With Line of Duty (finally) back on our screens, we’ve got two major questions: who is the fourth ‘H’ and how soon can we replicate Vicky McClure’s (i.e DI Kate Flemming’s) chic cropped hair for ourselves?
Longer and softer than last season, season 6 Vicky has a deep side part (sorry, Gen Z), a dramatic sweep and it’s peppered with warm copper highlights.
It seems we’re not the only ones lusting after Vicky’s locks either, with Line of Duty fans claiming that the actress has “the best hair on TV”.
Twitter user Jenny wrote, “@Vicky_McClure’s hair is the real star of the show.” While Ribeacá said: “Vicky McClure’s STUN hair making me want to cut all mine off again.”
So how can we get some of that cropped action for ourselves? “Shorter, more cropped haircuts are incredibly popular this spring/summer when we all want to wear our hair out of our face and want to get rid of some of the weight in our hair,” Dylan Brittain, who is the current British Hairdressing Awards’ Scottish Hairdresser of the Year, tells GLAMOUR.
“These cuts are a lot more low maintenance and are perfect for those who want little to no styling and effortless ‘I woke up like this hair’.”
Dylan adds that the key to this cut is keeping it short and above the ears (a la Vicky) as this will allow you not to have flyaways and it means you will rarely require the use of heated tools (win).
“Instead, you can style your hair by simply adding in some styling product for added texture and to enhance the natural movement of the hair,” Dylan continues.
“Products such as pomades and serums are great to use if you would like to have a more groomed, polished look like Vicky’s or if you would like a messier take on the trend, texturising sprays like salt sprays or mousses are great to add texture and grit to the hair.”
The Schwarzkopf UK Ambassador notes that Vicky’s side parting also helps to add height and volume to her locks and, if you want to use heated tools, then a hairdryer could help achieve some of this volume too.
However, before running off to your hairdresser as soon as it opens next month, it’s good to consider if this crop will suit your face shape.
“This is a great look for those with oval face shapes like Vicky, however, for those with rounder face shapes it may draw more attention to the roundness of the face and instead, you may want to incorporate a soft side fringe instead of the deep side parting to help soften the face and make this look more flattering for you,” Dylan advises.
For those who do want to take the plunge, Dylan recommends asking your hairstylist for a cropped, deep side parting look. It’s probably best to take in an image of Vicky too so they know exactly what you’re after.
“Be sure to also discuss the maintenance for this cut with your hairdresser and how often you will be required to go into the salon to keep the length of the cut looking its best,” Dylan adds.
Is ‘the Vicky’ the new ‘the Rachel’? Maybe not but we’re still loving the look.