Feeling fringy with David Sinclair

When it comes to my hair I am extremely protective. It has a complete mind of its own and I learned pretty early on that it will do as it pleases. It spurns any form of taming that dares go near it, defensively tangling itself to within an inch of its life at the mere sight of a hairbrush. I have come to terms with this over the years and through a process of trial and error I found that growing it long weighs it down just enough to keep its wild side socially acceptable. I've tried to think of it as 'beachy', although a lot of the time it would probably be more accurately described as 'small bird's nest'. Either way, at about 15 I discovered that, like a small animal of the wilderness, leaving it ungroomed and unthreatened seems to just about work for both of us and I have been terrified of upsetting it ever since.

Therefore when the inevitable itch of change crept up on me a few weeks ago I knew I was entering risky territory. The question just popped into my head: What about a fringe? Silence those alarm bells, hair follicles, I do not mean anything too drastic. No block or short or diagonal or any other form of 'statement' fringe. Something softer, à la Sienna Miller in 'Alfie':

Or my ultimate hair idol, Brigitte Bardot:

After a productive session on Google Images, I was set on the idea. That soft sixties fringe worn so well by Sienna, Brigitte, Jean Shrimpton and the like was just the change I needed to spice up my life as we head into winter. The real question was though, which of Bristol's hair salons would be able to take on and conquer the beast that is my hair?

I did a bit of research and stumbled upon David Sinclair. Situated in Clifton Village and awarded 5 stars by the Good Salon Guide, it seemed like a pretty good bet. To make sure this is what I wanted, I booked a free hair consultation with Holly. On arrival, she greeted me warmly and led me downstairs where we got straight on with discussing exactly what I wanted. She was extremely accommodating, telling me how she would cut it to give me that messy boho Sienna look, whilst making suggestions and giving me tips on how to deal with it on a daily basis. After this I was fully sold and booked my appointment for the following week.

As the days passed my nerves built and I toyed with the idea of cancelling more than once. I had a growing fear that I would end up looking like the blonde one from the Backstreet Boys:

However I am not one to back out of a challenge so I stuck to my guns and before I knew it the day had arrived. I took a breath and marched into the salon.

My nerves were for nothing. Holly was fantastic and talked me through everything, from shampoo to brushing to snipping. She started gradually and let me say if I wanted to go shorter. With each snip I got bolder and bolder, until we finally landed on the fringe I had envisaged. I instantly loved it and left beaming from ear to ear. Here's a before shot:

And here is the finished product:

I would recommend David Sinclair to anyone and everyone. Great location, decor, atmosphere and staff. Holly was really fantastic, chatting to me the whole time, calming my nerves and styling my hair exactly how I had asked, so definitely request her if you book an appointment. Admittedly you pay for such high quality and it's pretty pricey, however they do offer student discount which is always handy for those of us with dangerously little left of our loan. A wash and cut for long hair was about £60, however when it comes to my hair I am more than willing to pay for such excellent service.

If that's not enough to win you over, they also do an incredible filter coffee and throw in a complimentary biscuit. Everyone loves a complimentary biscuit.

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