Just when you thought all '80s fashion revivals had their run, big hair is back.

Look at Angelina Jolie on the cover of this month's Vanity Fair, and Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City movie poster to see that the chic are going large.

We're not talking the teased, sprayed locks of the Bangles, Bananarama and Dolly Parton. The modern version crosses the soft pouf of Krystle Carrington's Dynasty coif with the cascading fullness of a Victoria's Secret model -- sexy, but with a touch of Aqua Net nostalgia.

The man who gives Jolie, Anne Hathaway and the Victoria's Secret models their big, beautiful hair is celebrity stylist Ted Gibson. At his New York salon, he demonstrates how to go over-the-top sexpot or just add a little Giselle. His step-by-step process requires a few items: blow-dryer, hair spray and hot rollers.

Gibson says the look is always in style -- sans the '80s stickiness. "This kind of hair takes a certain attitude, a lot of personality. It's about having the confidence."

Start at the root. Cleanly divide your hair into five even sections (either wet or dry). Apply a volumizing product to the scalp where each section is divided. Gibson favours his own, Build It. "It's about building volume without the weight."

Next, apply a light, controlling gel all over the hair. Gibson uses two or three pumps of Aveda's Phomollient styling foam, then combs through the hair with his trusty Mason Pearson brush.

"Brushing the hair after applying these products will help distribute the product evenly." Blow-dry the hair until it's about 80 per cent dry, and then finish by pulling the ends under using a round brush.

"This helps get volume from the scalp." He uses a medium-size round barrel brush on Jolie, Hathaway and anyone with hair that hits from the chin to the clavicle. For shorter hair, use a small barrel.

Once the hair is completely dry, it's time for the hot rollers, which should be really hot. Wrap two-inch sections of hair around each roller until you look like a '50s housewife. Leave rollers in for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are completely cool.

After taking them out, the curls should be more like waves than ringlets. Spritz a light hair spray; it should be a "working" spray, one that doesn't get sticky or stiff, allowing you to keep working and building volume.

Throw your head over and brush out. "Again, you want volume from the scalp," Gibson says. "Make sure you do some back brushing. Just tease the hair a little at the crown, smooth down the top, and spray again. If you're concerned about fly-aways because of humidity, use a shine serum after brushing."