How to fake a BOB
NO SCISSORS REQUIRED
When Amal Clooney joined her husband, George at the premiere of his new film hail, Caesar! earlier t his month, it appeared she’d had her long brown hair chopped into an asymmetric bob.
her locks looked cropped just underneath her ear on one side, with a longer tumble of curls cascading down the other side (pictured far right).
But it soon transpired she was just the latest in a line of celebrities who have opted to ring the changes with a ‘fob’ — or faux bob. The style allows you to reap all the image-changing benefits of a drastic haircut — without actually succumbing to the scissors.
The look’s real secret is the back view, where clever pinning and tucking hides the bulk of the hair, showing off the neck.
In recent months, Cate Blanchett, Cheryl FernandezVersini and emma Watson have been spotted sporting fobs.
I haven’t had a bob since I was a child and well remember how long it took to grow out from the page boy cut to my current belowshoulder-length layered look. So, while I often fancy a change, I’ve never quite dared to go for it.
But, with the help of Mark Smith, senior stylist at John Frieda Salons, I convincingly pulled off five fobs.
‘For almost all these styles, the hair needs to look loose, natural and easy, so start with clean hair and a good blow-dry that smooths out the ends,’ says Mark.
however, if it’s too smooth, the style will fall out. So create some texture around the roots.
Working in sections from the nape to about halfway up the scalp, Mark backcombs the 1.5 in of hair nearest the roots. he then uses straightening irons over each section before brushing through the hair with a bristle brush.
‘This gives you slightly roughened, volumised hair near the roots, which is where you will pin the extra hair,’ says Mark.
he explains there are many ways to fake a bob — such as complicated horizontal French plaits — but one simple technique should allow anyone to give the impression of a shorter, bobbed style.
Take a no-snag hair elastic — Mark recommends Blax (£7.50 for eight, amazon.co.uk) as they don’t create bumps and grip the hair well but without damage — and create a loose ponytail about 3 in from the end of the hair.
Gently pull the hair above the band to make this section wider, then tuck the end underneath and use grips to secure it.
Using variations on this very easy ponytail method, we created five different looks — here’s how you can, too . . .
THE FINGER WAVE
For a retro Thirties look, try a finger wave on one side — you can do it on both but it’s quite laborious.
Wash hair and apply hair gel throughout, then use a fine-tooth comb and your hands to sculpt the hair into S-shaped waves against your head.
Use section clips to keep the waves in place and slick the other side against your scalp. once dry, pull your hair back into a pony tail — if you’ve waved both sides it can be centred, or slightly to the unwaved side if not. Then tuck under and pin.
The gel should give your hair grip to stay in place, even though you haven’t backcombed it.
ASYMMETRIC CHIC
THIS is the look Cate Blanchett went for at the Golden Globes. It’s similar to the straight fob, but you sweep most of your hair behind your neck to the left side and use a shine cream — or pomade — to slick the hair on the right hand side so it’s sleek against the skull. Then fix the ponytail to the left of the nape of the neck and tuck under as before. You may need to use extra grips to ensure the hair on the right-hand side is tight against the head.
AMAL’S WAVY BUNCH
Blow-dry your hair and part on the right side. Use large tongs — Mark’s had a 32mm barrel — to curl the hair to the left of the parting, working in layers and sections about 2 in wide.
Tong the whole of that side of the head, then sweep all your hair around the back of the neck, fix the ponytail to the left of the nape of the neck and tuck under.
Curls will shrink the length of the hair, but if any of the sections are too long, lift the very top section of hair and use grips to pin up sections at the roots — this will make the tendrils shorter, covering the grips.
THE TOUSLED TUCK
This tousled look is in the style of hollywood actress sienna Miller.
After blow- drying the hair (you still want it to be smooth) and giving it some texture, use small-barrelled tongs — around 25mm — to curl all the hair in two-inch sections.
happily, this doesn’t have to be very precise.
when all the hair has been curled, create your ponytail in the centre at the back, widen the section above the band, tuck under and then pin.
This should l ook l ess perfect than a straight bob, so make sure you pull some loose ends free to frame your face.
THE STRAIGHT FOB
THE simplest — and most convincing — fob of all. Simply blow-dry your hair and prepare it by backcombing sections, then create your ponytail and tuck the ends under. You should be able to arrange the hair so it looks like a perfect curled-under bob all the way round. For a less structured look, in the style of Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, pull a few strands loose.