At a time when colors and cuts are cooling down, women over 50 are embracing fresh blends and modern bobs for fall.
According to Francine Gersting, owner of Evolve Salon, though the imminent fall season often warrants warmer hair tones (think cinnamon, espresso, strawberry blond and buttercream), this year, those in the 50-plus pool seem to be making friends with their grays, finding new ways to mix the stark hue instead of fighting it. The most common method of doing so is “gray blending with demi-permanent color,” said Gersting, noting how “[this] creates a softer, more natural look with an easier grow out.”
This newfound affinity for allowing natural color to come in stems from a wider trend taking over the category. Los Angeles-based hairstylist Susan Oludele, otherwise known as @hairbysusy on Instagram, said fall is about “freedom.”
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“At the end of the day, I think the biggest fall trend for women 50-plus is freedom. If you want Ivy Braids, get the Ivy Braids. If you want to wear your gray, wear your gray. If you want bangs, get the bangs. Hair should still be fun, creative and make you feel like yourself,” she told WWD. “I don’t believe you age out of braids, bangs, color, texture or having fun with your hair. If anything, this is the time to really own your look.”
That said, stacked bobs and face-framing layers are poised to be the cuts of choice this cool weather season. Gersting described the stacked bob as a contemporary version of the classic chin-length cut. “Beveled and longer front pieces and bangs,” the stylist explained. “We’re also seeing women wanting to keep their length but adding layers and framing the face.”
Celebrity hair architect Mia Santiago — whose client list includes Martha Stewart, Mariska Hargitay and Jamie Lee Curtis — noted a continuation of the bob, too, a style that burgeoned over the last few years, infiltrating every star-studded scene and red carpet, with Leslie Bibb, Zendaya and more leading the charge. “The bob is still going strong, but it’s becoming more personal,” Santiago said. “Think curved, textured, shorter, longer. And I love that the haircut itself is doing all the work.”
But if a bob isn’t your thing, Moe Harb, hair educator and cofounder of Beauty Club London, says long hair has no age limit, so long as you design for your density, texture, face shape and lifestyle. “I don’t like telling a woman that once she reaches a certain age she has to cut her hair. That feels very dated,” Harb said. “If her hair is healthy and she loves it long, there is no reason she can’t wear it long. What can make a big difference is putting shape back into the hair.” Face-framing layers (see “The Rachel” cut for reference) are the easiest way to create movement and carve the shape.
“What I hear most in the salon is, ‘I want a change, but I don’t want to be here every four weeks maintaining it,’” Harb continued. “That sums up where hair is heading for fall. Clients want dimensional color, brightness around the face, healthy length, movement and cuts that still look good when they style their own hair at home.”
