There’s no denying our penchant for classic styles at Glasshouse, and what could be more classic than the bob? Chin-skimming and seemingly universally flattering, it’s a cut which has evolved massively over the years and one we rarely veer far from.
Although we will never tire of a simple, understated bob, recently there’s been a whole cool crowd of daring bob ’dos that are sauntering their way to the front of the covetable cut queue. Jagged fringe? Check! Wig-like shape? Check! Brave enough to dare the pudding bowl? We salute you! With this new bob attitude in mind, we’ve rewritten the rules and presented them here to you in a handy top 5. Note: following each of these rules all at once may end up in a bit of a hair-catastrophe, so pick your bob carefully and revel in its rebellion.
1) Wear your fringe chopped in Bobs and fringes have been BFFs since the style’s 1960s incarnation, but this choppier take on the style (think 90’s Winona crossed with a scissor-happy teen) amps up the unpredictability factor. Not a million miles from the current ‘bad hair’ trend, this type of cut tends to work especially well with bold colour jobs – we like it with black and ice blonde – due to its determination to stand out from the bob crowd. Avoid doing it over the bathroom sink with a pair of blunt scissors and you can’t go wrong! And take note: if it’s extreme edge you’re after, you can’t go wrong by pairing it with a killer set of baby bangs.
2) Blunt ends maketh the bob
We couldn’t talk bob trends without mentioning the style which has defined it for the last few years. Blunt ends are very much en vogue and we wouldn’t have it any other way – fuss free and always stylish, they keep things simple but effective, and are one of our most requested styles here in the salon. Taking Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum for your inspiration, why not try this sharp, shoulder-brushing style out for size? Oh, and if you’re doing the Margot - don’t forget the hair clip.
3) Style your bob like a wig Volume is key for this bob commandment. Wigs give the illusion of volume often because the synthetic hair they’re made from is thicker than normal human hair, so the name of the game is thickening and texturising to pump up your personal volume. This can be easily achieved by using a sea salt spray on dry hair to give your bob the extra oomph it needs. For a look which is equal parts 70’s rockstar and beach babe, your new mantra is ‘volume, volume volume.’
4) ‘Bob’ doesn’t have to mean ‘straight’ Classically, the bob is neat and no-nonsense. However, we tend to quite like mess and nonsense, and we think that the bob does too. Bobs are no longer only for the straight-haired amongst us (as proven by our shaggy-haired muse Damaris Goddrie) and can be worn as curly as you like. This is hair for shaking loose and running free. Plus, with products like Organic Colour Systems’ Keep Curl Memory Gel around to keep unwieldy curls in check, a shaggy bob is easier to achieve than ever.
5) Don’t be afraid of the bowl cut Though it might put you in mind of the dreaded pudding bowl, the bowl cut can actually be a really innovative way to modernise your bob. Making a comeback on runways, it has graced the scalps of many a couture model, and even though you might have thought it’d been vanquished to the annals of style history, it’s very much having a second wind. Again, it owes to the current wave of hair which is so bad it’s good, and it’s a look which feels risky, but which is actually super flattering due to the way it frames the face. Trust us: in Glasshouse’s capable hands, it’s a cut that can’t go wrong, and we even promise not to get the pudding bowl out.
Words: Lauren O’Neill
Cover image: The Fashion Spot
