It is no secret that blondes have more fun. An age-old adage, opting for a bleached head of hair can imbue a vision of lightness and weightlessness. And if there should be concern on the much-dreaded, fussy maintenance that comes with a good ol’ peroxide bleaching, fret less. The mandate has perhaps shifted — the whole narrative of “fun” has opened the doors to an embrace of the less-than-perfect. So roots no longer have to be a bright-and-light hue, and one’s mane can let loose against prior trends that demanded tonal uniformity.
The Spring/Summer ’24 runways have wholeheartedly embraced the ideals of imperfection — seen via the beauty details that came with Peter Do’s debut at Helmut Lang, Miu Miu, and Celine and Givenchy’s menswear shows. Beyond just the current glorification of letting one’s roots grow out, the SS24 grooming trends have called for a holistic integration of a head-full of natural textures and tones, varnished over with wet, waxy or airy finishes. Hedi Slimane reiterated this at Celine’s latest menswear display — as frizz and fly-aways summed up the grooming agenda for the show.
The idol-verse is following closely too. While the idea of fair tresses has been perennial in the entertainment scene — Felix of Stray Kids and Rosé of Blackpink have notoriously maintained golden manes through their careers — industry favourites are quickly catching onto the lure of lower maintenance looks.
Just A Little Bit
Sohee of RIIZE recently debuted frosted tips in a circa-’90s throwback, while “PP” Krit, Jackrin of Trinity, Ricky of Zerobaseone and Jay of Enhypen channelled a more polished look with balayage and lowlights to add subtle contrast to their platinum looks, which are enduringly roots-resistant looks; durable in incorporating the most jarring of hair growth.
Sohee of RIIZE
Jay of Enhypen
Jackrin of Trinity
Ricky of ZB1
“PP” Krit
Let The Light In
Contrast a natural colouring with more intentional streaks of blonde. Start at the roots and taper back to one’s natural tone — a la Younghoon of The Boyz — or opt for a peekaboo look like Taemin of SHINee. WayV’s Xiaojun went bolder with distinct bands of gold to enliven his otherwise-natural canvas. As a bonus, lightening one’s face-framing layers can serve to soften or add dimension to one’s appearance.
Taemin of SHINee
Younghoon of The Boyz
Xiaojun of WayV
Natural Sunshine
And for the purists out there who dislike the look of sprouting roots, lean into the brassier cousin of blonde. Mark of NCT, Hueningkai of TXT and Keeho of P1Harmony have all espoused the yellowness that comes with the choice to go bleach blonde. The deliberateness of a colouring that leans more creamy and honey-hued lends a certain air of effortlessness and asserts itself as a stylistic statement.
Mark of NCT
Keeho of P1Harmony
Hueningkai of Tomorrow X Together
Hongjoong of ATEEZ
Natural Wave
And in terms of styling, go fuss-free like The8 of Seventeen, Riwoo of BOYNEXTDOOR and Jacob of The Boyz, who showed off the power of a well-cut ‘do in keeping upkeep low while still achieving a high-glam image. Natural textures; wavy, frizzy or simply straight, can serve to enhance an off-duty blonde moment — with the aid of waxes or gels or sprays. Aim for products that accentuate, rather than gloss over, to convey an effortless appearance via one’s mane.
Jacob of The Boyz
Felix of Stray Kids
The8 of Seventeen
Riwoo of BOYNEXTDOOR
