If you’re looking for a bouncy, voluminous bob over 40 with Old Hollywood-inspired movement, the trendy ‘Old Money Bob’ as seen on TikTok and social media might be a great choice for you. This hairstyle (often dubbed an ‘Italian bob’ thanks to its appearance on The White Lotus Season 2 stars like Aubrey Plaza and Simona Tabasco) is favored by style icons such as Salma Hayek.
This bob elevates a classic bob with chunky, blunt and flipped-out ends, offering an airy and voluminous appearance that avoids any heaviness. We chatted with pro and celeb hairstylists to delve deeper into this chic cut, its anticipated popularity for fall 2024, and why it remains a timelessly flattering option for mature beauties aiming for a more voluminous hairstyle.
Read on for tips and suggestions from Lauren Udoh, hairstylist and hair creative director of WigReports, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles and Gina Rivera, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites.
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How The ‘Old Money’ Bob Creates Volume And Movement For Women Over 40
As seen in the above Instagram clip, beauty expert and popular content creator Gabriela Soares recently shared a tutorial showing viewers how she styles her “old money bob,” a ‘do that she deems “super long lasting.” In the video, she uses texturizing spray and hairspray to make her tresses even more lifted. As she explains, this bob is perfect for when she wants “movement, flip and massive volume” over 40.
Udoh says that this bob as an ideal length for women with fine, thin, flat and weaker hair that offers versatile styling possibilities. This medium bob (as seen above on Aubrey Plaza and below on Zendaya) is long enough to be tied up but short enough to be worn effortlessly down. Udoh describes it as "a sleek and stylish choice for many occasions."
She adds that "it's a versatile cut that looks great on almost any face shape and hair type." The length can be "adjusted to complement your features and create an attractive silhouette," she notes.
"This ever-popular bob provides volume at the crown, with textured layers that frame the face nicely while still maintaining an easy-to-manage style," Udoh explains.
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Additional Tips Before Hitting The Salon
Side parts evoke not only Old Hollywood, timeless glam— they also provide instant volume to shorter hair. As Abdullah points out, "in this manner, you can move the hair from one side to the other, as you wish."
The added hair going over, she says, will increase volume in the area as well, especially if your hair is used to being parted down the center.
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The Bottom Line
"If you really prefer a center part, make a short one instead so that the hair in front goes to either side of your face," she suggests.
"Then the hair in the center can be brushed back. Any difference that you create when your hair is used to lying flat and completely to the sides will create volume and make a big difference," she says.
