You cannot emerge as this season’s “It” girl without this season’s “It” hairstyle—angle layers.

Caution: Unless you manage this change with knowledge and skill, you are at-risk of “fashion-hair disaster.” Fashion-hair disaster happens when your hair looks absolutely spectacular—glamorous, wonderful; the peak of haute couture…but it looks terrible on you.

To prevent disaster, catastrophe, and calamity, follows the two fashion-hair fundamentals: First, and by far most important, your hairstyle must complement the shape of your face. Etch the idea in your mind; tattoo it on your consciousness; make it your mantra. Your hairstyle must complement the shape of your face. And, second, your hairstyle must work with your hair’s length. Not even the best Hollywood stylist can cut long layers into a short bob.

Now repeat: You want angle layers that complement the shape of your face.

Photo by The Loner’s Survival Guide

Cutting your layers, your stylist will use—not a surprise–“the angle technique.” The angle technique works on short, medium, and long hair, and a skilled stylist knows exactly how to work it, making it flatter your face. In addition to that face-framing thing, the angle technique also can create textured fringes and sharp angles. Make sure you add the other key word—“layers.” Do not worry that a layered haircut will fail; layers flatter all face shapes. One other indispensible fashion-hair fact: Layered hair requires stronger highlights and lowlights, because the colors fold into the layers. For the best results, go with three or four colors among your highlights, and turn up the volume on all of them.

Angled, Layered, and Long

If you have long hair and simply want to add shape and texture, tell your stylist, “I want long layers.” Emphasize the word “long.” Then add, “And I want face-framing angles.” Practice the style-defining trifecta: face-framing angles. Especially if you have a square or rectangular face, you want your layers and angles to frame and soften your face, making you look more romantic and feminine. A little height toward the back of your head flatters square and rectangular faces, too. For an excellent real-life example, take a long and analytic look at Heidi Klum’s feathery-fringed angle layered look.

Angled, Layered, and Bobbed

By the far the most versatile of the angled, layered looks, the bob goes from super short to mega-long, and it goes from stunningly straight (Paris Hilton) to dazzlingly curly (Adrian Palicki). An angled, bobbed look works with every genre: Picture the uber prep in her crew-neck sweater and pearls, sporting the traditional bob. Picture the betty in a denim jacket and a bob with blunt brow-level bangs. Imagine the punk rocker with a razor angle cut into the top of her bob. An experienced stylist can adapt any bobbed look to any facial shape, and he can add fringe, texture, drama, or romance to any style.

Above and beyond its testimony to your fashion savoir faire, the bob testifies to your go-everywhere, do-everything practicality. Your angled, bobbed hairstyle requires zero maintenance. Wash and condition with all-natural products, towel dry, shake like a puppy, and go. Even outrageous, unruly, defiant curly hair will fall right into place with an expert’s bob.

Photo by EvilDilara

With the bob, the secret to face-flattery lives in the layers. Round faces require radically different layering from diamond and heart faces’ demands. The fashion-hair elite pore over hundreds of hairstyle photos, matching models’ facial shapes, most prominent features, and vulnerable spots with their own. When they find “absolutely the one” hairstyle, they take the photo to the stylist with them, declaring, “I need this. Exactly this! “

Angled

Victoria Beckham and her fans readily will point out that a girl can have angled without layered. Victoria’s Fall, 2009, bob curves just beneath her chin in front, angling shorter as it goes to the nape of her neck. Given the shape of her face, the center part suits her, but different face shapes may require a part on the side or side-swept bangs, bringing out the best facial features without compromising the distinctive look.