It comes as no surprise really that we all seem to be suffering from a little hair fatigue lately. Whether it’s from staring at yourself in zoom meetings for too long or having outgrown your usual cut, a lot of us are now considering a change of style to welcome the summer season.
We’re here to help you find some inspiration, and where better to start than the bob? If you haven’t already succumbed to this shorter style in the last few years, you’re a stronger woman than we are—previously, at least half of the Who What Wear team had gone for the snip. Long bobs and blunt bobs have all had their moments but the most recent cool-girl hair trend? The French bob.
If you’re after something drastically different but still guaranteed to be chic, this is the style for you. But what defines a French bob, you ask? Well, the original is sharply cut somewhere between the cheekbone and the chin—think Amélie— but more modern takes can fall anywhere above the collarbone, most often with a relaxed natural wave, and never too overdone.
According to French celebrity hairstylist Rudy Martins, “Most French girls had this haircut as children in Paris (often cut by their own mothers!). While the cut has a sweet and innocent touch, it’s also innately cool without trying too hard.”
Keep scrolling for the chicest French-style bobs we’ve seen and some of the best products around for perfecting the look, whatever your hair type.
Influencer Aida is just so chic.
Kaia Gerber is queen of the stylish (but laid-back) bob.
We can’t get enough of Ambrosia Malbrough’s cheekbone-brushing style.
Bella shows even the wet look works with this style.
Just. So. Chic.
Lucy Boynton is a vision in this piece-y bob.
Eva is a longtime fan of the chin-length bob.
Vanessa Hudgens could basically be French here, no?
Grece Ghanem shows this short style is perfect no matter what your age.
We love Irina Shayk’s power look, proving a bob doesn’t have to be sleek to be sexy.
Jourdan’s curly bob looks effortless.
Lily James has gone for a slightly longer length but kept the casual messy waves of the French look.
Kelly Rowland shows how to do the fringe-and–French-bob combo.
Emilia Clarke goes for a fringe-less look.
This picture might be from 2011, but Kiera’s cut is bang on trend for 2022, proving it’s also timeless.
Perfect for curly hair, this lightweight gel shapes kinks and coils for springy, bouncy strands.
Absorb excess oil at the roots and add body to short styles with this volumising mist.
The French bob looks good worn sleek or in waves and you an achieve both with this hair tool.
There’s no risk of crispy, crunchy curls with this lightweight formulation.
Formulated with rice protein rather than the traditional salt, this fine mist delivers beachy waves to even the finest strands. Oh, and it smells amazing too.
Ideal for medium to thick hair, this styling lotion conditions and nourishes strands and blocks humidity to keep your style looking fresh whatever the weather.
A cult leave-in conditioner for shiny, shapely curls and waves.
This strand-thickening formula will convert even the hardest of mousse skeptics. It leaves hair soft, healthy and looking way thicker than before.
The name really says it all: a cult product for creating dishevelled, effortless, cool-girl hair.
