When it comes to French-girl hair, the philosophy remains consistent: The less you do, the better. French girls have a knack at making their hair work around their lifestyle (another day of dry shampoo? Pas de problème! Overslept? Embrace the bed head!)—exuding an effortless, undone aesthetic that never looks like they’ve tried too hard.
In order to pull off this low-key yet chic hair, there are certain signature haircuts (and products) that French women are utterly devoted to. Stylist at Trevor Sorbie Covent garden explains, “French hair is all about softness and care-free sophistication.”
To figure out exactly what it is about French haircuts that have that certain je ne sais quoi, we reached out to the experts to get the full rundown on what types of hair cuts we should be asking our stylists for. From short bobs to blunt fringes, scroll below to channel your inner French girl.
The shag has had a major revival over the past year, and it’s French women that have led the way. This timeless French cut is in between a long and short hair length and features soft, textured layers, exuding a nonchalant French-girl look. “The key is to never overload the hair,” says Tiziana Di Marcelli, International Education Director at Trevor Sorbie.
Di Marcelli adds, “You want the hair to feel light and airy. Spray leave-in conditioner through lengths while the hair is damp, and let it dry naturally to help define the natural wave or curl.”
Hair experts are already saying that the French bob will be the biggest haircut of 2022, and we can totally see why. “A French bob is cut like a classic one length bob but doubles up on movement and avoids the sharper edges of the classic bob,” says Di Marcelli. Perfect for straight, wavy, curly and coily styles alike, the French bob is one of the chicest hairstyles around.
“The cut should do the majority of the work for you, but a fun way of styling this look is to tuck the hair behind the ears and flick up the ends using a tong or your straighteners,” adds Di Marcelli.
Along with the bob, a super-short or pixie crop is another classic French style. “For a short, cropped cut on straight hair, you want to create texture with different styling products. For curly hair, hydration is key to keep the curls defined. Leave-in conditioner and curl defining creams are a good shout,” says Sys.
“Think Jane Birkin hair,” says Sys. Fringed styles are the epitome of French-girl hair, especially when teamed with super-long lengths. “It can be fun to style the hair and fringe in waves, too. This style always looks good when the roots are quite flat and the mid-lengths and ends have some texture. It’s that ‘less is more’ approach loved by French women who wish to look sophisticated and effortless,” he adds.
While not the most low-maintenance of French haircuts around, the bowl cut is impossibly chic. “Very similarly to the bob style, this can be worn slick or messy. Either use dry shampoo to create more volume or a shine spray to get a smooth glaze,” says Sys. “Alternatively, it can also be worn curly or wavy for a more undone look,” he adds.
The key to long French styles, says Di Marcelli, is that you don’t want your hair to look as though it has been cut. “Cutting the hair dry, in its natural state, can achieve this—working with a feather razor to create those soft edges helps, too. The less product, the better,” she says.
Up next, 15 pictures that prove the French bob is the chicest haircut to have right now.
