Fringes.

A fringe that has been cut well is quite possibly the greatest single factor in changing a face; and it is exactly that pressure that leaves people divided on getting one cut in - they either love the idea or hate it.

A fringe is so much more than hair that just happens to be cut shorter on your face; that is where any comparisons between a fringe you like, and one you hate end. It is how you wear it, the length it is, the texture and what you make of it once it is cut.

The idea that it has to be a perfect, creaseless, unmoving block of hair on your forehead can be left to Lego.

If you're into the French New Wave, you have probably seen Anna Karina or Chantal Goya as the quintessential Parisian girls. Their slightly parted, eyebrow-grazing bangs will likely never go out of fashion. Modern day muses such as Jeanne Damas or Léa Seydoux convey the timelessness of a great fringe.

Jane Birkin, Jean Shrimpton, Françoise Hardy – 50’s and 60’s icons whose piece-y, air dried bangs will always conjure up images of their hair in your mind when their names are spoken. Daisy Edgar Jones and Felicity Jones could be said to do the same these days, both with fringes reminiscent of these iconic women.

Joan Jett, Mireille Darc, Marianne Faithful, Goldie Hawn – the original rock and roll bangs. Each slightly different, each iconic.

As you can see, a fringe really is what you make of it.

Where then do we stand on the hair on your forehead..

A fringe, to us, should never look like it has been forced to sit there. The idea that you have to make it stay in place, the pressure of keeping it perfect – in the rain, wind, the height of summer. I don’t think anyone would want one if you think about it in that way.

Equally, no other haircut gives you a burst of confidence like a fringe can when you know it has dried ‘right’ for you that morning.

A great fringe should have the freedom to move, to be swept in which way it wants. That’s not to say it should be out of control in any way. It’s more so the acceptance of little piecey gaps appearing, a slight bend on the corners. It is essentially speaking of who you are as a person, what your day has been like.

A beautiful fringe can be worn with any hair texture, at any age:

- Running late to work?

Tie your hair in a ponytail and with a little dry shampoo in the fringe, voila you have a look for that evening.

- Hairlines can naturally recede and thin slightly with age, hormones and children. A slightly grown out fringe can soften those areas, keeping them looking full.

- A curly fringe looks equally great in the middle, yet it can A curly fringe looks equally great in the middle, yet it can give you fantastic volume thrown over to the side.

Regardless of the length of the fringe or the texture of your hair, there will always be key points to have in mind. Don’t go too wide or too far back. Keep the edges softer, quite subtle. Always add a little product to help give it weight, and don’t straighten it repeatedly in place. It won’t stay there.

Once a great fringe has been cut in, let it be.