EMMA PIRHALA / NEWS EDITOR

LARA DOMINIQUE SOLANTE / COPY EDITOR

There are many rites of passage for young people: their first car, their first love and of course, their first fringe. On campus   and  out  in  the  real  world, there has been a resurgence of bangs of all different styles. Notable celebrities such as Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and Daisy Edgar-Jones have all made bangs part of their style, and they are starting to catch on with college students.

USD junior Eva Ng got bangs the summer before her first year of college. For her, it was time for a change.

“I got bangs because I was kind of  bored  of my hair at that moment,” Ng said.  “It was a transition period for me from going to high school to college. I thought that maybe my hair would make me a new version of myself that I could meet a lot of new people with, and it gave me — weirdly enough — a blank slate. I also wanted bangs for at least a couple years at that point. I  would  get curtain bangs and cut those shorter. Then eventually, I was like, ‘you know what? I’m just going to go for it and get bangs.’”

Bangs are in no way a new phenomenon. After gaining popularity in the 1920s, bangs have been a consistent staple of style for years. Over the past century, the hairstyle has been reinvented  in a number of ways to keep up with other fashion trends of the time. In the 1960s, style icons such as Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot popularized the  messy  effortless  fringe  that  is still adored today. And of course, the ‘80s were banging with bangs through the ultra-voluminous, feathered look chosen by celebrities such as Heather Locklear and Tina Turner. Few styles have so persistently stood the test of time while constantly adapting to current styles. So, it is no surprise that USD’s own students continue to favor the fringe and put their unique twist on the hairstyle.

Singer and icon Tina Turner famously rocked the feathered bang look.

Photo courtesy of @tinaturner/Instagram

Loren McLain, USD senior, got curtain bangs her junior year of high school. Last year, she decided to switch them to traditional bangs.

“I’ve always loved expressing myself through clothes and jewelry, so I wanted to  accomplish that with my hair too,” McLain shared. “I’ve also always been inspired by Rachel Berry from ‘Glee,’ so I thought getting bangs would situate me closer to her.”

However, bangs are not always all fun and games. The hairstyle is notoriously high-maintenance, which can be difficult for college students on the go. Ng shared the difficulties that she had to overcome regarding  the upkeep of her bangs. 

“For bangs, you have to keep in  mind  that usually the front part gets greasier more often, which means that even if the rest of your hair isn’t greasy, sometimes it can just be the bangs,” Ng explained. “So, you have to wash them more often or spray them with dry shampoo. It’s definitely a little bit more of an upkeep.”

Despite the demanding maintenance, Ng enjoyed her time with bangs. She has since parted with the fashionable fringe, letting her hair return back to its natural state.

“When I had bangs, I liked them,” Ng shared. “I think a lot of the people around me also liked them. I didn’t really want to get rid of my bangs. My bangs just kind of went away because I didn’t get a haircut for a really long time. They just kind of phased out with me. My bangs had their time.”

Actress and model Jane Birkin was a leading figure in the rise of bangs.

Photo courtesy of @janebirkindaily/Instagram

USD sophomore   Ella   Cromer    expressed     that     although she shares a similar sentiment, her bangs can be challenging   to    manage   every   day.

“It is such a pain to have bangs because even if you start off the day with them looking really nice, they can get so crummy at the end either from rain, if it’s humid outside, or [they’re] just not having a good day,” Cromer said.

Although they require lots of care, McLain still finds the hairstyle worth the trouble. 

“I think bangs are worth the upkeep,” McLain said. “My routine usually consists of washing my hair and then blowing my bangs out for a few minutes. And when I’m not feeling bangs, it’s super easy to just clip them back.” 

Whether short or long, layered or not, bangs are a versatile option for a hairstyle that can stand the test of time. Ranging  from  the  bumper  bangs of the 40s to the ever-popular curtain fringe of the 2020s, bangs are clearly here to stay.

The history of bangs goes beyond the twenty-first century.

Graphic by Alissa Abramovich /USD Vista