You’ve heard it before—everything that’s old is new again. Take the world of hairstyling, for example, how many version of the bob cut has history seen? The women of the 1900s had their take. Vidal Sassoon branded his version in the 1960s, and on we’ve gone to consider the A-line, buzz-cut, inverted, and chin and shoulder-length bobs, all with or without bangs. So it’s about time the Shag cut, though it really never left the salon, has another shot at the spotlight.
If you’re not familiar with what the Shag cut looked like when it emerged in the 1970s, think Carol Brady (the later years), David Cassidy (aka Keith Partridge), Jane Fonda (in Klute), Joan Jett, etc. Get the picture?
We went to Daniel Link to discuss the reincarnation of the Shag. Link opened MarcDaniel Salon (MDS) in May, 2002. “At that time [Maple Grove] was receiving a lot pf press about Main Street and other upcoming retail developments,” he says. “It was a blank canvas, every week there was something new opening. It was very exciting.”
Who is a typical client? “Our typical guest at MDS is style conscious, appreciates a quality guest experience, wants consistency and appreciates that we are always working on improving our skills,” Link says. “They are looking to us to help them develop their style.” He describes the salon’s vibe as, “a little bit more rock ‘n’ roll and a little bit less country…”
MDS clients are asking for the updated Shag cut, this time, with a different edge. “The new trend look is about releasing the texture in someone’s hair, using their natural movement to create shape that ‘drapes around the head form’—it is very sexy and easy to maintain. We call it Shag Nuevo,” Link explains. “The old Shag was about collapsing the hair; the Shag Nuevo is about creating texture and movement that allows the hair to expand [volume].”
Can any type of hair texture handle a Shag cut? “The important ingredient is texture—slight wave or movement in the hair or texture put in the hair with color,” Link says. “Stick straight hair does not work well. They’ll have to wait for the next ‘texture free’ trend.”
While not all hair textures or face shapes lend themselves to the cut, it’s not a gender-specific style. Link thinks we’ll see the look on men in fall 2019.
The Shag cut isn’t the only element getting a second look. “Fashion today is about taking something from the past and putting a new twist on it,” Link says. “Trends never repeat in exact form. [For example,] waves and movement are finally mainstream. No one under 35 [years old] has ever experienced a perm.”
Whatever the cut, hairstyles can be brought to another level of style with the proper attention to color. Link is inspired by a fresh take on color. “This is super exciting—it’s called contour coloring. We free hand color into the hair strategically to enhance the reflection of light. Think of how light reflects differently when the sun hits the water when it’s calm, and then think about how the light reflects off the water when it’s wavy. We paint color in to recreate this light ‘reflection.’ It’s the coolest thing in color since the ombre,” he says.
What about a pop of purple or a touch of blue hue? “That trend is done,” Link says. “The trends today are all about making the hair look luxurious and expensive.” Can clients of any age dip into a color palette? “To me, fashion isn’t dictated by age, it’s dictated by attitude,” he says. “If you want blue, put blue in, but let’s make it look beautiful and not like My Little Pony hair.”
