Bob cut

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Woman sporting bob with finger waves, 1920s

A "bob" is a short haircut in which a weighted area is left to fall between the ears and chin. It became modern for women in the early 1920s, and in the 1970s it became popular as a men's style.

It was created in 1909 in Paris by the hairdresser Antoine, who was inspired by "Joan of Arc". In Britain it became popular in "Bloomsbury" circles before the end of the First World War, but was made widely popular in the 1920s by flappers. The American film star Colleen Moore was extremely influential in spreading the fashion around the world. At the time it was considered a sign of a liberated woman. In 1924 the razor cut shingle bob was introduced.

1 1960s and beyond
2 Types
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] 1960s and beyond

In the 1960s, Vidal Sassoon made it popular again, using the shape of the early bob and making it more stylish in a simpler cut. Its resurgence coincided with the arrival of the "mop top" Beatle cut for men. Those associated with the bob at that time included the fashion designers Mary Quant and Jean Muir, actress Amanda Barrie, and singers as diverse as Cilla Black, Billie Davis, Juliette Gréco, Mireille Mathieu and Beverly Bivens of the American group We Five.

Many styles and combinations of the "bob" have evolved since. In the late 1980s, Siouxsie Sioux, lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees, had a bob cut for a short time. Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue since 1988, apparently had hers trimmed every day (Times 2, 10 July 2006). More recently the bob was identified with Uma Thurman in the film Pulp Fiction (1994) and adopted in 2006 by the singer Madonna and, as a move away from boho-chic, by actress Sienna Miller.

From 2006 on, the "bob" came back into fashion in Ireland and the UK. This can be traced to the influence of fashion icon (and ex Spice Girl) Victoria Beckham having had her hair bobbed (girls started asking hairdressers for a "Pob" - Ms Beckham's nickname Posh Spice conflated with "bob").

In the early 1990s, Cyndi Lauper used a bob haircut, with very unusual colors. In 2007, R&B singer Rihanna presented her bob haircut in the video for the international smash "Umbrella". Although falsely accused of imitating this look from Victoria Beckham, she has stated that she got her inspiration from Charlize Theron in Æon Flux. A bob haircut can also be seen by actress Keira Knightley in her short advertising film for Coco Mademoiselle.

[edit] Types

Chinese bob: Cut at the neckline, bobbed up around the edge.
"Pob": A typical "bob" cut, with slightly longer hair in front, cut in an asymmetrical style. Made popular by Victoria Beckham (A posh bob)
Pageboy: is slightly different from the bob, but is also acknowledged as a type of bob. Hair is usually worn straight and could go as long as shoulder-length.^[1] The fringe is cut at or above the height of the eyebrows.