks swaying behind you as you strut. To get that back-from-the-salon look without leaving your house, work on small sections at a time, then wrap them around large Velcro rollers while they set. Supermodel hair, coming right up.

Don’t feel like doing your hair? Rake it back with some strong-hold gel while it’s still damp and voilà: You’ll look like you were plucked straight off the fall 2022 runways. Just make sure to let your strands fully dry before leaving your house. We’d do many things in the name of fashion, but venturing out in below zero weather with soaking wet hair isn’t one of them.

A single dainty slide was the breakout hair accessory of the season, completing many a prep-school-inspired ensemble—one of fall’s biggest sartorial hits. Slides also happen to pair perfectly with that aforementioned side-part trend. Split your hair off-centre, then tuck the larger section back with a bejewelled bobby pin. It looks just as great with a swishy blowout like at Chanel as it does with gelled locks à la Fendi.

Every fall, the dilemma returns: To get bangs or not to get bangs? The season’s shows definitely made a strong case for the affirmative, with sharp, straight-across fringes boldly framing the eyes of many models. The look was made extra-modern by omitting any layering in the lengths. Think: more Mia Wallace, less Marianne Faithfull. 

The key to achieving cool, fall 2022-style ripples (instead of Real Housewives-esque waves), is to forgo uniformity. In other words, you don’t want your hair to look the same all over. Impart a relaxed, imperfect feel by alternating the direction in which you wrap the hair. You could also use two different barrels to vary the size of the curls. Finish with a blast of texture spray and some slight mussing with your fingers.

Here’s how to elevate a plain low pony this fall: Grab a strip of fabric or a piece of ribbon and wrap it around the base. Done! Not only is it a super easy way to cover an unsightly elastic, but it also offers an opportunity to add visual interest to a look. Go for something printed and loosely tied for a bohemian feel reminiscent of Ulla Johnson or opt for a tighter wrap in a neutral hue for a sleeker vibe. 

The short cut of the season pays homage to the great pixies of the ’90s: Recall Winona Ryder, Halle Berry, Linda Evangelista et al. It’s all about getting the shape right. Ask your hairdresser for tapered sides, some texture up top and a few pieces to dress up the forehead. Style with a wax or pomade for optimal piece-y-ness.

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More BeautyIs the Dyson Airwrap 2.0 Worth It?Once you’ve mastered the Airwrap, there’s no going back 7 Makeup Trends We’re Excited to Try this FallGood news: They’re all super easy to recreate And Just Like That, Side-Parts Are BackAfter being branded “cheugy” by Gen Z, the look is officially in again We Tested 76 Nude Lipsticks To Find The Perfect OnePlus, nine more editor-tested modern neutrals your lips will love

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