From Hailey Bieber’s blunt bob to Sydney Sweeney’s Hollywood lob and Gigi Hadid’s floaty scandi cut the bob hairstyle has dominated 2024. And now, there’s a very particular bob creeping through our feeds (and our thoughts) as summer approaches.
It’s a razor-sharp iteration we’re calling the f*ck ass bob. Super blunt, it’s a little Rosamund Pike as Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne aggressively cutting her hair in a truck stop bathroom energy, a lot of Michelle Pfeiffer’s unflappable ice-queen Elvira Hancock in Scarface. Essentially, it’s a bob that gives aggressive, don’t give a f*ck energy. While it’s been spotted on Hailey Bieber and Lily Collins I’ve found myself impervious to the bob trend.
As someone who had spent the 2000s and 2010s with a variety of pixie cuts and Tumblr-friendly concave bobs I’ve known the pain of trying to pike in Pilates with chunks of blunt bangs falling in my eyes. And, as a pale, artificial red-head. Long hair makes me feel pre-Raphaelite.
So, imagine my surprise when Jessica Biel, a famous member of the mermaid wave club, planted the blunt bob firmly in my mind. I haven’t thought of Jessica Biel since she said she wasn’t being cast in romantic comedies because she was too “fit” to be considered funny (go off).
But there she was at the Tennis Open, nonchalantly chewing gum and glossy head of hair swishing with every turn of her head and flick of her fan. “Should I cut my hair into a bob?”, I thought. I’d found myself finally #influenced.
And, it turns out I wasn’t alone. A quick round-table at the ELLE offices found the girlies on the team couldn’t get the thought of a bob out of their (long to mid-length-haired) heads.
The bob hairstyle is of course, a no-going-back haircut. According to Dr. Google hair grows at around half an inch a month meaning if you want to get your little mermaid locks back after a chop gone wrong, you could be waiting months or spending a few thousand dollars on hair extensions.
So, I asked two hairstylists to play armchair psychologist and tell me – should I enter summer with a f*ck ass bob.
Experts: Jaye Edwards, Edwards&Co Owner and Founder, Clodagh Egan, Salon HER
Should I Cut My Hair Into A Bob? Experts Weigh In With Five Questions To Ask Yourself
Understand Your Hair Reality
Both experts say understanding the hair you have is most important when deciding whether to cut it into a bob. “Are you pinning Hailey Bieber’s sleek bob when your hair more closely resembles Alexa Chung’s wild waves?” asks Clodagh Egan, stylist at Salon Her. Selecting a cut that’s only going to work with a blowdry, style and daily session with a straightener is setting yourself for a summer full of hard work, so take pointers from your stylist.
Is It An Emotional Cut?
Whether you’re processing a breakup, navigating a major life transition or, like Amy Dunne, on the run, you might feel like all your problems could be solved with a sleek Jessica Biel bob cut. “Haircuts, especially drastic ones, often signifying a desire for change or even a sense of control when life feels anything but empowering,” says Egan.
Sadly cutting off all your hair won’t control alt-delete all your problems so make sure the urge is coming from the right place. Additionally, growing your hair long is a journey, and by the time it’s past shoulder length most of us are emotionally attached. “Clients definitely develop an attachment to their long hair, so it’s important to go through what a huge transformation would mean for growing out their hair if they do regret cutting it,” says Jaye Edwards owner and founder of Edwards & Co. Be psychologically prepared before you enter the salon.
The Weather
Australia’s a hot and sunny country and our climate can be as unpredictable as our emotions. Frizzy bangs and fluffy ends can feel like an external manifestation of chaos – but that doesn’t need to stop you from making the cut. Egan suggests considering a keratin treatment with your chop, while Edwards says any haircut can be enhanced with the right styling products. If you’re making a dramatic transformation from Rapunzel locks to bob haircut, take your stylist’s product recommendations seriously.
Will The Bob Suit Your Face Shape? (And Self-Image)
Your hair stylist can advice on the fight haircut for your face shape, depending on your features you might be better suited to a relaxed french girl bob (slightly feathered at the ends) or mid-length style rather than the suer blunt bobs we’ve been seeing everywhere this year. But, the other factor to consider is your feelings about your face shape and features If you’re self-conscious about your nose or jawline for instance, opting for a chin-length bob could feel like a form of exposure therapy. “If a haircut accentuates features you’re self-conscious about, you’re likely to end up unhappy,” says Egan.
Your Personal Chaos Levels
While a bob will save you time with your blowdryer, the sleek and shiny requirements of the f*ck ass bob will require you to spend a little more time with your hair straightener. If you’re a wash-and-air-dry kind of girl, go for a looser, shorter cut. (The expert here is me, a chaotic person).
What Are The Bob Haircut Trends Of 2024?
Jaye Edwards says the bob trend wouldn’t be here without Hailey Bieber, but there have been plenty of iterations of the bob haircut spotted on celebrities this year. Whether it’s the razor-sharp, blunt bob sported by Biber and Jessica Biel, there’s also the more tousled bob, often paired with a fringe, that Emily Ratajkowski and Gigi Hadid. And of course, there’s the Old Hollywood bob we’ve seen sported by Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney this year.
So, even if you’re not ready to go full Gone Girl with the f*ck ass bob. There are plenty of short hairstyles to choose from.
Read the original article on ELLE Australia
