There’s a question that arises for virtually every woman at some point in her life: Should I get bangs?
After a set of supermodels shared their own transformations, and the Fall 2019 runways were filled with piecey fringe, I too wrestled with this dilemma. But how were It-girls like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, with their packed shoot schedules, committing to these new styles? Well, it turns out, they weren’t. Welcome to the world of clip-in bangs—the option that gives women (and men!) the power to test-drive the hard-to-grow out cut without ever picking up the shears.
"Clip-in bangs are a great way to switch things up," explained my expert hairstylist, Jasmine Anna Galazka, of the brow-skimming hairs about to graze my face. "They give you so much versatility." As someone who’s remained true to one hairstyle for most of my life—the only change I ve ever made was adding a few stealth highlights a couple years back—the idea of trying out this change, however impermanent, still made me a little nervous. But Galazka was a calming presence who took the time to make sure the bangs would blend seamlessly with my own hair.
Procuring a blonde piece from her well-stocked kit of extensions, Galazka sectioned the crown of my hair and snapped it in. "It s important to have your stylist trim and frame the hairpiece," she explained. The next few minutes were spent snipping and thinning out my set with a razor to give them the cool Jane Birkin-esque texture I craved. Then, a swift round brush blow dry to give the hair "a natural bend" and a spritz of root coloring spray to mimic my slightly grown-in roots.
I instantly became unrecognizable in a fabulous "who s that girl" way. My doorman asked if I needed directions into my building, and post salon appointment, friends ooh and ahhed over my new hair at dinner.
Working out the next morning proved to be challenging—there s a reason why the women of Tracy Anderson Method don t have bangs, I thought, as I attempted to fasten my fringe to one side with a series of pins. After the sweaty hour, some serious dry shampoo was required in addition to a little dryer time—not as low maintenance as I had anticipated.
As for a change in the rest of my routine, the face-framing cut gave my cheekbones a new sharpness, which I further defined with a taupe contour stick. And the best part? The bangs were so believable, social media (and my fiancé!) did double takes. Over the weekend, I posted an Instagram selfie that elicited a flurry of heart-eye emojis. "People don t grasp the concept of the clip-in bang," Galazka said, adding that when she first began working with extensions, clients often asked for a private room so passersby wouldn t catch the fake hair application. Now, "change is celebrated," a shift brought on by the likes of Kylie Jenner, Cardi B and others who flip flop from textured bobs to extreme waves, sometimes in a matter of hours.
I spent the weekend shifting from effortless ponytails to easy low buns, flirting with the idea of making this new relationship permanent. And yet, like most people wondering whether they need a hair change, I realize I m usually looking for something new while not quite ready to commit. This morning while scrolling the Paris runways, a bevy of pixie-haired models made me lust after a whole other possible transformation. As tempting as it might be to take the bang plunge, the clip-in fringe—which I carefully unclipped for this morning’s work out—may be the best approach yet.
Here, for inspiration either way, the best bang hairstyles of all time.
