The Bowl Cut Your Mom Gave You Is Back
Honestly, 2019 has been full of surprises, but one beauty trend I never could have predicted was the bowl cut. The polarizing hairstyle's comeback has been a slow burn, creeping back into society's consciousness for the past few years on fashion week runways, the 2018 Met Gala red carpet, and male celebrities like Timothée Chalamet. Charlize Theron is the most recent celeb to make a case for the haircut moms are known for DIYing in kitchens across the country. The actress' new bowl cut is so convincing, I even considered getting one for a hot second.
Theron's bowl cut was first seen in an Instagram post announcing that her character from The Fate of the Furious (Fast 8) is returning for the franchise's ninth film. This is great news for Fast fans, but I was more taken by her circular haircut. The star's bowl cut was created by Virtue Labs creative director & celebrity hairstylist Adir Abergel, who looked to a photograph of '90s supermodels Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford by the late photographer Peter Lindbergh for inspiration.
RELATED: Celine Dion Just Made a Strong Case for the Bowl Cut
Abergel turned to his friend, British hairstylist Jonny Eagland, to help with the undercut portion of Theron's cut. Then he cut the actress' hair into a symmetrical bowl right above the ears and below the brow. Abergel trimmed the hair straight across and connected it into a slight V at the back of Theron's head to give the cut a 2019 edge. The transformation also included color by Shannon Gallacher. To keep Theron's hair looking shiny and vibrant throughout the coloring process, Abergil stepped in to treat it with Virtue's Color Kick and Restorative Treatment Mask.
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So why does Theron's bowl cut suddenly seem so cool? I asked Abergil his opinion on why the polarizing haircut is trending. "I think the traditional bowl cut was about creating a very circular silhouette around the perimeter of the head and was always cut a little too short around the front," he tells InStyle. "To add to that, the undercut was also always quite severe because it was cut with a buzzer versus a razor, along with scissors that left no soft edges anywhere. I think the reason this cut is back in style is because it’s modern with soft and hard edges to it, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of it."
Whether or not you like it or not, the bowl cut's comeback can no longer be ignored. Keep scrolling for proof.
Celine Dion
Earlier this summer, Celine Dion revealed that she's team bowl cut. She wore a black choppy version on a subscriber's cover of Harper's Bazaar.
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Kaia Gerber
The model wore a pastel bowl cut bob wig on the Fendi Haute Couture Fall 2019 runway in Rome. "The look was inspired by the geometric bobs of the late ’60s and ’70s that Karl [Lagerfeld, the late designer of Fendi] featured in his illustrations at that time," said hairstylist Sam McKnight in the September 2019 issue of InStyle. "I cut many variations, and this round shape is so attering; it opens up the face." He set the very chic bobs with a mist of hairspray from his eponymous haircare line.
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Saint Laurent Spring 2019
The bowl cut also made an appearance on Saint Laurent's Spring 2019 runway. Hairstylist Duffy gave the cut a rock n roll vibe by giving models long symmetrical bangs that hit just above the cheekbone and covered their eyes.
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Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet sent his fans into mourning when he chopped his hair off in preparation for his role in Netflix's The King. However, for what hair the actor lost, the bowl cut gained.
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Ruby Rose
The actress switched up her signature shaggy pixie for a bowl cut at the 2018 Met Gala.
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Zendaya
Zendaya is another celeb that showed up to the 2018 Met Gala wearing a bowl cut. Her circular bob's bangs gave the whole look a mod vibe.