Lily Collins – the star of Netflix hit series Emily in Paris – cut her long hair into a jaw-length bob in June. Posting images of the style on Instagram, she wrote “new hair era unlocked”.
Other stars are joining her in this hair era, from Jessica Biel to Zendaya in tennis drama Challengers. Singer Gracie Abrams, who has supported Taylor Swift on her Eras tour, puts her bob front and centre on her album, The Secret of Us. Meanwhile, Gigi Hadid sent ripples across the internet when she cut her hair into a bob in March.
The bob is taking off among the public, too – as well as being a popular style with the new intake of MPs. Rush, the hair salon chain, has noticed a rise in demand for the style. “Bobs are a classic haircut which are always on trend,” says Rush editorial director, Tina Farey. “However, this summer they have been more popular than ever … a bob has been one of the most highly requested cuts.”
“Chic” is the adjective often applied. “People do associate femininity with longer hair but I think the bob looks so chic, sexy and elegant,” says Mollie Burdell, the contributing beauty editor for website Who What Wear.
There’s also the impact of cutting long hair off into a bob. Celebrities from Victoria Beckham to Kate Moss and Beyoncé have created “stop the press” moments by doing just that. Beckham’s style in 2006 had its own name: the “pob”, a portmanteau for “Posh Spice’s bob”.
It works beyond celebrities, too. A bob can symbolise a new beginning. Burdell cut her hair into a bob after her wedding in 2022 and says that this is a common occurrence. “The bob is a dramatic reveal I think that’s why people cut their hair after their wedding. They’re entering a new era.”