On my last trip to Paris, I noticed that many of the city’s most stylish residents were sporting flattering curtain fringes. Some had long, straight manes, à la Jane Birkin or Françoise Hardy; others had shorter, layered hair, like Catherine Deneuve or Brigitte Bardot, but they all shared one thing in common—bangs, and that of the curtain variety.
A classic fringe that reflects the effortless French style, it’s no wonder that it is also one of the most requested haircuts at the city’s salons. There’s a reason it’s so popular—it’s flattering on most face shapes, easy to style, and low maintenance too.
What types of face shapes work best with bangs?
In Franche, hairstylists use this rule about which types of faces are best suited to fringes. Oval faces can get away with almost anything, but other tips can help you determine whether a fringe is right for you, regardless of face shape. One of the best-known tricks, which has recently gained popularity on TikTok, relies on taking a good look at your face and jotting down some numbers:
- First, measure the height of your forehead with your fingers, one on top of the other. If your forehead is three fingers high, write down a 1. Four fingers, a 2, and if you can fit five fingers, then a 3.
- Next, determine which part of your face is widest. If it’s your forehead, write down a 1; your cheeks, a 2; and if it’s your chin, a 3.
- Finally, check whether the distance between your eyebrows is larger or smaller than the width of one of your eyes. If it’s larger, write down 1, if smaller, 2.