The anti-bob year

Short bob styles take a back seat to extra-long, princess-inspired locks teeming with femininity

04 August 2024 - 00:00 By NOKUBONGA THUSI

The trend: Supersized strands

The inspiration: Disney princesses, mermaid hair

As seen at: Ermanno Scervino, Dhruv Kapoor, The Met Gala

This year is being dubbed the “anti-bob” year and frankly, we are here for it. With the past couple years being filled with buzz cuts, ear-grazing French bobs, mullets and shaggy wolf cuts, it’s refreshing to see hair, in all its lengthy glory, making a comeback. Blame it on the global obsession with hyper-femininity and the celebration of girlhood via viral trends such as girl dinner, girl therapy and girl math, but we are all craving anything that is whimsical and full of fantasy and doesn’t feel too serious.

The Met Gala this year made a strong case for butt-grazing hair in platinum blonde, rich auburn and fiery red hues, that would make any Disney princess weep. As seen on numerous celebrities such as Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Kendall Jenner, Lana Del Rey and Karol G; it was all about Rapunzel-esque lengths styled in loose, ethereal waves that channelled a carefree, hyper-femininity. The runways have also been loving an “anti-bob” moment as seen at Ermanno Scervino and Dhruv Kapoor, where models’ hair was left long, flowy and made even more dreamy worn slicked back with the additions of deep waves running through the lengths.

How to wear it

Whether you prefer wigs or braids, go for double-digit inches when it comes to length or add long clip-on hair extensions to natural hair for additional length that hits just above the butt.
Create a bohemian, Targaryen feel to hair by adding a few loosely done braids and twists framing the face and dotted along the crown of the head.
The longer the hair, the more prone to dry, split ends it is — so make sure to always keep hair hydrated. Due to the length of the strand, natural oils from the scalp can struggle to reach the ends, so use hydrating leave-in conditioners and non-greasy hair oils to lock in moisture.