The year is 2007, I’m eight years old, and I’m flicking through my mum’s magazines when a page falls open on Victoria Beckham jaw-length, choppy bob. My world is rocked. With the courage and impulse of youth, I beg Mum to let me go for the chop.
In the days leading up to my appointment, I visualised myself sitting in the salon chair, feeling oh-so mature and sophisticated as I peeled out my torn-out magazine reference: “The Posh bob, please.” Yet when the time came and the cape was draped around me with a friendly ‘And what are we doing today?’ I couldn’t even squeak out the words.
The truth is, long hair is hard to let go of. Fast-forward a decade and a half, and I’d had long hair my entire life. While in many ways, I enjoyed having a signature hair look I knew exactly how to style, I never lost that longing to transform my comfort blanket into a chic, grown-up and glamorous hair style. I pondered it frequently, especially as more and more celebrities took the short cut, from Lily Collins’ blunt bob to Keira Knightly’s tousled lob.
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Maddie with her long hair
It was my wise (and somewhat exasperated) hairdresser who came up with the compromise: “Let’s just take it stage by stage.” That made sense to me; surely, doing it a few inches at a time would feel less of a shock.
So, about a year back, we began. My first chop took my hair from waist length to just above the boob (there aren’t many other ways to describe it), so even though it was far from a bob, it was still a big change for me. I enjoyed the long layers that I could experiment with, adding turned-in flicks while blow drying rather than falling back on the pin-straight lengths I’d previously opted for.
On the journey to shorter hair
A couple of haircuts passed, and I kept the length pretty much the same. But then came December 2024, and the appointment I’d scheduled a day before heading home for Christmas. Maybe it was a festive feeling, or maybe it was an urgent need for a dopamine hit in the thick of winter’s sluggish burnout, but in that moment, I channelled that childhood dream of a shiny new me.
So, I went for it. “I want a bob!” I announced on arrival at the salon. This was my first time meeting a new hairstylist, so it took him a few apprehensive “Are you sures?” before he got to work.
But once he was done, my reaction was sheer joy, and so was his. “I wasn’t sure you needed this, but you did,” he told me, smiling back at my delighted face in the mirror. My new hair felt like the perfect early Christmas present: a shaggy yet chic long bob that skimmed my collarbones.
The euphoria didn’t last though. A couple of months of regrowth had me reevaluating the long layers, which I'd loved to begin with but now resembled more of a long mullet, and were hard to manage. The delayed bob regret hit hard. I longed for the days that I could simply wash my hair and go, rather than needing to start each morning with blow-drying or fiddly styling to avoid looking like Rod Stewart.
Maddie wasn’t happy with how her layered bob grew out
I booked in once more to change it up. Hairstylist Matt Taylor of Hadley Yates saw the issue straight away. I’d ended up with a halfway house instead of the shorter, bolder bob that would actually suit me better. I didn’t need any convincing to go with his vision.
By the end of the appointment, Matt had cut my hair so it fell just underneath the jaw for a far sharper, fresher look. In fact, it was pretty much the same Victoria Beckham style I’d wanted all along.
With hindsight, I wish I’d been braver with my bob journey right from the start, and not let my fears take me on a time-wasting detour. Trying to tip-toe my way from long to short was definitely the wrong route. If you’re going through similar agonies about going from long to short, I’d advise you to heed my mum’s wise words: “Don’t worry, it will grow on you.”
So here my tips for your bob journey.
How to style a bob (and get the look of your dreams)
Shorter hair is more maintenance than longer hair. Some frivolously throw it out there that it's much easier to manage, but it's definitely not. Long hair is easier; you can wash and go. Each morning, I now experience bedhead like no other, which is fine, as I have come to terms with the styling required. But I can't and will not sit here and indulge the lie about short hair being easy! So here’s how I tame my tresses.
Invest in the best hair-styling tool
As a beauty writer for the Good Housekeeping Institute, I have used many, many styling tools. When it comes to the best hair straighteners, for me ghd’s Chronos Max are unrivalled for speedy, sleek styling. I also recently started using the brand’s Duet Blowdry brush, which has completely transformed my styling skills. It dries and styles at the same time and gives my hair the ultimate salon blow dry look from home.
These tools vary when it comes to styling results, and suit different hair types, so check out my ghd Chronos Max review and ghd Duet Blowdry review to find the right one for you.
A fantastic budget option is the Revlon Rotating Hot Brush (and oldie but a goldie), which performed well with our at-home panel of testers in our best hot brush test, too.
Use volume spray
K18’s Astrolift volumising spray is now one of my haircare staples. It adds bounce to my blow- out, without leaving any sticky residue. It’s also formulated with reparative ingredients, such as strengthening peptides, so it cares for my hair while making it look fabulous.
Read more about my new favourite spray in my K18 Astrolift review.
Call in the hair repair treatments
Strong hair health is so key to achieving good hair days. I use a few different products to treat mine. I’ll apply a hair mask once a week to give it a deep conditioning treatment. I also apply the K18 Bond Molecular Repair leave-in mask every fortnight to reduce breakage.
A heat protection spray is a non-negotiable for me too, after learning the hard way that 200ºc heat on already straggly ends might not be the best combination. I use ghd’s Bodyguard spray, which scored an excellent 86/100 on our best heat protectant sprays test.
Use a nourishing shampoo and conditioner
For hair wash nights, I like to use shampoo and conditioner with super nourishing ingredients. I’m currently using JVN’s Revive and Repairing Duo as the added ceramides help to lock in moisture and leave my ‘do looking trés shiny.
And finally, patience. It might take a few experimental styling sessions for you to figure out what works, but once you do, I’m certain the bob life will have you firmly in its clutches for good. Heck, you might even find yourself asking for ‘a bit more off’ each time!
