My current mood boards are filled with Euro summer: romantic evenings on the Seine, sipping Aperol spritzes on a beach in Cinque Terre, galavanting through the Tuileries Garden after shopping in Le Marais, taking a pasta-making class with my besties in Rome. My mood boards, as you'll have it, are also basically all about bob haircuts right now. It's the biggest summer hair trend for a reason! It's breezy, off your shoulders (mostly), easy to style (if you know how), and looks chic on legit every face shape and hair texture. But how on earth do I decide between the two hottest versions, hence the conundrum I'm having right now: Italian bob vs French bob.
What is the difference between an Italian bob and a French bob?
While both are shorter cuts, an Italian bob is generally a bit longer and goes past your chin, sometimes even hitting just at your shoulders (like a lob). Italian bobs are voluminous and usually have some layering that helps increase lift and build a round shape. For this reason, they usually work best on thick and coarse hair textures or those with curly or wavy hair.
French bobs, on the other hand, are typically chin-length or shorter with a blunt cut. They don't have as much natural movement and bounce through the ends, but often tend to incorporate bangs or face-framing layers that add definition. Fine hair and a French bob go hand-in-hand: It makes hair look a bit fuller since the blunt ends are stacked on top of each other, but gets rid of a lot of the weight that can make your hair look flat against your head at the roots.
Styling is often a bit different between these two bobs. Think of the vibes. Italian summers are sexy and romantic, so a bob inspired by that would be too. It's curly and glam, complete with dramatic side-parting and a soft, fluffy finish. You can wear it with your natural texture, or opt for a big, bouncy blowout (a round brush and hair dryer will be your friend with this cut, btw). Summers in Paris, though, are busier and on-the-go, hence why a French bob is typically so simple to style. Usually, it's enough to just air dry, spritz in some texturizing spray, and shake it out. Or grab a flat iron and add a few bends around your face to add movement.
Try These Hair Tools:
AIMIKE NaturaVol Round Brush
Conair Radiance Boost Dryer
Shark FlexStyle Hair Blow Dryer & Multi-Styler
T3 SinglePass StyleMax Professional 1" Flat Iron
T3 LuxeDry High-Performance Hair Dryer Set
Italian Bob Inspo
Zendaya
Lori Harvey
Selena Gomez
Kendall Jenner
French Bob Inspo
Gracie Abrams
Keke Palmer
Maren Morris
Yara Shahidi
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from low-porosity hair products to reviewing K18. She regularly tests and analyzes hair products while working with the industry’s top hairstylists to research new trends.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
