Are you wearing…the bleach blonde bob? Yes, Emily Blunt is.
Filming is well underway for The Devil Wears Prada sequel, and with it, an avalanche of paparazzi photos that give a glimpse into some of the costume and styling choices for both established and new cast members. And while Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs has retained her long, brunette hair, and Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly sports her trademark ash blonde, severe super crop, it looks like Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton might go through some dramatic hair transformations.
Just a few weeks ago, images from the set showed Blunt as Emily with some copper red hair, her character’s signature shade. It marked the first time Blunt has returned to that shade following her breakout role in the original film, having experimented with more caramel blondes and shades of brunette over the years. The sharp-tongued assistant to Runway editor-in-chief is remembered as much for her acerbic words to Andy and not being the girl to go to Paris, as she is her chestnut red shade. It was a high fashion, editorial, almost villainous red. Blunt, who was 23 at the time, dyed her then-brunette hair for the role.
Over the years, Blunt—who is a natural blonde—has experimented with plenty of brunette and blonde shades, but in recent times, she’s kept to a lighter shade of brunette with warm blonde highlights toward the mid and lower lengths of her hair, giving her fine lengths some soft depth and movement.
Color analysis defines Emily Blunt as a ‘true summer,’ with cool undertones—it means the actor can pool off cool, soft, and muted shades, like light browns, ashy and icy blonde.
This new look, however, is her most dramatic, high-octane blonde: photos show Blunt in costume as Emily Charlton with a bright bleach blonde bob, which features darker roots in a straight, shoulder-grazing shape. Emily Charlton, it seems, isn’t joining the celebrity team bob by halves.
The rest of her costume sees her in a black and red stripe Coach sweater and a black Maison Margiela skirt with sheer black tights, a chainmail necklace, and a pair of platform loafers from Gianvito Rossi. She also wore a pair of black Dior sunglasses and a bright red lip.
It’s not totally clear yet whether the film will follow the follow-up book’s exact plotlines, but if it does, Emily Charlton will have left Runway magazine to join up at a luxury brand conglomerate as a high-flying executive. She and her old boss Miranda will then be in locked horns over ads with which money would keep Runway afloat in an age of digital overhaul and SEO. Real stuff.
So is this mid-filming hair switch up a hint at her character arc to come? IRL, such a drastic hair change tends to signal a milestone, or a want for refresh in line with life: a breakup, a new job. What could Emily Charlton be up to with her ice blonde, blunt bob? By all means, move at a glacial pace—we have until 2026.
