In 2026, it’s impossible to open Instagram or look at a red carpet without coming across a vintage scarf. From Fashion Week shows to street style photos, this short cut is on everyone’s minds, worn by celebrities and anonymous people alike. Salons are all about that, with waiting lists growing week after week.
This return is not by chance: fashion recycles the decades, and the 20s, 60s, 70s and 90s are once again inspiring hairdressers. Updated, the retro square borrows as much from the flappers of the Roaring Twenties as from Hollywood divas or the heroines of 90’s series. Two stars have become its best ambassadors: Isabelle Adjani and Naomi Watts. All you have to do is find the one that suits you.
Why vintage bob cuts are making stars fall in love in 2026
The flapper bob, popularized in the 1920s, broke with the long hair imposed on women and embodied a new freedom. Isabelle Adjani’s retro plunging bob takes up this spirit: shoulder length, shorter at the back, with generous rounded bangs. Worn at the Dior show in Paris, this sophisticated version structures the face and adds very couture volume.
The 60s and 70s are coming back with soft, wavy bobs, just like the 90s with their smooth, slightly layered bobs. Hollywood vintage bob with glamorous curls, ultra-smooth 90s-style bob Friendsor vintage bob inspired by the Mob Wife, Posh or Diana bob: celebrities like Iris Mittenaere, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Aniston or Penélope Cruz decline this family of vintage bob cuts on red carpets and photocalls.
Retro plunging square or boho bob: the duel of cult cuts
Isabelle Adjani’s square is aimed at those who like clean lines. Shoulder-length, slightly plunging, with rounded bangs, it is well suited to oval or heart-shaped faces and normal to thick hair. To ask for it at the salon, we can talk about a shoulder-length bob, plunging, rounded bangs and Roaring Twenties inspiration, specifying that we want to keep movement, not a helmet effect.
Naomi Watts chose the bohemian version: the boho bob. This bob is placed between the jaw and the shoulders, worked with light layers to obtain a very 70’s styled-disheveled effect. It highlights graying hair and gives volume to fine hair, while softening features after 50 years. At the hairdresser, you can ask for a mid-length bob with light gradient, textured ends and a natural wavy finish, as if the hair had been air-dried.
Which retro bob to choose according to your hair in 2026
For fine hair or hair that is starting to gray, the boho bob or a slightly layered vintage bob adds volume and a rejuvenated look. Thick hair works well with a retro plunging bob or a more structured 90’s bob, which channels volume. Style-wise, romantic personalities will love Hollywood waves, while more minimalist silhouettes will turn to a smooth bob inspired by the 90s, always easy to wear every day.