Hands up if you’d like to shake up your hair... but don’t want a drastic change?

We ask only because, back in April, when we re-opened for bookings after a long, dark winter, we noticed the emergence of a trend. Everyone wanted a change; a refresh – something to help them put the past behind them and feel all shiny and new again. But not a haircut so drastic they’d feel naked to the world after losing their hard-won length. 

We started cutting curtain fringes. Many curtain fringes. Then adding an easy, tousled blow-out. Nothing too overdone, prim and perfect. But our version of a blow-out: it’s got effortless bounce and movement. As if your hair is having the best day of its life. 

Now, the Hershesons Curtain Bang + A Blow-Out has become the No 1 hairstyle we get asked about. It looks good on all face shapes, works on all hair types, and grows out looking naturally gorgeous.

Here’s why…

What’s the look?

The key thing here is the bangs. They’re the easiest, lowest maintenance way to wear a fringe because they’re long with wispier ends that sweep outwards from a centre parting to around ear height. That swoop adds instant shape to your hair (great if yours is on the fine, shapeless side) – and frames your eyes and cheekbones. It's a bit like waking up to having your make-up already half done: you get out of bed, look in the mirror – and the cut has already done the hard work for you.

We added a beachy, tousled blow-out to capture some boho summer vibes – and make your style feel special without ever looking too perfect or overdone.

The A-list references

Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot’s bangs in the ‘70s make them the ultimate curtain fringe icons. More recently, Selena Gomez, JLo, Hilary Duff, Halle Berry and Elizabeth Olsen have made them their own. The beauty of adding a modern blow-out with a hairdryer or tongs means you can wear your hair down – or tie it up in a high/low pony and still feel like your hair has bags of natural movement.

The benefits

✔ Reboots your look without needing to lose lots of length.
✔ The cut creates shape, so you spend less time styling it.
✔ Looks great down. Gorgeous when whipped back into a ponytail, too.
✔ Brings out your eyes and cheekbones.
✔ Grows out looking beautifully natural, so you don’t need a cut for ages.
✔ Gives you an effortlessly cool/sexy/nonchalant vibe.

Who does it work on?

Seriously – pretty much everyone. A great stylist will adapt the length of the fringe (which is typically shorter in the centre to create a small ‘peak’) and adjust the gradient of the sweep, so it’s tailored to your features and face shape. From there, the blow-dry can help make fine hair look fuller – or just gently amp up your natural texture. Let’s not forget that it looks great on curly hair that needs a little more shape and definition. And don't be fooled by any nonsense you read about fringes 'not working past a certain age'. Come and see us – whatever your age – and we'll make sure you get the perfect fringe for you.

How does it work?

This look is all about getting the right angle on the sweep of the fringe –then blending it into the hair at the sides of your head, so it looks totally seamless. Get this right, and you can make it work on anything from a pixie crop to a bob or super-long hair. We like to add some of our signature ‘invisible layers’ to the rest of the hair to create that easy, tousled vibe that also minimises the time you need to spend styling.

What’s the best way to style it?

If you’ve got natural texture in your hair, you could scrunch a pump or two of Almost Everything Cream into your hair, then simply diffuse or air dry it. For a more blown-out look, these incredible Pro Blow Dry Brushes comes in three sizes for short, short-bob and very long hair. They designed to smooth away frizz and cut your drying time while adding a little lift and movement. Use the brush to pull your curtain fringe forward as you blow dry to really bring out that beautiful sweep. These kits contain frizz-smoothing cream and the best brush to get the look in one.

Who do I book?

David, Adrian and Jordan are all masters at the Curtain Bang + Blow-Out.