Gabrielle Union’s New Bob Haircut Proves She's a Beauty Icon

Gabrielle Union wearing red lipstick, a high ponytail, and a white shirt

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 27 January 2025

Couture Week is here and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are making Paris their fashion playgrounds. Case in point? Gabrielle Union’s gorgeous new bob haircut, which she debuted at the Schiaparelli show.

Before entering the venue, the actor posed outside in an off-the-shoulder sheer panel dress, but as a beauty lover, it’s her hairstyle that stood out to me the most. Courtesy of her longtime stylist, Larry Sims, Union’s hair was cut to end just at the nape of her neck. An asymmetrical part allowed her to tuck one side of her hair behind her ears, while the other acted as a sort of faux face-framing side bang. Light layers added tons of volume to the style. Union kept the rest of her look simple, opting for ethereal-looking eye makeup, rosy cheeks, and a nude lip.

Gabrielle Union wearing sheer panel dress and bob haircut

Bob hairstyles have long been a Hollywood favorite with stars like Lori Harvey, Hailey Bieber, and Kendall Jenner rocking the style over the last few years. The look has also been spotted on runways like Rahul Mishra’s Spring/Summer 2025 show and street-style enthusiasts alike.

One of the best things about this haircut is its versatility, so if you don’t want to commit to a chin-skimming version as short as Union’s you have plenty of other options. If you prefer to retain some length, a lob, or long bob, typically lands right around your décolleté area, (think Rosey Huntington Whitely’s signature hairstyle circa 2019), and a traditional bob usually ends right at your chin, should you want something in between. That being said, blunt, French, and even curly bobs, are always an option to consider, so if you’re on the hunt for short-hair inspiration to welcome the spring and summer months, you can’t go wrong with starting your search here.

Make sure to put Union’s most recent look in your hair inspiration folder, and in the meantime, shop a few must-have products to keep your bob haircut looking chic, courtesy of the trial and error period I recently had to go through for my own short hair transformation.

Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler

The best tool for playing around with my bob was my Dyson, especially this one for curly hair. The round brush diffuser is my favorite attachment by far, but be reminded that it dries your hair very quickly, so be sure to use a heat protectant to prevent damage on your ends.

Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat

I have natural hair, so trying to keep my bob sleek is a process that has to start with a good foundation. This spray is like magic in a bottle, helping my hair fight frizz and humidity, and allowing me to get a few more extra days out of my silk press.

Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Mist

Having shorter hair cut my blow dry time significantly, but this mist made the process even faster, making me dreaded wash days a little bit less time consuming.

Ariel Baker is the Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. Previously the associate beauty editor at PS and briefly freelance, she has bylines in InStyle, Forbes Vetted, Women's Health, and more.

Since she started out in the non-profit sector, Ariel enjoys looking at beauty from a sociocultural lens, looking to avenues like politics, music, and the arts, to inform her views on the space. That being said, as a true beauty-product obsessive, testing the latest items to hit the market, keeping up with trends, and meeting industry icons, will always be her favorite part of working in the beauty space.

When she's not working, Ariel can be found hanging out with her fiancé and loving on their two cat daughters: Cow and Chicken.

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