Wonder how Amal Clooney can go from short to long hair overnight?

When Amal Clooney joined her husband, George at the premiere of his new film hail, Caesar! earlier this 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 Fernandez-Versini 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 below-shoulder-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 . . .