The Hair Bob is Chic and Sleek for the New Season, Says Celebrated Stylist Arsen Gurgov
Madonna, Britney Speaks, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian have all rocked the bob, and Anna Wintour is still killing it after 30 years. The “hair bob” is making a comeback this season, and the first stop for beauty connoisseurs is Arsen Gurgov, the celebrity hair stylist who sheers the Upper East Side from his tony 60th Street penthouse salon. Famous for his work on the Today show’s “Ambush Make-Overs,” Gurgov has an intuitive understanding of what styles look best on clients, based on head size, shape of face, bone structure and texture of hair. And for spring/ summer, it’s all about the bob, which has come in and out of fashion since it first started to appear in 1910, courtesy of French singer and actress Polaire. This season, it’s in.
“This is a cut that flatters almost any woman,” said Gurgov. “It’s sleek, stylish and low maintenance, whether its short or medium length. The bob is especially great for spring/ summer, which is a time many women gravitate to newer, fresher looks.”
The perfect bob features hair cut straight around the head at jaw level, with fringe on top. Of course, there are different variations of the style, depending on your preference. There is the A line bob (slightly longer hair in front, curling under the chin), inverted bob (stacked layers in back curved instead of straight), shingle bob (tapered in the back, exposing hair line), chin length bob (cut straight to back, with without bangs) and shoulder length bob (a blunt style that reaches the shoulders with many layers), among other styles.
The bob has come in and out of fashion through the decades. Vidal Sasson brought it back in style in the 60s, but it wasn’t until the mop-topped Beatles invasion did women realize the look was more flattering on them. Since then, hundreds of starlets have worn the haircut, from Billie Davis to Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Uma Thurman, T-Boz of TLC, Rihanna in her “Umbrella” video, Kiera Knightly in a Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle campaign, Britney Spears during her Australia tour, and of course Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who has worn the cut throughout her 32-year reign as America’s foremost arbiter of fashion. Playing with different shapes of the bob has been Kim Kardashian, long a chameleon of the red carpet. But perhaps the greatest influencer is Taylor Swift, who cut her tresses to reveal a short bob, accentuating her long neck and cheekbones but softened by adding bangs to cover her forehead.
“Celebrities have major influence on hair styles,” Gurgov says. “Clients come in with photos all the time, but not every cut looks good on every face. The bob is versatile, and it projects confidence and empowerment. Given what’s going on in the world, people want to take back control. And you start with yourself.”
Gurgov is often ranked among the best hair stylists in New York, handing a clientele that ranges from celebrities to socialites, editors, models, influencers and those simply in-the-know. He is especially known for his work with the Keratin hair-straightening method, so much so he has been dubbed “the Keratin” whisperer of the Upper East Side.
