In January, I wrote about four new bang trends that are sweeping social media and foreheads everywhere —wispy, curtain, side-swept and mini. I even felt inspired to get a curtain fringe myself and I love it. And on the days that I don’t, I pin them up or style them to the side. But I wonder if everyone who has tried the year’s hottest bangs felt the same way. Are they happy with their side-swept styles? Tired of the maintenance of mini bangs? In love with their wispies? So I asked some women around the country to share what these cuts are really like.
Wispy
Long, thin strands that fall to the brow bone or longer.
Faye McCray, from Temecula (Southern California), works from home doing HR, and calls her style “very low maintenance.”
McCray, who usually has long, straight hair, craved “something different” and “edgy.” Cue: bangs. Her hairstylist gave her flattering long wisps that hit at the eyes and added more layers throughout the hair, giving it beautiful shape and movement. McCray says she loved the fresh fringe, as did others: “A lot of people comment on how good they look on me.”
The beauty of these bangs is how low maintenance they are, which suits her style to a T. She spends about five minutes styling them, blow drying with a round brush, followed by a flat iron. While she loves how the bangs “frame the face and give a completely different and updated look,” she’s decided to grow them out. That being said, she’d definitely do them again when she needs to hit refresh on her look.
Curtain
A draped shape that frames the forehead.
Monica Corcoran Harel, an L.A.-based screenwriter and founder of newsletter Pretty Ripe, who describes her sense of style as “retro and efficient with an emphasis on ease of movement.”
Corcoran Harel decided on curtain bangs to “complement my style and frame and lighten my face.” She also had a case of Covid ennui. “I figured it wouldn’t really matter if I hated them since we were all in lockdown.” She asked her stylist for “Jane Birkin meets Brigitte Bardot meets Goldie Hawn” and came armed with a photo of each from the ‘60s and ‘70s to show her hairstylist, who nailed it. “I looked in the mirror and saw someone more adventurous and fun. They’re youthful too.” They do require a flat iron and occasionally she uses Aveda Smooth Infusion Styling Creme. She 100 percent recommends this look. “Unlike face lifts and tattoos, no cut or color is forever.”
“I’m a huge fan of bangs, and now with virtual meetings and people only seeing you on video, I think bangs add style and personality to any cut. Curtain bangs are great for any shape or texture, so if you’re on the fence, play it safe with this option”, agrees Giovanni Vaccaro, co-founder and creative director of GlamSquad.
Mini
Bangs that start one to two inches above the eyebrow.
Victoria Gonzalez, a student at UC Santa Cruz, whose style is a “really subtle mix of edgy and gothic with vintage and classic” thrown in.
Gonzalez took photos of Jurnee Smollett’s Lovecraft Country character, Leti Lewis, in to her hairstylist. “I didn’t go in thinking of getting bangs, but it was something that just worked,” she says. “I was way more than satisfied with my results from the salon, which rarely happens.” Others were impressed as well: “I was told it was like a mini transformation.”
Gonzalez spends very little time styling the mini fringe, allowing it to curl naturally. “Sometimes they curl up too much on one side, which can look a little funny.” But overall, they work because “they make my hair look effortlessly cute.” She is, however, letting them grow out. In the meantime, she’s enjoying “how bouncy and lively my hair looks with my curly bangs on top” and definitely suggests that others give them a try because they can be styled to the side or pinned up: “They’re easy to put away if you end up not liking them and they grow out eventually. No harm done!”
Sideswept
Swooping fringe that goes across the forehead to the opposite ear.
Lisa Hill-Ries, director of communications for a small non-profit and owner of Chestnut Baked Goods, based in Pelham, N.Y. She calls her style “classic with trendy or unique elements tossed in.”
Hill-Ries was feeling “like I looked blah and needed a little boost.” The quick fix? A trip to the salon. “I asked for side-swept bangs, nothing crazy” and brought photos of Jennifer Aniston and Chrissy Teigen as reference. She “was psyched” with the cut and her friends “were gleefully proud of me that I went for it;” her mom even said she looked like a new person. Bonus, “They hide the weird baby hairs that are new to my hairline, post-kids, post-40 and they hide emerging forehead wrinkles.” She adds, “They make me feel stylish and sultry.” The one down side of the bangs is that Hill-Ries has naturally wavy hair, “so keeping them straight in humidity is tricky.” To style, she uses a round brush and hot blow dryer (she swears by Solano dryers). She spritzes on a small amount of SexyHair Big Spray “to keep them moveable but straight.” She’s excited about summer around the corner “because I’ll wear my hair wavy and style my bangs and it will take no time at all.” Would she get them cut all over again? Absolutely. “I’m a busy, working mom of twins and the pandemic had me feeling less-than gorgeous. Taking this small beauty risk was a huge boost. After this year I think we all need a pretty little adventure.”
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