Thing We Should Talk About: Dakota Johnson Is Proving That Bangs *Can* Be Sexy

Great news for us fringe-wearers.

Lip, Hairstyle, Shoulder, Red, Dress, Beauty, Strapless dress, Bangs, Fashion model, Eyelash,
(Image credit: Universal)

The latest installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy, Fifty Shades Darker, promises even sexier sex and plenty of OMG-inducing moments—with a side of Dakota Johnson's spot-on bangs. I get that the "spreader" (cringe) is a more obvious talking point about the movie, but why is no one giving credit where credit is due to how hard she rocks this look?

Hairstyle, Textile, Style, Eyelash, Fashion, Beauty, Day dress, Model, Linens, Paint,

(Image credit: Universal)

As anyone who has bangs knows, they're a beast all their own. Unless you have a personal stylist, bangs are a serious commitment. Wind becomes your biggest nemesis, as does the annoying "bangs" stereotype. Since I cut my own bangs a year ago, I can't escape the obvious moniker of "the girl with the bangs," which would be fine...except that for many, the hairstyle conjures up images of their second-grade school picture. Definitely not sex-goddess hair.

"For many, the hairstyle conjures up images of their second-grade school picture—definitely not sex-goddess hair."

Insert wide-eyed Dakota Johnson AKA Anastasia Steele, whose bangs are difficult to ignore and impossible to forget. "Men must throw themselves at you," Christian Grey tells her when they first meet. We all know where the story goes from here, but let's not lose sight of what's important: Dakota Johnson is doing great things for girls with bangs.

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(Image credit: Universal)

Sure, there's Zooey Deschanel and her charming geek-chic fringe, seductive Uma Thurman in cult classic Pulp Fiction, and bangin' bombshells of the '50s and '60 like Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot. There was even a time in the 1880s when women who fringed their hair were considered promiscuous and bold. But bangs haven't been this sultry in quite some time.

Needless to say, Johnson is "the girl with the bangs" that every other girl with bangs hopes to be.

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