New Hair Trends

At the spring fashion runway shows, ruffles, frills, flowers, and lace in whisper-weight, flowing fabrics were everywhere, heralding the ongoing ladylike trend.

While fashion continued its celebration of everything feminine, the new season did announce a redirection in hair trends. After several seasons of sexy curls and bodacious volume, spring hair forecasted a new message: fresh and pretty, with rich tones. Gone are the teased 'dos, fat curls, and super-sized volume. What's in this season is a softer, more natural look, and a welcome celebration of real hair -- straight, wavy, or super textured. The more natural look is easier to achieve at home, and more wearable as an everyday, daytime look. It's all about versatility, being experimental based on your mood, and working with your hair and its texture for maximum results with minimal effort.

Here, my favorite hair looks for spring -- and how to achieve them at home.

Nature Girl

Talk about low maintenance. On the runway, this look showed with haphazard parts and tousled tresses. But I advise against taking the trend too literally. The idea you should come away with is to embrace your hair's natural texture and flow; don't fight your curls or straightness. Dry hair naturally and to give it a welcome break from heat styling. The secret to this look's success is to give nature a little help, in the form of hair product that will minimize the negatives of your hair's natural tendencies -- i.e., frizz or limpness. To get the look, add a smoothing or volumizing product to wet hair, then allow it to dry naturally. After it's dry, arrange with fingers, add a shine-enhancing product, and go.

Face Off

The spring 2005 face -- soft, pretty, with dusky eyes and light, natural lips -- was on full display, thanks to the trend of hair drawn away from the face. Hair was gently, never severely, swept up and away. Then it was gathered into a loose ponytail or updo, or just pinned up in one section, leaving the rest of the hair to hang loose. Get that look by drying hair as normal, then sweeping it up into the desired style with a wide-tooth comb. Secure shorter hair sections with bobby pins, and don't worry about some pieces falling loose. The finishing touch: add a loose, long ribbon to ponytails for an extra flash of feminine flair.

Windy Ways

Take a natural look, or a hair swept off the face look, and add an extra element of ease. You'll have this unkempt look which found its way into many fashion shows. Straggly pieces, textures and crimping, and downright messy hair added a bohemian look to many spring 2005 fashions. It's the antithesis of a structured style; it's free spirited and, in the right environment, can work for day or evening. To feel the freedom, I suggest allowing hair to dry naturally, then either sweeping it up into a loose updo, or letting it flow loosely. Randomly tousle sections with your fingers.