How To: Easy Summer Hair

Brushed-out curls and a golden barrette—so romantic.

IDEAL FOR: Hair that’s bob-length or longer, with bangs long enough to pull to the side.

Bonus: This style looks even more ethereal when your hair is slightly frizzy.

PREP: Blow-dry, but don’t worry about getting hair completely smooth—it just needs to be dry enough to hold a curl.

Make a deep side part. Then, starting at the front of your head, wrap a hot roller under a two-inch section of hair and secure with a clip.

TIP: Jimmy Paul ditched the U-shaped pins that came with the rollers—he prefers metal hair clips.

Continue wrapping the rest of your hair around the rollers, saving the largest in the set for the back of your head. Leave the rollers in for a solid 20 minutes.

Remove the rollers and (gently!) brush the curls. Paul prefers using a boar-bristle brush—he says the flexible bristles glide through hair easily without undoing your style.

Sweep the front section of your hair to one side, and secure it with a few bobby pins—their tight grip keeps hair in place better than most clips. Now clip the barrette on top of the bobby pins (we think placing it upward at ear level looks especially elegant).

Tousled and towering, this has a great nonchalant French-film-star air.

IDEAL FOR: Hair with texture—thick, curly or color-treated.

IT'S OKAY IF: It turns out a little lopsided. That just adds to the sexy bedhead feel.

PREP: Warning! Clean hair is too slippery to hold this style; second-day hair works, or give it grip with dry shampoo or thickening spray.

Backcomb the hair at the crown. Here’s how: Pull up a two-inch section of hair, then comb backward, in short, choppy movements.

Smooth hair over the teased section, toward the back of your head. You’ll undo some of the back-combing, but that’s okay.

Gather hair at the nape, using your hand as an anchor. With your free hand, twist the loose portion all the way down to the ends.

Flip the twisted section up against the back of your head, tucking the ends into the base of the twist. Holding the twist in place, secure with hairpins.

A waterfall of tumbling waves: so Veronica Lake.

IDEAL FOR: Straight or wavy hair (add beach spray to pump up waves), or curly hair (start with an anti-frizz serum or cream).

FOR EVEN MORE GREAT GATSBY-NESS: Twist finished hair into a low side bun.

PREP: Work styling cream or thickening spray into towel-dried hair, then blow it dry. (Don’t worry about creating a perfect blowout: It’s just important that the hair is dry, since a curling iron won’t work on damp hair.)

Part hair deeply on the side. (The perfect side part lines up with either the arch or tail end of your eyebrow.)

Wrap a two-inch section of hair around a one-inch curling iron. Hold it for 30 seconds until hair is hot, then secure it at the roots with a clip before removing the iron.

Continue to curl the rest of your hair. Curl the front sections tightly and precisely—that’s where you want the most drama. Mist hair with hairspray.

Remove pins, gently brush out curls and mist with hairspray.

TIP: While the hairspray dries, use the side of the spray can to deepen the indentations.

Like you just walked out of a Botticelli painting.

IDEAL FOR: Long hair.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A BOB: Start the braids above your ears (and toward the sides of your head). That way, the braids won’t have to reach very far.

PREP: Depending on your hair, work in anti-frizz, smoothing or texture products before drying.

Center-part your hair and make two pigtails at the back of your head. If your hair is shorter, the pigtails can be on the sides of your head, above the ears.

Braid both pigtails—make sure they’re tight!—and secure each with an elastic.

Wrap one braid over your head, setting it about one inch back from your hairline and securing the ends with bobby pins.

Wrap and secure the other braid in the same way. (The braids might overlap or meet, depending on your hair length.)

A sophisticated variation on the classic topknot.

IDEAL FOR: Shoulder-length or longer hair.

IF YOU HAVE FLYAWAY PIECES: Mist them with beach spray to give them a tendril-like feel, or tame them with styling cream.

PREP: Blow-dry your hair smooth, using styling products as needed.

Make a high ponytail, creating a super-secure, strong base with your favorite hair elastic. Then split the pony in two.

Take the two ends and make a simple overhand knot. (The neater your ponytails are, the easier this step is.)

Make a second knot under the first to add more height. (This only works if your hair is long enough. If it isn’t, just jump to step four.)

Finish the look by pinning the ends to the base of the ponytail, then spritz with hairspray.