Inspired by 31-year-old actor Margot Robbie’s hair on British Vogue’s August cover, Kathleen Baird-Murray heads to the salon—and learns that a French-girl fringe works at any age.
Bangs Over 50: The Transformative, Age-Transcending Power of Forehead Fringe
Just what is it about the French-girl fringe that is so youthful? As my hairdresser Joel Goncalves snips cheerfully away at my hair, bundles of it accumulating in my lap, I can’t help but marvel at how the careful placement of wispy bits, sharp bits and blunt bits can make eyes look a little wider, lips look a little fuller, and freckles pop more… foxily. To clarify, I’m talking about the Margot Robbie British Vogue cover that inspired me to book in for the chop in the first place, and not my own reflection in the mirror.
But while the 31-year-old actor totally rocks the look (created by hairstylist Bryce Scarlett), it’s the spirit of this particular type of fringe that makes it so wearable at any age—including mine. Long summer evenings, barefoot in the park, oversized Celine shades… the French-girl fringe is the antithesis of those power fringes that rule the boardroom, their geometrical perfection creating a businesslike air that allows the wearer to channel their inner Mary Portas. “It’s Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot,” says Goncalves of the Gallic alternative. “Always easy to wear, always iconic, and it’s grown in popularity over time.”
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And it’s that sense of freedom—perhaps needed more than ever following lockdown after lockdown—rather than any desire to knock actual years off, that is seeing more of us in our fifties request one. At least if my casual survey of those gracing Goncalves’s chair is anything to go by. “Two yesterday and another later today,” he says.
Dare I say it, with a fringe, you’ll never need Botox in your forehead, which might be why some women are trying it for the first time at a later stage of life. “Not only is this fringe very youthful,” says Goncalves, “but a lot of women who have fringes don’t have Botox in their foreheads.” If you’ve never tried it before, it’s worth revisiting the notion—your face shape may have changed slightly over the years—something a good hairdresser can identify and make the most of. “It’s all about where the hair lands on brows, cheeks, and jaw. A soft fringe shows off the cheekbones, the jawline and expands the eyes,” says Goncalves. “If you cut a bit further back from the eye it can make the eyes look a little wider—it has a very strong impact on bone structure.”
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Kathleen Baird-Murray
