Staff members at Studio 59 Aveda Salon & Spa in East Brainerd say they weren’t surprised by Sandra Bullock’s bangs at the recent Golden Globe awards.
“They started training us five years ago for the trend. We knew it was going to happen; we just didn’t know when,” said Dennis Hadley, Studio 59 artistic director and stylist.
“Sometimes it takes that long to work through the system,” he said. “Designers will get a well-liked celebrity like Sandra Bullock who’s brave enough to do something out of the box, and it all comes together.”
Bullock, who was a presenter at this year’s Golden Globes show, “turned heads on the red carpet” with thick, blunt-cut bangs that brushed the top of her eyes, People magazine reported.
Bullock’s new hairstyle influenced Ooltewah resident Tonya Johnson, 47, who decided to get a similar cut.
“I have had bangs off and on for most of my life but had decided before I saw the Golden Globes to get bangs again,” she said. “My boyfriend knew I was going to get bangs, so he asked me to get them cut like Sandra Bullock’s. We watched the show together, and he thought her bangs were cute.”
Johnson is pleased with the new look.
“The cut is really good for women my age,” she said. “You don’t have to get Botox for the wrinkles in your forehead because the bangs cover them.”
It is a good option for women and men who have skin issues or high foreheads, Hadley said.
Hadley said the word “bangs” is only used in the United States and Canada. People in other countries refer to the cut as fringe, he said.
“It’s a cut that has been around for ages,” Hadley said. “But the type of cut changes with the decades. We referred to the ’80’s fringe as ‘claws’ because it stood out from the forehead.”
Curled bangs with a pulled-back ponytail was a trendy look in the 1950s, he said.
“And I also think of Bettie Page, the iconic glamorous actress, who defined bangs,” Hadley said.
Dark bangs were Page’s trademark, according to imdb.com.
Men sport bangs, as well.
“Justin Bieber’s cut is a popular look right now,” Hadley said. “His bangs are a little longer in the front. Typically you’ll see the cut on guys in high school and college. But I’ve seen professionals up to about 35 years old with bangs.”
Women, though, can wear bangs at any age, Hadley said.
Stylist Meredith Miles, 26, who has naturally curly hair, straightens her bangs with a blow dryer and flat iron, she said.
“I like the look. It gives my hair more style. If I didn’t straighten my bangs, they would stick out like little horns,” she said.
A particular cut of bangs is more defined by the celebrity who made it a trend, rather than the cut having a particular name, Hadley said.
“A client won’t come in and tell me she wants blunt-cut bangs,” he said. “Instead, she’ll say she wants bangs like Sandra Bullock’s.”
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