FRINGE BENEFITS
Why Claudia Winkleman’s hair will never betray her
YOU would think we would have more to worry about — I mean it’s not like the world we live in is a bed of roses at the moment. But amongst the doom and gloom and general anxiety we are faced with on a daily basis, the topic that seems to divide opinion — even my regular taxi driver has an opinion on it. And this hot topic is Claudia Winkleman’s fringe. Yes, really!
All over the country in hair salons, cafes, offices, buses, kitchens and my aforementioned taxi ride to work, people are obsessed with the thick black wedge of a fringe that Ms Winkleman has been squinting and peeping through for as long as we can remember. But for some reason we are now completely invested in thanks to the success of The Traitors.
Why? How? What’s she hiding? Does it have a Tik Tok account? (Yes, a few in fact) Is it real? Is it insured? Does she cut it herself? Who actually cuts it? Is it a cover up? How does she see? What does she see? And on and on the questions go.
So what is it about that fringe that we are infatuated with? In reality, it’s a pretty straightforward, blunt fringe; sometimes it’s a little too long, other times it’s thatch-thick and it’s always beyond practical.
As a salon stylist who takes many requests from clients to reinterpret celebrity haircuts and styles, I can’t ever remember anyone asking for ‘a Winkle-fringe’ or ‘Claudia bangs’. That’s not to say that there aren’t Claudia doppelgängers out there because, quite frankly it’s a look, a good look — great even, on the right person. And that person is probably, like Claudia, a little bit gothic, a little bit boho, inspired by the 60s Greenwich Village beat girls, or French Yé-Yé singers or maybe a little Sandie Shaw thrown in.
It’s definitely an edgy vibe — Soho clubs after dark or Parisian jazz clubs maybe? So if it’s edgy, alternative and left-field cool then what’s all the fuss about?
The thing about Claudia Winkleman is simple — her whole personality and image is completely at odds with modern day TV and media personalities. Her image and look is completely unique, there is no one quite like her. In a world of bland, beachy-waved boring blondes, here we have a quick-witted, heavy-fringed, self-deprecating rock star who seems to be the rank outsider but completely at ease in every studio situation whether it’s the fluffy camp of Strictly Come Dancing or the dark deceit of The Traitors.
On the surface you would think she would be best suited to a late night arts or foreign film show, in fact she could easily do either and more inbetween.
She could and probably will do any of these things or whatever she wants because ultimately Claudia Winkleman is literally the go to girl for every TV programme, mainstream or otherwise.
And the reason for that, I believe, is like her hair she is one of a kind. She crosses over from the ‘fringe’ to centre court with ease.
The hair, or to be more precise the fringe, is a very specific affectation, almost a prop. It creates the mystery — behind the fringe there is a seriously quick brain working overtime to stay ahead of the game and because you can barely see the eyes, the quick fire responses and deadpan delivery have extra power.
There is something classically British about the whole package. It’s almost a throwback to Ready, Steady, Go or some 1960s beat comedy but Claudia Winkleman is no throwback — her entire image is slick, professional and cool.
As for claims that fringe means she doesn’t have to have Botox, many fringe-addicts would agree that the hairstyle is an easy way to hiding wrinkles and looking younger.
She has also said that if she didn’t have the fringe, she wouldn’t have a career. I doubt that, but Claudia has carved out a very unique place in the media.
And unlike the Hollys, Fearnes, Cats and even her co-host Tess Daly, she presents a persona that people either love or don’t. Either way, we are all talking about her, all the time, it appears!
A quick search on Google and you’ll find more people who have something to say about her hair or makeup than maybe any other primetime TV star. I won’t repeat the worst but ‘the fringe’ does
‘Her image is at odds with most media personalities’ ‘An iconic trademark, the fringe has served her well’
seem to bear the brunt of people’s vitriolic attacks.
For some reason people just don’t trust women with heavy fringes — Anna Wintour might concur; Jane Birkin was vilified for her free-spirited bohemian ways; The Velvet Underground’s Nico was considered cold and aloof and Cleopatra was just downright dangerous.
The point is that when a woman presents herself in a strong, individual and powerful way, men get threatened and most of the online comments are from them.
The big question is, why don’t more women want to look like Claudia — the heavy fringe, jet black hair, the smoky eyes, the style that says “this is how I roll”?
Well, because Claudia is her own invention. She’s her own muse, appearing effortlessly cool and almost accidentally beautiful takes more effort than she’s probably prepared to admit, or maybe she would — who knows what’s she thinking?
But she’s getting it right on every level— whoever came up with the fringe idea deserves a huge thank you. It’s done its job and more — a career starter and iconic trademark, it has served her well.
Claudia Winkleman may well be a TV treasure and is without a doubt a style icon but she is also the winner in the “best use of a fringe as a career move” category.