Why I dared to do a Hermione

When Emma Watson marched into a New York salon with a picture of actress Mia Farrow in hand and demanded they cut off her "Hermione" hair, she got an unusual reaction. "My hairdresser was like: When are you going to freak out? Most people cry or go into shock,'" she explained. "But I was very calm. I knew it was the right thing."

My own response could not be more different. As I face the mirror, the scissors about to hack off my shoulder-length hair might as well be a guillotine poised over my neck.

"Don't worry, you're going to look amazing," says the man wielding the blades, HOB Salons's Akin Konizi, British Hairdresser of the Year 2008 and 2009.

I manage a wild-eyed smile and try to remember that in 75 minutes I will be joining fashion's pin-ups with the haircut of the moment — a boyish crop.

This was made famous by model Twiggy in the Sixties. Emma Watson, post-Harry Potter, is using her crop to transform herself from child star into stylish thespian, fit for the cover of this month's Vogue. Now girls across the capital are daring to tackle a seriously dramatic look.

"A crop is a rebellious cut which makes a statement," explains Akin. "Fashion has moved on, it's not about looking like Barbie."

They are doing 10 crops a week in HOB's Camden salon alone, confirms general manager Sean Dawson. "We were already seeing big numbers but after Emma Watson's we had a influx. It was a big shock," he says.

Which was what Emma wanted. She was contractually obliged to keep her hair long for the nine years she played schoolgirl heroine Hermione Granger. Now aged 20, she admits the haircut was symbolic.
"She's a woman now," agrees Storm model agency's hairdresser of choice, Errol Douglas. "It's sophisticated and chic but it won't work on everyone.

Hairdressers agree a crop can be tailored to most face shapes by distributing the weight of the hair but if yours is thick or coarse, stay clear. It will not lie in shape and will look bulky at the roots.

"It's old-fashioned just to look at face shapes," says Akin. "What's more important is what someone looks like as a whole. This cut can be adapted for everyone but is perfect for a more petite person with delicate features."

Disconcertingly, Akin asks me to stand up and twirl during our consultation and looks closely at my neck before I am deemed a viable candidate.
"You have to take someone's figure into account," agrees Lisa Whiteman, co-owner of top Mayfair salon Webster Whiteman. "It's the same as picking out clothes which flatter: you don't want to emphasise a curvy lower half by making your head look too small. Emma Watson isn't a stick but she is in proportion, which is essential."

Figure, face and features aside, the one thing you can't compromise on is confidence, as a whole lot more is about to be on show — something I'm keenly aware of as Akin begins shearing me.