15 Pictures That Prove the French Bob Is the Chicest Haircut to Have Right Now

It comes as no surprise really that after a year of coming in and out of lockdowns, we all seem to be suffering from a little hair fatigue. Whether it’s from staring at yourself in zoom meetings for too long or having outgrown your usual cut not being able to get to the salon, a lot of us are now considering a change of style for when we finally get that prized hair appointment.

We’re here to help you find some inspiration, and where better to start than the bob? If you haven’t already succumbed to this shorter style in the last few years, you’re a stronger woman than we are— before the lockdown, at least half of the Who What Wear UK team had gone for the snip. Long bobs and blunt bobs have all had their moments but the most recent cool-girl hair trend? The French bob.

If you’re after something drastically different but still guaranteed to be chic, this is the style for you. But what defines a French bob, we hear you ask? Well, the original is sharply cut somewhere between the cheekbone and the chin—think Amélie— but more modern takes can fall anywhere above the collarbone, most often with a relaxed natural wave, and never too overdone.

According to French celebrity hairstylist Rudy Martins, “Most French girls had this haircut as children in Paris (often cut by their own mothers!). While the cut has a sweet and innocent touch, it’s also innately cool without trying too hard.”

Keep scrolling for the chicest French-style bobs we’ve seen and some of the best products around for perfecting the look, whatever your hair type.