Kate Middleton’s bouncy blowout is classic. It’s chic. It’s polished. And, it’s been her signature style for the better part of the decade. But earlier this month the Princess of Wales subtly debuted a new look. Instead of her long layers and side part, she opted for a center part and what appeared to be face framing layers.
The hair transformation, which includes a very ‘70s-eque set of curtain bangs, was confirmed on Wednesday, September 27, when the royal joined a session for her “Shaping Us” campaign on early childhood in Sittingbourne, England. For the engagement, her brown locks were spun into a low braided bun, which put her chin-grazing fringe on full display.
According to celebrity hairstylist Frederic Fekkai, the Princess’ new look is quite a trendy one. He previously told Marie Claire that one of the biggest Fall 2023 hair trends is, what he calls, the French beauty look. “The long hair should be slightly feathered, slightly layered and not too flat, similar to the famous look of late actress Jane Birkin,” he said. Of course, there’s no denying that the royal puts her own polished spin on her new ‘do.
Despite this look being a fairly dramatic switch-up for the mom of three, it’s worth noting that it’s not the first time Princess Kate has embraced bangs. Three years ago, she debuted a similar fringe during a trip to Ireland with Prince William. At the time, her hair fell just above her shoulders. She had a similar look back in 2017, as well.
While the royal has never officially revealed the hair products that keep her locks so shiny and voluminous, it’s rumored that her go-to shampoo is none other than Kerastase Discipline Bain Oleo Relax Smoothing Shampoo. Not only is the line carried at the Princess’ salon-of-choice, Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, but it also made an appearance in a 2018 (and since-deleted) Instagram photo shared by the royal’s hairstylist Amanda Cook Tyler. L’Oreal Paris’ Elnett Satin Hairspray was also in the snapshot.
