Ageing or chic – Princess Kate’s Bronde look was only a matter of time

When a hairdo breaks the internet like the Princess of Wales’s new lighter look did this week, you can’t help yourself from getting involved, whether you like it or not, says Sophie Heawood. Especially if you are a woman of a certain age...

Just as I’d decided to embrace the grey, finally allowing nature to have its wicked way with my hair, someone has lured me back into thoughts of colouring it. And I can’t believe I’m writing this, but it’s the Princess of Wales – an unlikely reference for those of us who live in east London and like to pretend that we’re still edgy in middle age. But have you seen Kate’s new “bronde” do?

Many have and have been vicious about it, saying it makes her look tired and like Rapunzel. Some even ventured to a comparison with Angela Rayner. Many said it made her look older and even posited if it was a wig – which went too far for some, considering that she is recovering from a gruelling cancer treatment.

Some rushed to her defence, saying her hair is her personal business and why not celebrate having luscious locks after such a difficult time.

Celebrity hairdresser Sam McKnight rushed to her defence, saying that he was shocked, horrified and disgusted by the nasty comments about the princess’s hair, writing: “A woman’s hair is very personal to her, it’s armour, defence, confidence and so much more.”

For my mind's eye, I think there’s something lovely and warm about it.

It could be that, approaching her mid-forties, she was simply finding one too many grey hairs – or had been swayed by going a bit lighter naturally from a summer holiday in the sun. Whatever the reason, the bronde look is the flattering go-to for many brunettes in midlife. As the summer ends, I wonder if going bronde might be the cheering-up a lot of us need?

London-based hairdresser Craig Purves is an expert on bronde transitions; his clients swear by them. He believes that every brunette woman over 40 should consider it.

While I’m not claiming to have much in common with a glamorous princess – especially, sadly, when it comes to property and staffing levels – we do share some things. I’m also a mother in my 40s with the same natural hair colour and eye colour as Kate. In fact, I’ve even got the same sallow skin tone, I tell Purves. “Ugh, let’s not say sallow, darling,” he corrects me – and off we go.

Kate’s new ‘bronde’ hairstyle has all of social media talking (Getty)

“As soon as I saw the image of Kate, I thought, that’s a really smart move,” he continues. “The tone actually suits her a lot better. Her blue eyes are such a piercing colour, but her previous darker look was too contrasting and wasn’t bringing them out. Whereas this is more complimentary to her skin tone and makes her eyes pop more.”

It’s also tonal rather than high contrast hair, which is the result of a lot of dye jobs. “This is also a great way to hide the grey, if you’ve got the odd silver strand here and there.” As for the rest of us, Craig says that, done right, bronde is the way to go for many. “It’s that biscuit, neutral tone that does actually suit quite a lot of people. Not really blonde, but not really brown. It’s much lower maintenance and doesn’t need loads of looking after like a full bleach would.”

Sophie Heawood has been a lifelong natural bronde (Instagram)

So, I ask, is there a type who comes into his salon asking to go bronde? Oh yes, he says. “It’s professional women who want less faffing around, don’t want to spend much time on their hair ‘because of the patriarchy’ – I’m not joking! It’s the high achievers who have done extremely well, worked really blimming hard, still want to look groomed and don’t fancy being judged. The Princess of Wales is probably judged more than any woman on the planet, so I find that quite interesting, personally.”

It’s also worth noting that Kate isn’t the only dark brunette appearing with a lighter look. Rachel Reeves appeared with her latest tonal look on the front benches too this week, thought to be intended to “strike a balance between authority and relatability” as the stylist Francesca Cairns, who had worked with Theresa May, put it. (A trajectory that Reeves surely didn’t intend to end up with her crying on the front pages of the papers this summer – an accidental softening too far.)

Rachel Reeves has been spotted with a new lighter look this week (PA)

High fashion might not agree with all this bronde stuff, though. Alexa Chung, already a brunette, is almost the same age as the Princess of Wales but has just had her dark hair coloured even darker for the autumn, as she revealed on her Instagram when jetting off to the Venice Film Festival.

Then there’s Tish Weinstock, another dark fashion figure who recently published a book called How To Be A Goth: Your A- Z of Undead Style. Not everyone agrees that middle-aged women should be lightening up. And many think it’s time to embrace streaky greys, which is also a look for this autumn.

As for me, much as I might long to be a cool goth or an outsider fashionista, it seems I’m being influenced by our future queen instead. How embarrassing. But as the nights start to draw in and my tan fades into the photo album, going regally blonde is probably just the change I need. Just call me Bronde.