Zendaya, Hailey Bieber, Lizzo, and Ciara have all tried the style in the past several months.
Theres little doubt the style is popular but how does it also manage to seem brand new?
I became a hairdresser when I saw Madonnas bob in the Express Yourself video, Townsend toldAllure.
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The cut has a way of inspiring.
It was taboo-breaking and instantly became a radical symbol of liberation.
Everyones about to run to the salon, one comment read.
British hairdresser Vidal Sassoon creates a long bob with a soft fringe for actress Janette Scott.
And they werent wrong.
(Fun fact: Zendaya showed Stephen photos of Drew Barrymore and Christy Turlington circa the 1980s.)
She also created Rihannas edgy, asymmetrical bob in 2007.
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I think its more than a haircut.
Its a [powerful] statement, says Stephen.
Then: Rihanna in 2007.
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Now: Zendaya in 2023.
In the 1920s, that statement signified defiant liberation.
Personally, I love the hairstyle and have for decades.
Then: Rihanna in 2007.
(I had also tweezed my eyebrows off for full-on flapper vibes, but thats another story.)
A fellow beauty editor described me like so: You look like Amelie, if Amelie got tattoos.
To this day, it is one of my favorite compliments.
Now: Zendaya in 2023.
Pop cultures short-term, Etch A Sketch memory is part of what makes the bob perpetually new.
Like the amnesiac employees in the Apple+ seriesSeverance,our hairstyle recollections are constantly being wiped clean.
Whats more, TikTok trends can seem old before they can even be new.
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Gen Z isnt aware that generations of women have done this before.
They dont know the history of the bob or who Louise Brooks or Vidal Sassoon were.
Their reference is Hailey Bieber.
And a new generation will always discover the bob as a radical new cut.
Today, its about wearing ityourway.
Andeveryoneeverywhere can pull it off.
The bob is so versatile, says Townsend.
Its a haircut that can work for every face shape and hair texture.
It can look different on everyone just cut bangs, change the part, make it longer or shorter.
Stephen adds, No two bobs are ever the same, so it always looks new.
The bob is about freedom and taking charge.
You cant say that about just any hairstyle.
Read more stories about bob haircuts.
Now watch how to master the French bob haircut.
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