Would Theresa’s power bob suit you?
It’s the style that says: I’m in charge. So how did it make our brave guinea pigs feel?
AS Style icons go, she’s rather an unlikely one. Our new Prime Minister is better known for no-nonsense politics.
But, with her penchant for leopard print heels and chunky statement jewellery, theresa May is showing she can cut a dash among the world’s best-groomed women — on her terms.
even her hair is setting trends. that tidy, no frills, greying ‘do’, has been dubbed the ‘pob’, or the political power bob, and has sparked an interest in women who want to be elegant, but taken seriously. london hair stylist edward James says: ‘If you’re busy running the country – or have high-powered career – you want your hair to make a statement.
‘you only have to look at women at the top — theresa May, Angela Merkel, Nicola Sturgeon and Hillary Clinton — to see that if a woman is in a powerful position, she doesn’t want hair to look fussy or frivolous. Gimmicky hair colour is distracting.’
But does the pob suit everyone? Here, four brave volunteers undergo a theresa May-kover.
A SHADE OF GREY TOO FAR
Irene BellIngham, 56, is a former civil servant who lives with husband ronnie, 60, a manager for a power company, and has three grown-up children. BEFORE: there is no way I would have dreamt of doing anything this drastic to my hair ten months ago. Back then, I was over 20st and had no confidence. But since having a gastric bypass, I feel like I’ve created a new ‘me’. A new, sophisticated hair-do is just what I need.
My hair has always been what I think of as ‘boring brown’. I’ve worn it a little lighter but have always returned to this shade to hide my greys.
I’m not so worried about the change of colour as going short — something that my husband worried about, too. But my attitude is, it will always grow back. EDWARD’S VERDICT: Irene’s hair is fine and a warm copper brown. It’s poker straight and requires a lot of product to get body into the roots. We’ve removed some of the red tone and added cooler ash tones with a lighter colour around the hairline to brighten the hair around the face and add movement.
We’ve softened her fringe and brought it to the side. She has an oval face which means that a side fringe, like the PM’s, is more flattering. We’ve also added volume, using thickening spray at the roots. AFTER: I was really happy to change my style although I was shocked when the first lot of foils came off and my hair had had some weird reaction to the dye. It looked like theresa May’s hair if she’d just spent a fortnight in Magaluf, brassy blonde and not at all me.
But the colourists and stylists reassured me that they would tone it down and fix it, which they did. I love the new cut, it’s a little too ‘big’ for every day but I can tone the back-combing down.
My family like the new style, they say the cut is particularly flattering. they even like the colour but I’m not as brave as our Prime Minister, I don’t want the world to see my greys yet. I’m afraid I’ll be changing it back to my normal colour on my next trip to the hairdresser.
I’M NOW SUPER SOPHISTICATED
margaret aBram, 66, is a charity director. She lives with husband trevor, 72, also a charity director in Faversham, Kent. She has three grown-up children.
BEFORE: the Prime Minister always looks groomed and professional and I’m sure that when she comes back from her summer holiday, the stylists are going to get to work on her image.
As a charity director, I also have to look professional. I’m often front-of-house and very much on show at fundraising events and parties so I like to look chic and stylish, but not ‘overdone’.
My hair is my pride and joy so although I’m nervous about going much shorter and more grey, I’m at an age now where I love having new experiences. I like reinventing myself every few years and I’ve been all kinds of colours — brown, red, blonde.
I’ve grown it down my back and have also had a very short, curlyhaired crop. I chopped it to my current shoulder length about a month ago but I fancied another change so here goes.
EDWARD’S VERDICT: Margaret has petite features which her current ‘triangular’ style doesn’t enhance at all.
She straightens it severely with irons and this covers up her high cheekbones and creates shadows around her face. A softer, lighter cut with a ‘halo’ of colour rather than one block will be more flattering to her skintone.
We’ve finely foiled it to bring in softer ash tones and cut it into a class soft-graduated bob with a side-sweeping fringe. It’s versatile to style and can be given volume like Theresa May or she can wear it sleek for a more modern twist. AFTER: I love it. I love the colour, I love the cut and while I think I’ll tone down the back-combing when I get home, I think it’s beautiful and suits my face-shape.
The attention to detail with the colouring is superb. Even though it’s shorter, I feel more feminine and attractive and people have commented that it’s more youthful than my old style.
My husband loves it, saying it’s sophisticated and a real change. My daughters have also been very complimentary. I’m going to enjoy my ‘pob’.
IT’S ADDED TEN YEARS TO MY FACE!
Jackie key, 48, is a support worker for adults with learning disabilities. She is single and lives in Sunderland. She says:
BEFORE: My hair has always been naturally this dark and I don’t dye it. About two years ago I noticed the odd streaks of grey coming through and now they’re really beginning to show. So I figure, why not go the whole hog and see what it looks like completely grey?
My friends think I’m mad to go for a Theresa May bob but this is a
chance to try something different. I’ve had this hairstyle all my life and I’m a bored of it.
Theresa May’s hair is pretty conservative and stiff and it doesn’t suit my personality. But I’m up for a change and as long as I’m not made to look like Margaret Thatcher, I’ll be fine.
EDWARD’S VERDICT: Jackie’s hair is in very good condition, it feels like silk and only had a few strands of grey.
Her hair is much darker than the PM’s so silver lights were added around the hairline, where most women begin to see silver, and this blends with the existing grey tones. We dried her hair with a keratin treatment that prevents hair from frizzing even in humid or damp climates. It lasts up to two months.
We’ve also used something called Olaplex which helps maintain the bonds of the hair and keeps it in good condition. The colour will
take away the pigment but then we’ve used a plant-derived toner to give it shine and luminosity.
AFTER: I keep catching sight of myself in mirrors and I don’t recognise who it is. I was worried when the foils came off in the salon but as soon as it was blow dried, I really liked it. The length feels good too, but I must confess I’m not so sure about the grey.
I can understand Theresa going grey naturally, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the transformation yet. I think it makes me look years older.
Sorry Theresa, but I think I’ll dye it back dark as soon as I can. At least now I’ve seen myself grey it doesn’t worry me as much for the future. I know I can carry it off — when the time comes.
PEOPLE TAKE ME MORE SERIOUSLY
Suzanne eaton, 45, is a teacher. She is from South Wales although has lived in Dubai for the past 18 months with husband Peter, 58, who works in food and beverages. She has three grown-up children and two step-children. She says:
BEFORE: I’ve been grey since I was 28 and have been dying it blonde with home-kits ever since. I’m intrigued about going grey completely because I haven’t seen my natural hair colour in 20 years.
I’ve been thinking of growing it out anyway. It’s not in good condition so could probably do with lopping off.
I think Theresa May’s style might suit me. I’m hoping I love it so I can
save myself a fortune on hair dye in the future. My husband is seriously worried about me having this done though. EDWARD’S VERDICT: Suzanne’s hair was dehydrated due to bleaching as well as the hot climate in Dubai. We had an advantage as her hair was naturally 50 per cent silver and we had a re-growth of three quarters of an inch so we created alternate foils of soft ash colour and some brighter blondes.
When half her hair was in foil, we added an ash coloured toner to the remaining hair, creating a darker tone throughout the roots. We cut her hair into a graduated bob with a softer rounder shape.
She has great cheekbones and a beautiful smile, so we wanted to keep the cut soft and open up her face. We finished her style like the PM’s hair by blow-drying over the crown.
AFTER: I don’t like the style at all, it makes me look years older. But I do like it pre-blow dry, so will wear it like that instead.
With this particular look, mimicking the PM, I feel I might be taken a bit more seriously, and if I walked into a room people would take notice. So I can understand why the PM wears it like this. But the bouffant style is too Eighties.
As for the colour, it’s not as shocking as I expected and I quite like it. It will certainly be a lot less work and a lot less damaging to my hair if I can keep the grey.
What’s more, my husband has now seen it and says he’s not leaving me!