9 Bangs Trends To Help Frame Your Face Because You’re a Work of Art
From bold and blunt to soft and sexy, there’s a fringe for every aesthetic.
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They say that bangs are like a frame for the face. And any good art curator knows that you need to consider the masterpiece when choosing the frame. You wouldn't put the Mona Lisa in an industrial-steel black frame, would you? Or surround an Ansel Adams photograph in ornate gold filigree?
In 2023, bang trends are all about matching your personality and mood. If you're looking for romance this year (à la Degas and Monet), consider soft and feathery face-framing pieces. Or are you hoping to shake things up and buck tradition (like Picasso or Pollock)? Try a grungy, piece-y fringe or spiky baby bangs. Maybe you want to stand out (similar to a Rothko or Lichtenstein) with blunt, bold bangs or big, bouncy ‘70s fringe. Or perhaps you simply have an appreciation for the classics (you’re vibing with Vermeer and Rembrandt) and timeless curtain bangs.
Whatever your particular genre, start with your face shape and go from there. "Many bone structures can be complemented by bangs," says hairstylist and founder of IGK Hair Care, Aaron Grenia. "You’ll want to determine what types of fringe look best with your face shape and avoid those that won’t. For example, if you have a wider forehead, you may want to avoid full, blunt bangs." Bangs that fall below the temples on each side can make cheekbones look more chiseled, and longer, angled bangs bring focus to the eyes.
Here, we've rounded up the best bangs trends of 2023 to help frame your face and your mood.
Meet the Experts:
Nunzio Saviano is a New York City-based hairstylist and owner of Nunzio Saviano Salon.
Aaron Grenia is a hairstylist in New York City and Miami and cofounder of IGK Hair.
Frédéric Fekkai is a New York City-based hairstylist and founder of Fekkai.
Jonathan Colombini is a celebrity hairstylist and creative director of style and color at L'Oréal Paris.
René Fris is a celebrity hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City.
Fabian Lliguin is a New York City-based hairstylist and cofounder of Rahua.
Rodger Azadganian is a Seattle-based hairstylist and founder of äz Craft Luxury Haircare.
Travis Speck is a New York City-based hairstylist at Suite Caroline Salon.
Jason Hallman is the lead stylist and educator at Ouidad Salon in New York City.
Curtain bangs
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Are you an ingénue or a femme fatale? A winter or a summer? A Carrie or a Samantha? Curtain bangs like Camila Cabello's let you have a little bit of everything. They're bangs, but they're also not quite bangs. They're layers, but they're not just layers. "This type of fringe is versatile, flattering on many face shapes, and can be styled in various lengths," says hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai. "Ask your stylist to create your fringe in an inverted ‘V’ shape to frame the face on both sides." Depending on what features you want to highlight, you can either have them cut longer to highlight the cheekbones or shorter to really frame the brow line, he adds.
Straight bangs
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"Soft, straight bangs bring instant attention to your eyes," says New York City-based hairstylist René Fris. (Admit it: You've been lost in Megan Fox's eyes this whole time, haven't you?) "Tell your hairstylist that [the bangs] should rest just beneath your eyebrows." When styling at home, keep things simple: Quickly hitting it with a round brush and a hairdryer should do the trick.
Bottleneck bangs
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No need to grade Halle Berry's bangs on a curve. (Uh, anyone?) These tried-and-true bottleneck bangs have all the expert bend and shape they need to make it to the head of the bangs class. "The top is narrow and then moves into a longer, wider ending, like a bottle, hence the name," says hairstylist Rodger Azadganian. “This type of bangs gives a ton of versatility because the outer fringe is longer and the middle can easily be swept to the sides for more of a curtain bang look.”
Blunt and Bold
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“You could go into the salon, ask for just these bangs, and your look just made a complete 180” ”
This style works especially well on thicker hair as the straight, blunt cut is made bolder by its full coverage (thinner hair types will wind up with a piecier version). Colombini recommends adding some longer, wispier pieces near the lip line to give the cut even more edge as Natasha Lyonne has here.
Baby Bangs
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"Baby" bangs is kind of a misnomer, given how badass this cut actually is. "Punk rock don't-mess-with-me bangs" just doesn't roll off the tongue as well. Fris expects to see more of these spiky, uber-short bangs in 2023, especially paired with shags and wolf cuts like Doja Cat did here. "Ask your hairstylist for straight, textured bangs that fall about an inch-and-a-half down from your hairline," says Fris. Wear them straight or use a texturizing paste to give them a messier, tousled look.
70s Buxom Bangs
Instagram/@nunzio_nyc1
This ‘70s-inspired style on model Julia Zou is kind of like a sexy bowl cut for your bangs. The rounded, bouncy, voluptuous fringe is very Charlie's Angels and works especially well with longer hairstyles. "Seventies bangs look great on every face shape and any hair texture, regardless of the length," says New York City-based hairstylist Nunzio Saviano. “They're soft with a lot of movement.” To get that extra va-va-voom bounce, dry damp bangs using a large-barrel round brush and a volumizing product like JVN Embody Volumizing Hair Foam.
Feathery French Bangs
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This feathery fringe is the bangs equivalent of wearing a silk robe. It's soft, romantic, comfortable, and, paired with a glass of champagne (you know, the real kind from the real region), it's oh-so-French. "These bangs are usually longer than regular fringes and have lots of texture," says Fabian Lliguin, hairstylist and cofounder of Rahua, adding that these bangs can easily be air-dried for an undone look.
New York City-based hairstylist Travis Speck recommends pulling the rest of the hair into a messy chignon or ponytail as Jenna Ortega has here. And when they get too long? Go with it. That's the beauty of this looser, bedhead-y fringe. "Letting bangs grow into something different is actually what makes them special," he says.
80s Grunge Bangs
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Speck expects to see these grungy, punk rock bangs make a comeback in 2023. It's very “I don't care about my hair, I just cut it with my kitchen shears,” and there’s something extremely, well, chic about that. Or did we just make it not chic by saying it was chic?
Speck recommends asking for your bangs to be cut with a razor in order to give them that DIY vibe. “The imperfections are what make it perfect,” he says. To get the messy separation that Rowan Blanchard has here, style them with a dab of texturizing cream like Bumble and bumble Bb Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme.
Curly Fringe
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Loose, sexy curls make for bombshell bangs, but they can also be a little tricky to wrangle. The advice here, says Ouidad lead stylist Jason Hallman, is to have a stylist take a look at your curl growth patterns and choose the length and shape that will cooperate naturally. (This brow-length fringe is a perfect fit for Alanna Arrington's looser curls, for example, while those with tighter coils may want a longer length). "I always tell my clients to achieve the look at home using a Wet Brush," says Hallman. Then brush the bangs from underneath while damp and shake them out to form the curls, he says.
