Bottleneck bangs are quickly taking over as one of the most popular fringe styles in Hollywood and beyond. Celebrities like Margot Robbie, Lily Collins, and Dakota Johnson were some of the first to don this ‘70s look, providing us with lots of styling inspiration. An evolution of the curtain bang, bottleneck bangs offer more versatility and are super low maintenance. They’re quite easy to style and look good on different face shapes and a variety of hair textures. Want in on the coolest new fringe style? Check out how to style bottleneck bangs, plus our favourite inspo photos for styling.
What Are Bottleneck Bangs?
Bottleneck bangs are the new curtain bangs. Although both styles feature face-framing fringe, bottleneck bangs mimic the shape of a bottleneck by focusing on a concentrated area in the middle that cascades into longer sections down the sides, framing your jaw and cheekbones.
The term was coined by Tom Smith, a London-based hair stylist and international creative colour director for Evo Hair. They’re ‘70s inspired, low maintenance and super versatile. While many people don’t suit classic bangs, most can wear bottleneck bangs to add softness around the face. They pair well with long or short hair and tend to look good on straight, wavy, and curly textures.
How to Style Bottleneck Bangs
Bottleneck bangs are fairly easy to style. With a few products and tools, you’ll be able to get a salon-like blow out at home!
7 Bottleneck Bang Styling Tips
- Apply a light blow dry cream like the JVN Styling Milk. This will smooth and hold the shape of your fringe without separating your bangs too much.
- Use a medium-sized round barrel brush and dry the centre section at a 45 degree angle, and then down, only rolling the brush when you reach the ends. Direct this section towards the bridge of your nose.
- Take each side section and drag them forward and curl the ends back. Dry the longer pieces at the end by brushing out and away from the face, constantly wrapping and re-wrapping to fluff them up. This will add lift and body while framing the cheekbones perfectly.
- You can also use hair rollers to achieve the bouncy, blow out look. Prep your hair with mousse or blow dry cream. If you have wavy or curly hair, consider drying and straightening your bangs before placing them in the roller. Using a comb, separate your bangs from the rest of your hair and start winding your bangs in the roller. Once the roller is in place, spritz it with hairspray and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Carefully slide the roller out, fluff, and set with a bit more hairspray.
- Another option is styling your bottleneck bangs with a curling iron. Use a 1-inch iron to give the ends of your bangs a slight inward bend, pulling slightly to the side. Then give the longer pieces on the side a more defined wave, and finger comb for a tousled, edgy look.
- If you’re working with second or third day hair, spray a spritz of a dry shampoo such as the Viviscal Dry Shampoo. This will add texture to your bangs and eliminate oil prior to styling.
- Bottleneck bangs are particularly great if you like to wear your hair up, but also want to have softness around your face. When you’re short on time, you can throw your hair up into a claw clip and just style your bangs.
6 Bottleneck Bang Styling Ideas
1. Effortless Up Do
Margot Robbie is the queen of bottleneck bangs and this is one of her most stunning looks. It’s effortlessly chic with most of her hair pulled back into a bun, and the fringe adding softness around her face.
2. Piece-y Waves
We love how the bottleneck bangs blend seamlessly into these piece-y waves. With this fringe style being more lived-in and undone, all you need is to quickly run a curling iron lightly through your hair to get these loose waves.
3. Layered Lob
Shorter haircuts like lobs (long bobs) work super well with bottleneck bangs. The bangs camouflage into the layered look, while defining your jaw and chin. You can dress this look up for a glam event, or wear it more casually out to Sunday brunch.
4. Low Chignon
Lily Collins is another celeb slaying the bottleneck bangs look. Pairing the fringe with a low chignon allows the bangs to shine and gives a bit of edge to an otherwise primp and proper look. This style is incredibly easy to do, so is perfect when you’re low on time.
5. Mid-length Shag
This super shaggy cut lends itself well to bottleneck bangs. This is an edgier look that also goes by a “wolf cut”. Make sure to finish it off with a texture spray to ensure grit and hold.
6. Wavy High Pony
A high ponytail is another chic way to show off your bottleneck bangs. Run a curling iron through your hair to create some loose waves, then gather it into a ponytail. Run the iron through the longer parts of your bangs so everything works and blends together!
We hope this post inspired you if you’ve been thinking about bottleneck bangs. You really can’t go wrong when it comes to this fringe style!
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