I Just Got Penelope Cruz Bangs, and I've Never Received so Many Compliments on a Winter Haircut
Of all the hairstyles that I’ve considered (and actually committed to)—a French bob, highlights, etc.—the one I never thought I’d actually go through with is bangs. But something changed inside of me when I began preparing for an autumnal jaunt to Paris, France, where the haircuts are chic and always a step ahead of the American trend cycle. Call it selective attention, but I soon began noticing this chic, wispy shear everywhere I turned; from ‘60s-inspired Bardot fringe to dreamy curtain bangs. Sure, bangs were irrefutably one of the hottest fall hair trends of 2025, but there was something about my muse’s specific style that sang to me like a siren.
As a Y2K baby, I grew up idolizing the chic women whose distinct '90s hairstyles became synonymous with their very beings. (Think: Jennifer Aniston’s “Rachel” haircut, the “Halle Berry” pixie.) However, after being told that I resembled a young Penélope Cruz in my early teen years (no, I don’t believe it; yes, I still hold onto that compliment dearly), I began looking to the Spanish actress for aesthetic inspiration as I honed my personal style. After impulsively booking a haircut with celebrity hairstylist Xavier Velasquez, the mastermind behind Scarlett Johansson’s and AnnaSophia Robb’s manes, I gathered my inspiration photos into a mood board. Nearly every shot was of Cruz with her piecey, tousled, and effortlessly chic bangs from the 2001 film Vanilla Sky—and the stylist wasn’t surprised in the slightest to see my Cruz-shrine of a hairspo board.
What are Penélope Cruz Bangs?
“There is a carefree vibe about the Penélope references that makes it a statement, but also doesn’t take itself too seriously—like second-day hair that always feels elevated,” Velasquez tells Who What Wear. As the name describes, this wispy, side-sweeping style is inspired by Cruz’s romantic, cool-girl fringe from the early aughts. It’s characterized by curtain bangs along the perimeter of the face and wispy fringe across the center, with the ability to be styled straight across or parted down the middle. The rest of the hair is left long, with scattered, lengthy layers that add movement and boost the appearance of thickness.
In effortless movie star fashion, the length of the hair is perfectly unpolished, with tousled ends that add a lived-in feel. The result is a look that my friends haven't been able to stop complimenting—even WWW senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider stopped to tell me I "look famous" after getting this brow-skimming chop.
Why are Penélope Cruz Bangs Trending Right Now?
“Bangs are trending in a big way, from mega pop stars like Taylor and Sabrina Carpenter on world tours to Dakota Johnson wearing her iconic bangs in this year’s Materialists,” Velasquez explains. Even Saturday Night Live got the message when Glen Powell led a sketch titled "Bob Army," where the "bangs" and "bob" battled it out for style domination. (The bobs won, but just for now…)
Swift’s and Johnson’s styles swoop more dramatically across the forehead than Carpenter’s ‘70s-inspired fringe, but Velasquez says this Cruz-referenced style is a symbiosis of both. He describes this timeless style as a cross between “a full bang and a curtain bang,” with a shorter drop in the center and “drama the eyebrows.” If your interest is piqued, give your hairstylist that exact recipe to replicate this vintage-inspired look.
The Process
Before my visit, I’d grown my hair from a chin-skimming Italian bob to free-falling, wavy locks that fell to my chest. Wanting to sustain the length I’d grown while lifting away dead weight, Velasquez scattered delicate, long layers throughout my hair for extra movement.
