We love nothing more than a celebrity bob makeover. Usually, that means a visit to their chosen super-stylist to have a good few inches lopped off, but Sharon Stone is doing things a little differently. While she’s the latest to go for the bob trend of the season, channelling Leslie Bibb’s now-iconic The White Lotus cut, she’s grown it in, rather than chopped it in. It’s a masterclass in how to grow out a shorter style.
The Basic Instinct star showed off a fresh new look at Max Mara’s summer catwalk in Naples, sitting in the front row with fellow power players Gwyneth Paltrow and Hayley Atwell. Normally, we see her with more structured, swept-up styles, but she’s clearly letting her hair down for summer.
It’s the growing season, too, with Sharon’s usually short hair now entering its bob era. Ahead of the catwalk show, she posed in the sunshine with a ruffled, casually textured style. With her sunglasses on, we thought for a moment that we were looking at Leslie herself. (A side note: please sign Sharon up for the next White Lotus series ASAP.)
Sharon’s beauty is always on point, and three decades on, she still looks as fabulous with a sleek, swept-back style (the ice-pick-wielding Catherine Tramell look will never not be stylish on her). However, we have to say that her latest hair look is one of our favourites – not only achingly on trend but also fresh, youthful and marvellously insouciant.
Top hairstylist Edward James agrees it's one to bookmark for anyone wanting to switch up a short cut. 'Sharon Stone’s look is a brilliant example of growing hair into a bob rather than cutting it bluntly,' says Edward, who runs a chain of award-winning London salons. 'Her soft, grown-out style really flatters her features — it’s modern and effortlessly cool (not over-blowdryed or stiff which can be ageing), like a laid-back White Lotus vibe.'
'It not only adds a touch of elegance but also works perfectly with her natural texture, and promotes her beautiful features – but she always has some body and height on top to balance her features.'
If you're going through a similar phase, Edward recommends using a texture-boosting product like Oribe’s Texture Spray. 'It really helps bring out the layers and movement, even when the hair’s on the shorter side. And for hold that looks natural, I rely on Color Wow’s Style on Steroids Spray — it keeps everything in place without weighing it down and leaving it touchable.'
If you're eager to go from pixie to bob asap, extensions can be one route. 'They instantly add length, but you do need enough natural hair around the growing-out area to hide the fittings properly,' advise Edward. 'It's worth booking in for a consultation with a stylist to see if this might be a good solution for faster results.'
Sharon wasn’t the only one serving up summer hair inspiration on the front row, either. Gwyneth was positively shimmering in a shade created by her hairdresser (and Megan Markle’s best friend) Kadi Lee, aka Highbrow Hippie.
Sharing the colour refresh on her Instagram, Kadi describes it as ‘buttery golden blonde’. It fits seamlessly into the new ‘opulent blonde’ territory identified as a huge trend for summer by colourists and beauty mood spotters Zoë Irwin and Nicola Clarke: ‘The Opulent Blondes trend is all about pristine roots, with seamlessly blended butter blonde tones.’
Hayley Atwell completed the trending trio, with a sleek centre-parted style and rich, monochromatic brunette hair.
This just happens to be another key look pinpointed by Zoe and Nicola: ‘The Starlet Brunette look is big for summer 25. This means deep mono tones that give a luminous glow to the skin and draw you in to the eye colour.’
So, whether you’re blonde or brunette, there’s a trend to cover all bases right now.
