Perhaps I should blame Jane Henderson in the 1984 cinema cult classic Paris, Texas. An icon whose bouncy, chin length, brazen bob became as notorious as her performance in the film. But when I came along a few years later, my mum decided that the only hair cut I should have as a child would also be a chin grazing blonde bob.
As the years have passed the styles of bobs have changed and evolved for each era of my life. A fringe came and went, and came again, depending on my infatuation with Sienna Miller’s parted bangs (which reached a climax in 2004 with the release of film Alfie). The colour too has morphed from white-blonde to striped highlights, to a Kurt Cobain dip-dye and then some balayage.
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The cuts have also grown up with me. It was cherub-like - and snipped using a bowl - for childhood. Shaggy and layered for my stoner teen years. Fringed and floppy for the days spent scrolling Facebook in the University library. Razored and sharp for my first jobs. And boringly practical for the arrival of my own kids. But whilst the shapes have been endless, the length always the same, a meticulous ratio somewhere below the jaw and sitting above the shoulders.
Of course, my bob style icons have also morphed with each decade. From Victoria Beckham's razor cut 'pod' paired with a white triangle bikini to perform at the Brit Awards in 1997, to Gwyneth Paltrow in 2001's Royal Tenenbaums, whose bobbed hair was flawlessly parted on the side with a clip. And who could forget Chloe Sevigny’s cool-girl wedge bob, which led to a life-time of lusting.
‘You have a short hair agenda!’ said my six-year-old to me over a recent mealtime as I began my weekly tirade trying to persuade her to part with the long, tangled, tousle of hair running down her back. ‘You just want everyone to get their hair cut’. The child, whilst a little precocious in tone, wasn’t wrong. I am committed to a chin-skimming bob possibly more than I have been to any other relationship in my life. I have lived across the world, made friends on every continent, climbed many a mountain (figuratively, none literally) and done it all with the very same bob cut.
I tell said daughter about the history of the bob, that when it came to prominence in the 1920s - in the flapper era - it was an badge of female power and social rebellion. Post-war women would no longer be subservient to men and their bobs became a mark that they were liberated. Does my bob make me more political today? Almost certainly not, but I will take any easy route to seem more of an activist. Who needs champagne socialism when one can be a bobbed feminist?
I suspect the real reason for the bob's enduring appeal is that with very little effort, the result is always somewhat put-together, at many times when my life is not. My creased shirts and the coffee spilled on cuffs all seem less noticeable when paired with a bob. I’ve also found I can style a bob with every season, trend and weather condition – slicked back in summer on the beach with some leave-in conditioner and it completely comes into its own when roll-necks and big wool collars come out for winter. Rain? Not a problem with my bob, give it 15 minutes and it's dry again and 'hot to go'.
In recent years I've learnt that a regular 6-week, 1 inch, trim keeps the bob looking at its best. But beyond a regular cut, it requires very little maintenance. Often it’s left air dried, at most a paddle brush and a hairdryer may help. Maybe some smoothing crème or salt spray depending on the weather outside. My shampoo consumption is low, and I can be showered and ready in 15 minutes leaving more time in bed or for long, several coursed, breakfasts.
Sometimes at the start of a new year or in the middle of the night (when awake questioning other choices), I think about if I should try a new style. I have wasted hours scrolling Lea Seydoux’s transformation from bob to pixie crop. Or lusting over the luscious long locks and feathered fringe of Dakota Johnson. I wonder with a new cut might I be different? Funnier? More successful? Perhaps...
But by sunrise I always return to keeping the bob. I’ve found what I lack in an adventurous attitude, I gain in dependability. Never do I go to a hairdresser and get buyer’s regret. And rarely do I look at a picture of myself and grimace at the sight of my hair. This stability has often been a pillar of comfort, a constant through other bad decisions and life chaos. Whilst the world is burning and so much still unknown, I always have one thing to rely on: my bob.
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During Lena's tenure at ELLE, she has been building the brand’s cultural content and special projects including benchmark events; ELLE Weekender, The ELLE List and The ELLE Style Awards. During her time at the magazine, she’s commissioned essays from Zadie Smith, interviewed everyone from Miley Cyrus to Jodie Comer and made viral videos like ‘More Women’ that shone a light on gender inequality and was seen by millions. As an editor, Lena specialises in travel, music, arts, film and all culture and is an active BAFTA member having sat on a jury for many years. She has written for numerous titles including The Guardian, Vogue and The New York Times.
