10 Ways to Reinvent Your Hair

Looking for an ultra-modern update? Stylist Orlando Pita suggests focusing your attention on the 3- to 4-inch section of hair at the top of your head. He eliminated frizz by blow-drying wafer-thin layers back off the face, spritzing on plenty of hairspray to keep hair in place. If you're looking for even more hold, secure your do with bobby pins along the crown.

Clean up those messy chignons! Tautly wound buns, knots, and twists are back with a (tidy) vengeance. The critical prep to this low-lying, high-gloss, and often center-parted style is a blow-dry. To get the smooth locks you need, work in small sections and use a shine product, as well as hairspray, before and after knotting.

For spring's turban lite, first rough damp hair up a bit with a volumizing spray, says Guido Palau, who created the look for Marc by Marc Jacobs. Then tie a gauzy or silky scarf ($10; remingtonproducts.com) close to the head (or just slide on an all-in-one), and pin hair into a quick updo. Voila—Riviera chic that works for a coffee run.

The easy way to reveal a wild streak? Take a hot pink or electric blue extension and weave it into a tall updo (check out what Pita did for Oscar de la Renta). Or try an interesting juxtaposition of radical color-meets-ladylike hair: a streak wrapped around a low bun or two vibrant strands woven into accent braids on either side of your head.

For a new take on the pony, we like an unexpected touch of velvet for spring. Black is elegant against blond hair; choose blue or green if your locks are darker. To avoid looking too cute, tie the long, thin ribbon into a bow, then carefully pull down on just one of the ends, making one loop disappear.

Chanel adorned its spring collection with oversize pearls for a sea-inspired effect that's more playful than prim. To DIY, place a small bead onto the end of a headpin and thread through a jumbo craft-store pearl; use needle-nose pliers to wrap the end of the wire around an elastic. Sound tricky? Then simply string a piece of dental floss through the pearl and double-knot the ends around the elastic. Secure with superglue.

Pearl hair ties, $35 each; On a String, 704-334-1110

Want to lift the ban on bows after preschool? Try a '60s-influenced look that's trendy as well as sweet. (Select a band that blends in with your hair color.) Blow-dry with a hold product to coax hair into a deep side part. Then tease at the crown before smoothing short hair into place—or gathering long strands into a twist and misting with hairspray.

Ricky Pro rat-tail comb, $4; rickysnyc.com.
L'Oreal Elnett Satin strong hold hairspray, $15; drugstore.com.

Orlando Pita seemed especially enamored of the so-called hair bungee this season, coming up with several styles using the cool tool that consists of a piece of elastic with a hook at each end. For the hybrid above, he started with a deep side part for an "androgynous look." After flat-ironing, he tucked and pinned hair behind each ear then fastened the bungee across the back of the head.

Meta Grip ponytail hooks, $5/5; sallybeauty.com.

Our vote for your new Sunday-brunch do is spring's boho pony, which sits higher on the head and sports more texture than its sleek, nape-nuzzling cousin. Ideally, start with second-day hair or back-comb in a texturizing product. Gather strands into a large elastic, then lift the top of the pony and slide a piece of the elastic over the bump you've formed.