Long before Kim Kardashian [1] debuted a freshly chopped bob haircut [2] late last week, and definitely before Hailey Baldwin, Jordyn Woods, and little sister Kylie Jenner lobbed it off [3] a few months before that, it was Coco Chanel, Louise Brooks, and the OG trailblazer behind the bob hairstyle [4] as we've come to know it, Irene Castle, who set the trend.
The 1920s cut was a feminist nod to the fight for gender equality, a form of social rebellion that depicted both strength and power. Now, the "castle bob [5]" — as it was so popularly called — is getting a modern update for the season: "It's fashion-forward but still has a classic air, with strong angles and straight lines," said celebrity hairstylist and Garnier [6] brand ambassador Tommy Buckett [7]. This look is fresh and crisp, like Autumn. People are wearing more clothes, turtlenecks, and collared shirts, which showcase the hairstyle [8] very well. It can be styled with or without bangs [9]."
This year's "castle bob" is sharp, blunt [10], yet smooth all the same — and the complete opposite of the shaggier, free-flowing cuts [11] we've been seeing of late. "It's a very versatile look and can be styled in so many ways – waved, straight, textured, pulled apart. It instantly gives you a style, even if you're not trying." (Because why would you be, when you're busy ruling the world?)