The Bob Hairstyle Trend

How to rock the bob hairstyle of the moment

The bob is back in a big way. Sleek bob hairstyles first appeared en masse in the early 1920s (think liberated flappers in daring razor-cut styles) and they’ve re-appeared on the red carpet thanks to stylish stars Katie Holmes, Victoria Beckham, Eva Longoria and Anne Hathaway. One of our favorite bob hairstyles of all time is the sexy Inverted Bob. Think long in the front and short in the back. The long pieces in front of this asymetrical style hide a multitude of flaws, including a double chin or extra wide jaw, and the cut emphasizes a swan-like neck and beautiful face. Now's your chance to make the bob hairstyle your own. Trendy? Classic? Flirty? Of-the-moment bobs range in style, cut and color. Think about adding bangs, experimenting with your part (try a zig-zag or extreme side part) and investing in large earrings that will call attention to your face. Try on bob hairstyles in our virtual hairstyle studio.

Eye-grazing, side swept bangs add a touch of flirtiness to a bob hairstyle. If you want to complement your bob with bangs that gently sweep to one side in peek-a-boo fashion, ask your stylist to cut them so that they hit the middle of your nose when you pull them taught. The key word is soft, not blunt.

To style, blow dry your bangs using a round brush, then comb them down against your face to keep them from poufing out. Place a dollop of styling mousse in your hand and shake them out to scoure a piecey, tousled effect. Side swept bangs can call attention to your eyes, so spend an extra five minutes on your eye makeup for evening.

Bangs are a lot of fun when you think of them like a hair accessory: they instantly change your look and are fairly easy to grow out or push back off your face when you're in the mood for a sleek, bare-faced look. A few long layers strategically place at the front of your face can help fine, bobbed hair look thicker and more voluminous. Part your hair off of one (extreme) side and brush it forward from behind the crown. When you feel like showing off long layers this fall, flat iron sections of hair so they stand out on their own and use a thermal protector to prevent damage to the hair.

A sleek, angular bob with geometric curves and chunky, point-cut layers to take the place of the ubiquitous soccer mom bob (and to play up killer cheekbones). Tousle the look by blow-drying your hair upside down, and every which way, with a paddle brush, and style with texturing wax for a piecey look. Alternatively, a soft, feathered bob with razored ends (as shown here) will give your hair movement and make it feel weightless. Blow-dry this bob hairstyle with a round brush, pulling it toward the front of the face, to give the ends soft bend.

Red hair color is having its moment. The bolder, the better for your new bob hairstyle. Is you're brunette, add a hint of pomegranate red and if you're blond, kick it up a notch with a healthy strawberry blond color. If your hair is dark, eliminate tell-tale roots by having a deeper shade of red hair color blended throughout the top of your hair, a few inches from the part line. Bear in mind that a do-it-yourself semi-permanent color typically fades away in about 6 weeks. You can try on strawberry blond hair color and fall's red hair color trends by uploading a photo to TAAZ.--Stephanie Simons