Hair today … and still hair tomorrow

Published on Friday 8 February 2008 21:30

From flappers to Posh, the bob has been voted one of the most iconic hairstyles of all time

IT is a hairstyle that through the decades has stood for both female liberation and the ultimate in catwalk chic.

Now the bob, which most recently leapt back to life when Victoria Beckham sheared her long locks in favour of something more stylish, has been voted the "most iconic haircut" of all time.

The haircut, which became a sign of a liberated woman when it was made popular in the 1920s by the "flappers" and again in the Sixties with stars such as Mary Quant, beat Jennifer Aniston's sleek long locks in a survey.

The Friends star's hairdo sparked the biggest hair craze of the Nineties as women flocked to salons to ask for "a Rachel".

But the enduring classic style of the bob came top of the poll.

The Amy Winehouse-style Sixties beehive was third, followed by the 1970s Farrah Fawcett feathered number, as recently imitated by Madonna, in the poll commissioned by Hair magazine.

The survey of 1,600 people also found that Aniston has the hair that women envy the most, followed by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cat Deeley and Penelope Cruz.

Although the bob was created in 1909, it was not until the 1920s that it gained popularity when it became a sign of a liberated woman among the flappers – a "new breed" of young women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair and listened to the new jazz music.

Speaking about the popularity of the bob, which deviated from the classic Mary Quant and became renamed the pob – which stands for Posh bob – when Mrs Beckham cut off her super long hair extensions, Scottish hairdressers said it was a versatile hair cut.

Paul Adamczuk, managing director of hairdressers Cheynes said: "The bob is one of the haircuts that can frame people's faces and can be changed quite dramatically according to a hairdresser's interpretation – from a boxy cut, a more angular look, or a softer cut which is slightly layered at the front."

Charlie Miller, director of Charlie Miller Hairdressing, which has five salons in Edinburgh, said it was an enduring style. He said: "It was really re-launched by Victoria Beckham. It was a fabulous haircut and over the last few years has become a must-have for many women who want a classic but contemporary look."

Harvey Nichols spokeswoman, Annette Lamb, said the bob was a timeless classic.

"Bobs make hair look sleek and healthy simply by the way it's cut. It looks sophisticated and best of all, if you have a fringe, it hides the wrinkles so you don't need to splash out on botox."

But Michelle Mone, the founder of lingerie firm MJM International, who has employed high-profile models such as Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding and Rachel Hunter, said: "Sarah Harding had a bob for a while which was nice, but we've had other models with other cuts. It's down to what looks good on the model rather than the current hair trend."

She added: "When the pob emerged, my hairdresser said they were inundated with requests for that style of haircut but I was never tempted to have that sort of cut – I've just preferred to do my own thing."