Holland Taylor's Layered Hairstyle

Holland Taylor - Layered hairstyle for older women — Holland Taylor - Photo: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

Holland Taylor is one of Entertainment's many "overnight successes' - meaning she spent more than a decade of struggling and disappointment before she got the role that would give her the break she needed.

She began her career in New York intending to become a Broadway star, and 15 years later finally landed a role in the television sitcom "Bosom Buddies" opposite Tom Hanks in 1980. This role gave her a springboard from which to launch her career and Ms. Taylor went on to other roles in film and television, where she almost always "steals the show".

Ms. Taylor is known for her portrayal of bold, brassy, hard-hitting and powerful women. And perhaps her hair has something to do with that personae: the story is that Ms. Taylor gained the nickname "Penny" Taylor as a teen in Allentown, PA because of her coppery red hair. Her look is always one of a well-groomed and boldly styled woman, who isn't afraid to stand out in a crowd.

Over the years, Ms. Taylor's hair color has grown lighter and more subtle, which is always a positive move for a maturing woman. Today's Holland Taylor is less "Coppery Fireball", and more the "Strawberry Blonde" but she is always one of the loveliest ladies around - whether on stage or on camera.

The Cut:

How to layer hair with a circle cut technique

The cut you see here is a modern twist on a traditional circle cut wherein the hair is shaped to more of an oval than a full circular style. The hair at the top and crown areas is approximately 4.5 to 5 inches in length and gradually tapers down to a length of about 2-1/2 to 3 inches at the bottom perimeter of the head. The hair is layered using a traditional circle cut technique, with steeper cutting angles to create the elongated circle (or oval) shape to the cut.

The Color:

Ms. Taylor's hair color is perfect for many women in her age group and should be noted not for its exact shade, but for the softness of the color and the beautiful way in which it compliments her expression.

If you are interested in emulating Ms. Taylors color, look for a color shade with a red or orange color base and around a level 7 or 8 in lightness shade. Add some depth and dimension to the color by adding highlights (base color: red/orange; level 9) or lowlights (base color red/orange; level 6) to break up any monotone color results.

Remember that darker hair colors that are already in the red/orange base color families can be brightened by adding highlights to soften the color. These are generally going to be the level 7 or 8 shades.

The Style:

Ms. Taylor's look is achieved by blow-dryer styling with a round brush. The hair is dried using a diffuser to build volume and lift at the scalp level and is dried to an "almost fully dry" state.

At this point, the hair is then styled to flip-up at the ends and can be lightly misted with spray and scrunched or pulled through to create definition and points in the style. The style works best with hair that is full-bodied and wavy.

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See also: Hairstyles for elderly women