Is everyone getting Bardot bangs without me? Because it certainly seems like it.
In just the past week, not one, not two, but three timeless beauty icons—Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, and Julia Roberts to be specific—confirmed that full-frontal fringe is indeed in for spring.
And while I’m personally pleased, I’m not at all surprised. It’s the perfect time for full-frontal Bardot bangs to make their mainstream comeback. In fact, it’s the natural progression of things. (Nature is healing!)
Middle parts and sleek side tendrils, which pulled inspiration from early aughts style (think Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in The Simple Life), have already had their retro moment. Meanwhile, swooped side bangs, like those literally everyone had in 2009, have been resurrected so many times it’s hard to keep count.
But the trademark mid-2010s, full-frontal fringe, popularized by Tumblr-era queens Alexa Chung, Zooey Deschanel, and Rashida Jones, had yet to have its full-fledged comeback. Until now.
Her glam—and pics with Taylor Swift—are going on my mood board.
Of course, even that era was influenced by an earlier time: that of 1960s mod style. Almost every major girl group of the time, such as The Supremes (hello, Diana Ross!), The Ronettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, and more rocked full-frontal fringe.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin, and Anna Karina sported similar styles. And the French influence was and is remains strong: a Google search for “1960s bangs” almost exclusively produces images of the three French actors.
Thus it’s no surprise that Julia Roberts’s hairstylist, Serge Normant, tells Glamour that 1960s France influenced her recent bangs as well. Normant points to Parisian 1960s pop singer Françoise Hardy as the blueprint (which, same).
“For Julia’s bangs, I was going for the Françoise Hardy full, heavy bangs,” he says.
As for why bangs—and all the variations of them—never seem to go out of style?
“Bangs have always been a great way to change a hairstyle without fully committing to an all-new haircut,” Normant says. “You can keep the same length by just adding a more graphic touch and sophistication to your look.”
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If you want French-girl bangs of your own, you’re in luck: It’s actually super simple to master the style. Just make sure to bring a photo of inspiration (perhaps one of the many in this story?) to your stylist. “Bringing a picture of the type of bangs you like is a good way to start the conversation if bangs will be right for you,” says Normant.
Once you’ve gotten the chop, maintenance is key, he says: “Bangs need to be trimmed to always look perfect every few weeks depending how fast you hair grows.”
As for how to style them? That depends on the look you’re going for. For Roberts’s bangs, Normant blow-dried with a round brush and styled with Serge Normant Dream Big Instant Volumizing Hair Mousse, Dream Big Hair Spray, Meta Luxe Hairspray, and finished with Meta Sheer Dry Oil.
For fuller, fluffier bangs like Del Rey’s and Gomez’s, New York City hairstylist Dan Williams suggests asking for arched bangs or angled bangs, with the shortest part at the center of the head.
“As the bangs move horizontally, they become longer into the length,” Williams says, describing the look as a “full arched bang that softens the face, which is much more fun and flirty than your traditional blunt bang.”
Much like Roberts’s bangs, these require maintenance. “Especially when dealing with the shorter length that covers the forehead,” says Williams. “I would suggest every getting a maintenance trim every three weeks.”
To style the look, Williams suggests using a styling mousse and a 25mm round brush to achieve a “perfect bounce.”
“You can also use a flat-iron and bend the iron toward your body if you want that more Sabrina Carpenter take on the bang,” he says.
And just like that, you’re ready to start your spring with a (Bardot) bang.
Danielle Sinay is the associate beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @daniellesinay.
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