If you’re thinking of changing your hair and going for the chop, you might be considering a number of haircuts. We’re here to help you find some inspiration, and where better to start than the bob? If you haven’t already succumbed to this shorter style in the last few years, you’re a stronger person than we are— at least half of the Who What Wear UK team had gone for the snip. Long bobs and blunt bobs have all had their moments but the most recent cool-girl hair trend? The French bob.
If you’re after something drastically different but still guaranteed to be chic, this is the style for you. But what defines a French bob, we hear you ask? Well, the original is sharply cut somewhere between the cheekbone and the chin—think Amélie— but more modern takes can fall anywhere above the collarbone, most often with a relaxed natural wave, and never too overdone.
According to French celebrity hairstylist Rudy Martins, “Most French girls had this haircut as children in Paris (often cut by their own mothers!). While the cut has a sweet and innocent touch, it’s also innately cool without trying too hard.”
Keep scrolling for the chicest French-style bobs we’ve seen and some of the best products around for perfecting the look, whatever your hair type.
Sylvie Mus’s elegant bob skims her jawline to create a beautiful shape.
Loïcka Grâce’s cropped French haircut is a timeless style.
Curls look totally stylish cut into a jaw-skimming French bob.
Braids look equally cool at a bob length, as Ellie Delphine shows.
The French bob and a fringe are a match made on heaven on Franny.
If a shorter haircut feels daunting, a longer, collarbone-skimming French bob is just the ticket.
Have your hairstylist cut your bob to frame your cheekbones for a flattering finish.
Influencer Aida shows us how to wear a French bob effortlessly.
You don’t need to be a French influencer to pull this stylish look off, as these cool girls and celebrities show…
Model Hannah Kleit goes for laid-back simplicity.
We can’t get enough of Ambrosia Malbrough’s cheekbone-brushing style.
Bella shows even the wet look works with this style.
Just. So. Chic.
Lucy Boynton is the current queen of bobs.
Eva is a longtime fan of the chin-length bob.
Vanessa Hudgens could basically be French here, no?
Grece Ghanem shows this short style is perfect no matter what your age.
We love Irina Shayk’s power look, proving a bob doesn’t have to be sleek to be sexy.
Jourdan’s curly bob looks effortless.
Lily James has gone for a slightly longer length but kept the casual messy waves of the French look.
Kelly Rowland shows how to do the fringe + French bob combo.
Emilia Clarke goes for a fringe-less look.
This picture might be from 2011, but Kiera’s cut is bang on trend for 2023, proving it’s also timeless.
Chloe’s natural waves look so chic cut into this chin-length bob with sweeping fringe.
Zendaya’s side-swept French bob looks so glamorous for awards season.
Nicole Ari Parker’s textured bob and fringe pairing looks so cool.
Millie’s centre-parted style and tucked-under ends lend polished ’90s vibes to her take on the French bob.
Perfect for curly hair, this lightweight gel shapes curls and coils for springy, bouncy strands.
Achieve cool-girl texture by spritzing through the lengths of your hair after styling.
The French bob looks good worn sleek or in waves and you an achieve both with this hair tool.
There’s no risk of crispy, crunchy curls with this lightweight formulation.
Formulated with rice protein rather than the traditional salt, this fine mist delivers beachy waves to even the finest strands. Oh, and it smells amazing too.
Ideal for medium to thick hair, this styling lotion conditions and nourishes strands and blocks humidity to keep your style looking fresh whatever the weather.
A cult leave-in conditioner for shiny, shapely curls and waves.
This strand-thickening formula will convert even the hardest of mousse sceptics. It leaves hair soft, healthy and looking way thicker than before.
The name really says it all: a cult product for creating dishevelled, effortless, cool-girl hair.
This piece was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
