A hair fixative composition comprising a film forming polymer that is prepared from monomers comprising (a) 10-30% by weight of one or more copolymerizable comonomers selected from the group consisting of N-alkyl (meth)acrylamide wherein the alkyl group thereof contains from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein for at least one of said copolymerizable comonomers the alkyl group contains from 5 to 12 carbon atoms; (b) 14-21% by weight of copolymerizable comonomers comprising acrylic acid and optionally one or more acidic copolymerizable comonomers selected from the group consisting of methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, and the (C1-C4)alkyl half esters of maleic and fumaric acids; and (c) 40-76% by weight two or more copolymerizable comonomers selected from the group consisting of (C1-C12)alkyl(meth)acrylates, wherein at least one of said two or more copolymerizable comonomers is a (C1-C2)alkyl(meth)acrylate; said film forming polymer being optionally completely or partially neutralized with a basic reagent.