I first wanted bangs when I was 6 years old. It was the mid-80's, and my little sister had a blunt fringe that would have made Jane Birkin jealous. (She also had hair as thick and straight as heavy drapery.) I begged my mom for bangs, but she made it clear that with my round face and curly hair it would never happen. No way. Zero chance.
Fast-forward 24 years: After abandoning my obsession with bangs for most of my life, it's suddenly back. I'm in love with Zooey Deschanel's hair on "New Girl" and I can't stop thinking about Dakota Johnson's fringe. But my anti-bang traits haven't changed much in two decades: I still have a round face, and my hair is as curly as ever.
Then I got an email that did change everything: Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City opened a "bang bar" for clip-in bangs where a stylist matches you with the right color and bang shape. I made an appointment immediately.
A few days later, I arrived at the Bang Bar and sat down with hairstylist Lawrence Martinez. I told him my sad history with bangs. And after proclaiming that my mother was completely wrong (sorry, Mom), Martinez set out to find my ideal fringe and a style that would work for me.
Here's the diary of my bang-ification -- and some surprising tips about fringe I learned along the way.
