A Bob With Bangs - The Ultimate Inspiration And Styling Guide
Bobs and bangs are never going out of style, this much we know. With each becoming something of a status symbol (remarkable, having been deemed passé only a short while ago) to set apart the ‘cool’ from the crowd, the love has never been stronger for ultra-short crops and face-framing fringes.
You’ll find both being worn by your favourite celebrities, whether it’s Hailey Bieber’s boyfriend-style long bob or Daisy Edgar Jones’ effortlessly sophisticated curtain bangs. They’re both incredibly wearable, flattering and can transcend the seasons with ease.
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Little wonder, then, that the two look even better together. The interest of a classic one-length bob is immediately upgraded with bangs - be it curtain bangs, micro-bangs or side-parted bangs - since they add so much shape and dimension. Like an accessory, bangs can really help to elevate your style and flatter your face shape even further. Better yet, a bob with bangs can be worn across every hair type, and will actually benefit from some natural waves and texture.
How Do You Cut A Bob With Bangs?
The beauty of this cut arrangement is how easily it can be adapted to suit preference, face shape, and hair type. Of course, cutting a bob with bangs should always be left to a professional, but it helps to have an idea of the look you want ahead of your appointment. That way, you and your hairstylist are on the same page from the get-go.
‘There are many different versions of bobs which all suit different types of bangs or fringes. It all depends on the client’s face and body shape, and the overall aesthetic they are trying to portray,’ explains Neale Rodger, style director at STIL, and he continues: ‘For example, you have your French bob, which is typically shorter with a hint of graduation in the back, and cut square or slightly rounded towards the front - this pairs well with a shorter bang as the two shorter lengths will create a visual balance.
‘Then you have your Italian bob, which is cut with the length dropping ever so slightly towards the front and tends to work better with a longer bang, which again creates a balanced appearance. You also have your LA-style bob which is typically very short, very graduated and very rounded towards the front - these often work well with micro-bangs. Or you can have your classic box bob where the length is cut very square and typically has a blunt square fringe to suit.’
How Do You Blow Dry A Bob With Bangs?
Similarly to cutting bobs, blow drying them is also quite specific to the particular bob you have had cut. For example, while a French bob looks beautifully undone when left to dry naturally, a classic blunt bob looks most sophisticated when blow-dried straight and smooth.
‘You can also style a French bob by taking it behind your ears while wet and using dent-free clips to hold down the fringe and keep the sides in place. Leave it to air-dry, and this will create the little curl at the front of the bob which is very on trend. If you touch the hair before it is fully dry, though, you will tease back up the cuticles and this will create a Velcro effect where they catch onto one another and create a fluffy, frizzy look,’ Rodger adds. To counteract this, ‘you can use a heated styling tool to create soft curls directing them backward to give a refined finish.’
Speaking of styling tools, Chris Long, Dyson’s GB Styling Ambassador, finds blow-drying a bob with bangs easiest using a Dyson Airwrap. ‘I like to keep a bit of texture. I’ll style using the Airwrap, with the soft smoothing brush attachment to dry off the root and create lift, and then I use the round volumising brush attachment to get a slight bevel on the ends.’
How Do You Style A Bob With Bangs?
There’s certainly a knack to styling bangs and, in our experience, it takes some practice. Ideally, bangs should be light and bouncy, but all the while shapely and long-lasting. This requires equal parts product and skill.
Generally speaking, though, you have three ways of styling bangs, according to Rodger. ‘You can either comb the bangs into your desired position when they are wet, flat on the forehead, and using dent-free clips allow the hair to dry naturally, or use a diffuser to speed up the process.'
Or, you can blow dry the bangs from left to right to stretch out the roots and create natural volume, and then blow dry either over the round brush, or under the brush.
'Alternatively, the third option is to use a small or medium round brush and roll the hair backwards off the face, moving the brush all the way down to the root and then setting with cold air. This will give you big bouncy bangs which tend to look better when they are longer and flipped around,’ he adds.
And finishing touches are paramount, says Long: 'To finish off, I love a little ear tuck on one side as it just adds a bit of edge. A great example of this is Belgian singer Angèle, with her French girl bob. So chic!'
The Best Bob With Bangs Style Inspiration
Edgy Short Bob With Bangs
We'd go as far as to say that you can't talk about bobs without mentioning influencer Taylor La Shae. Her choppy bob with wispy full bangs is the epitome of Parisian chic. We're obsessed.
Layered Bob With Bangs
While Jenna Ortega's bob is brimming with grungy volume and lived-in texture, her bangs are ever so sleek and smooth.
Blonde Bob With Bangs
Taylor's choppy full-fringe and tousled lengths embrace her natural texture in the best way possible. Perhaps her best hair-era of all?
Short Bob With Bangs
This French girl short bob with bangs is complete with a wispy full-fringe and tonnes of shine.
Blunt Bob With Micro Bangs
Micro-bangs look surprisingly wearable on singer Angèle, fit with an ultra-short jaw-grazing length.
Curly Bob With Bangs
Here, curtain bangs lend shape and lift to model Hanna Lhoumeau's long curly bob, which helps to avoid a bottom-heavy shape.
Long Bob With Bangs
Model and actress Jung Ho-yeon's choppy, disheveled lob with wispy bangs leans into her natural texture to create movement.
Short Bob With Curtain Bangs
Chloe Miles' ultra-cropped bob taps into an edgier aesthetic with uniquely coiffed curtain bangs.
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