In early July, I reached out to professional hairstylists about how Birkin bangs are trending. By the time I received answers, the eternally cool Parisian icon, Jane Birkin, had passed at age 76. She inspired many things in popular culture we still adore today, from the Hermès Birkin Bag to the effortless French style she brought to life. The Birkin bangs were already trending with stars like Taylor Swift, Lilly Collins, Anne Hathaway and Jenna Ortega sporting them—but now we suspect we’ll see even more of this hairstyle as people pay tribute to the singer and younger generations see stunning photos of Birkin’s bangs across social media.
Birkin bangs
“Named after French icon Jane Birkin in the ’60s, these bangs are short and slightly feathered,” says celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson. “What’s great about these bangs is that they are universally sexy, meaning that they fit any face shape and jawline.” Celebrity hairstylist Tommy Buckett says the whispy style is perfect for a more tousled look.
“Birkin bangs are a soft version of the full bang. They can vary in length, either cut above, below or at the eyebrow,” says hairstylist Jennifer Korab. “The Birkin bang doesn’t require much hair, as they should be thinner at the ends maintaining a soft scruffy look with texture and dimension around the face.” Although they appear effortless celebrity hairstylist Giannandrea Marongiu notes that these bangs are technically complex and challenging to cut, so he suggests having an experienced stylist at the helm.
The origin of these bangs beyond Jane Birkin
Yes, of course, the Birkin bangs look was popularized by Birkin herself, but their story extends a bit beyond that. “These bangs are an evolution of the Brigitte Bardot bangs transitioning from more teased-up hair to the simplistic natural hair of the French Cinema Verite movement of the late ’60s and ‘70s. A new direction was born,” says Marongiu. He notes that this style was also popular in the hippie movement in America, namely San Francisco.
The modern Birkin bang look
The Birkin bang never fully disappeared—it continued to be popular among a certain group and loved by celebrities like Dakota Johnson, who seems to always be wearing some version of Birkin bangs. However, as curtain bangs and other fringe hairstyles came into the spotlight recently people recalled the beauty of Birkin bangs.
“We’re currently in a big change in beauty just like the late ’90s and 2000s, the hair is far cooler, and it’s all about that state of looseness,” says Marongiu. Furthermore, Birkin bangs “bring out the features of the face, so cheeks and lips appear rounder,” adds Marongiu. In addition to the effortlessly cool look they give, Korab says these bangs are also trending since they look good on most people even as they grow out.
Social media has given people unprecedented access to past hair looks they want to replicate, says Marongiu, and “these bangs are exceptionally cool. Buckett notes that bangs tend to be popular in the summer because “it gives a cool French girl look that gives you instant style without over-styling your hair with heat too much.”
