Named after the haircut of an English page boy, this retro bob can be a low-maintenance look for a variety of face shapes. Pageboy haircuts sometimes need extra care each morning, but if you’re used to that, the pageboy hairstyle, popularized in the 1950s, can be the right look for you.
Easier to maintain for women with naturally straight hair, the pageboy haircut usually includes hair hanging to below the ear, with the tips turned inward. It’s mostly worn with a fringe in front, after the sexy bangs of Bettie Page made a big impact on fashion in the 1950s.
Pageboy Hairstyle: Classic Cut with Bangs
Similar to a long bob hairstyle, the pageboy haircut is best suited for medium to short hair which should stop above the shoulder. This retro bob is a classic cut with many variations and it was also a fashionable haircut for men in the 1960s.
Pageboy Haircut and the Right Face Shape
Suited for women confident about their complexion, this bold haircut can sometimes look boyish, if it’s not styled correctly for the right face shape.
Pageboy haircuts are usually suited for women with heart face shapes or oval face shapes. The result can be disappointing for women with rectangular face shapes or square face shapes, who can opt for a different type of bob more suited to them.
Hair by Martin Crean for Mode
Hair by Lisa Shepherd
Hair by Paul Mitchell
Hair by John Carne
Most Famous Pageboy Haircuts
The pageboy haircut had a small renaissance in the 1990s after being worn by Uma Thurman’s character in the movie Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace, a mobster’s wife obsessed with the 1950s. Multiple characters from the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sported the pageboy hairstyle, including Violet Beauregarde and Willy Wonka himself, played by Johnny Depp in the 2020 film adaptation.
The fictional cartoon characters He-Man and Prince Valiant wore the pageboy hairstyle, but its popularity with men has disappeared almost completely in the past decades, leaving the pageboy haircut as a stylish option for bold and elegant women.
Variations of the Pageboy Hairstyle
This stylish retro bob has many variations, but the most popular is the pageboy flip, in which the bottom is reversed, in order to curl outward.
Hair by Abacus Hair Studio
Hair by Goldwell
Hair by The Hair Studio
Hair by Bonce Salons
