It’s a hair coloration trend that the world could have done without, but for a long time it was the go-to-choice.
Thankfully, it then fell into oblivion in favour of more modern techniques and more subtle shades. But now it’s back, thanks to Gen Z’s infatuation with the 2000s, a seemingly inexhaustible source of inspiration that’s bringing this unusual, if not to say dubious, take on hair highlights back into fashion.
For those who don’t know, ‘calico hair’ is nothing other than highlights in which brown, blonde and red streaks are combined. It’s a look inspired by the calico cat, whose coat is adorned with the same shades in prominent patches.
Indeed, the colour job in question requires you to opt not for subtle highlights on fine strands, but for chunky highlights on wide swathes of hair, for a result that can only be described as original.
Since the early 2020s, “calico hair” has made several inroads, but has never really taken hold in its original form.
Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa are among the celebrities who adopted it, but were content with a duo of colours, creating a contrast between the hair surrounding the face (the two front strands) and the rest of the hair.
Four years on, the cult hair look of the 2000s seems to be making a bigger comeback, as Miley Cyrus proved at the recent Grammy Awards (albeit in a more subtle version).
And this is just the beginning for what could be the star hair colour of summer 2024. Just take a look at TikTok, and you’ll soon see that “calico hair” has already gained a huge following, with over 20 million posts to date.
Whether on short hair, long hair, straightened hair or curly hair – it doesn’t matter, because young people are giving free rein to their imagination and their desires in terms of the dominant colour(s) and effects.
According to Pinterest’s summer 2024 trends report, the trend could be set to boom, with searches up by 6,500% for ‘calico hair’ and 5,400% for 2000s chunky highlights, between April 2023 and April 2024.
The social network also reports a 2.840% increase in search interest for heavy highlights on dark hair. It seems that the season of extravagance is well and truly upon us!