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On the subject of memorable haircuts, I feel more than qualified to discuss. Throughout most of my formative years I sported a rather fetching, impressively curvaceous bowl cut.
In authentic bowl-cut fashion it was the handiwork of a Tupperware-and-kitchen-scissors job and the result of my point-blank refusal to allow my hair to be brushed. It also earned me the nickname The Beatle.
Back then I had no idea that my childhood mushroom would reappear on this season’s Gucci catwalk, never mind become the must-have do for fashion enthusiasts - and not just for those under the age of six.
Witness tween favourite turned megastar-in-the-making Zendaya, who chose last month’s Met Ball to unveil a sleek jet-black bowl cut - a look reminiscent of the early Noughties AOL poster girl.
While sources - specifically, recent picture evidence of the starlet working the red carpet with long, honey blonde locks - suggest Zendaya’s dramatic transformation is the work of a wig, the actress is still our millennial bowl ambassador of choice. Second only to Peyton Knight.
The St Louis-born model burst onto the scene during the spring/summer 16 shows, when she made her catwalk debut for Alexander Wang in New York complete with freshly sawn-off bowl cut. The dramatic makeover came courtesy of scissor-happy super-stylist Guido Palau, who hacked off her chest-length locks backstage in a bid to help the new face stand out. It certainly worked.
But while it may have been a bold move, Knight has embraced what she considers is a surprisingly versatile cut. Speaking to Vogue, she said: “I love how many different styles this cut can accomplish. When they initially cut it I didn’t know how functional it would truly be. But every show and shoot I’ve done, they’ve made a completely new look.”
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Sure enough, Knight’s future star status was confirmed when she reappeared a few weeks later at Alessandro Michele’s debut Gucci showcase sporting a smooth, curved-under blow-dry and giant specs. It was a look that earned her the pseudonym Gucci’s Deirdre Barlow.
But you don’t have to be an international model to pull off Coronation Street’s most iconic do. “It’s such a classic cut, it works on smart City types all the way through to high-fashion and grungy looks, depending how you wear it,” says Susannah Jones, co-owner of achingly cool Shoreditch hair salon Butchers.
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But while this look may be democratic, it’s not without its limitations. As George Northwood - the man behind Alexa Chung’s covetable crop - advises: “If you have rounded features, steer clear of the bowl. A round shape cut will only make your features more round.”
Jones, on the other hand, says all is not lost for less-chiselled types. “If you have a round face - which is usually the typical shape that would shy away from that cut - you could take away a bit more weight out of certain areas, add a bit more texture or style it to the side. This will still give the overall effect of a bowl but with a modern twist.”
One good thing to note with the 21st-century bowl brigade is that it doesn’t have to mean hours lost to the salon chair. “Modern bowls look better when they grow out - the shaggier the better,” thinks Northwood.
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“It’s a strong shape that works best worn soft, so try rough-drying your hair and spray Redken Pillow Proof Two Day Extender to give that next-day texture and finish with Redken Wind Blown dry finishing spray to leave hair matt and shaggy.”
Bowl with it.