“A French bob is designed to be short near the jawline with a fringe that hits the brow area. I find it shorter than a chin-length bob with its signature ends slightly curving in toward the chin. It’s a great hairstyle to frame a long or heart-shaped face. It was popular in France in the 1890s, but today’s cool-girl version has blunt edges and heavy organic texture…so it’s radical, yet chic with the perfect amount of texture,” explains Sam Villa, cofounder and chief creative officer of Sam Villa and global artistic ambassador for Redken.
Professional Tips:
- The cut is disconnected or detached, so it is important to section and clip the entire head first before starting to have more control.
- Many times when cutting bobs, holes may occur behind the ears. Focus on widening the side areas of the head by sectioning to the corner backs versus on top of the ear.
- The comb is a tool that can create many mistakes. The elevation is vertical, so the action of combing from underneath ensures getting the elevation up and above a horizontal line to a vertical degree of elevation. Adjusting combing habits can change the outcome.
- Use a Sam Villa Signature Series Razor–hold it like a pencil and rotate it toward the body, keeping the elbow down. Longer strokes will create a softer effect. Allow the weight of the razor to do the cutting, not the pressure of the grip.
- Sides: The French bob’s signature is the roundness of the bob line in the front side areas achieved by simply taking the corner of the bob off, using the lips as a point of reference.
- Top: Use overlapping sections to detach crown/top areas from underneath. “We have discovered by leaving the top and crown areas slightly longer, we are able to maximize volume,” says Villa.
- Fringe: Think inside out and layer a triangle fringe area prior to cutting the fringe line. This will guarantee a frothy soft interior. Simply create a guide at the top of the triangle and over-direct horizontal sections back to a stationary guide to create maximum length. Adjust the desired length freehand at the brow by pinch-and-cut to create an organic edge to the fringe.
Apply Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer Spray for added conditioning and styling prowess. Then, blow dry with tension for a smooth finish or dry with a diffuser for a more organic vibe.
See Villa do the entire cut HERE.
