The French Bob Is Summer’s Most Chic Haircut

Butler agrees and says it’s all about texture and movement: “Keep it simple and effortless—this is the essence of the French bob.” To style it, he recommends letting your hair air-dry, or rough-dry it with a blow-dryer without using a brush. He likes to use Leonor Greyl Algues et Fleurs to boost waves, and Leonor Greyl Tonic Hydratant to refresh texture on second-day hair or before a night out.

Richie’s hairstylist George Curran opted for movement in the form of a bouncy blowout, using a round brush and blow-dryer to create volume and a soft curve. Curran shared a behind-the-scenes video of Richie’s French bob on his Instagram account, where the duo shared some background on the new look. According to Richie, her new chop was a result of hair damage from keratin treatments, which uses chemicals to smooth frizzy or curly hair.

“Alright, I’ve been thinking long and hard about this,” Richie says in the video. “I did one too many keratin treatments on my hair, and over the past six months I’ve just been cutting at it and cutting at it hoping that I could get this dead [hair] away and it’s just not going away. And I know what I have to do to make this hair healthy again, and it’s to start over. So we’re cutting a bob.”

As for getting the actual cut, the rules are simple. Be particular about where you want the length to hit (chin? jawline? cheeks?) and explain to your stylist how you plan on styling it every day. And as always, bring plenty of photos that exemplify your hair type and texture so you’re not disappointed.

To make that a little easier, we rounded up French bob inspiration we’re loving right now.