When in need of inspiration, I like to harvest new hairstyles from Cut by Fred. Stylist to the stars, Fred does all the A-listers hair for the Cannes Film Festival. There is a particular Diane Kruger coiffure he is responsible for that will forever be ingrained in my memory which involves about 100 bobby pins.

His weekly blog is a bank of advice on achieving the right cut and color, reviews of various products he is crushing on, and video demonstrations of him effecting messy up-dos on waifish French models. I also like peeking inside the Parisian apartments of friends he visits for hair SOS. Girlfriends of his appear for DIY cameos sharing ideas on how to knit headbands, turn gym socks into hair accessories, or get more mileage out of your scarf collection.

The articles he writes are in French. He does a monthly spot for Elle magazine but the techniques are hard to digest when fragmented into photos and 1,2,3’s. Though in French, the videos need no translation, up-dos seem easy enough to replicate, and the backing music is an added bonus. Fred has impeccable taste in music. While learning to prefect a donut bun you’re likely to stumble upon a new artist or two to add to your repertoire.

A fan of chignons and braids, his hairstyles have an ethereal bohemian quality that is undone and romantic. He makes it look easy although many of my hair experiments become unpinned and scraggly by midday. His blog alone is the inspiration for growing out my hair beyond the shoulder-length shag I have worn for a decade. With just a little more length I should be able to pull this off:

Elena from Cut by Fred on Vimeo.

Visit his blog Cut by Fred for more ideas.