Hailee Steinfeld has always been a style icon, but her recent transformation has everyone talking. Back in June, the 27-year-old Dickinson star shocked fans when she revealed her brand-new bob haircut. It was a bold move for someone who had been known for her long, flowing locks, and naturally, people were curious about what prompted the change.
Hailee shared the big news on Instagram, captioning a selfie of her fresh cut with a hint of excitement: “hi my loves!!! it’s been a minute. life is so great. i’ll fill you in on all the BS details soon…” Fans were instantly hooked, eager to know more about what inspired the dramatic chop.
In a candid interview with People, Hailee opened up about the reasons behind her decision. Surprisingly, it all started with a nostalgic trip down memory lane. “I was going through old photos with my mom, and there’s a photo of me — I’m not kidding, I have to be nine or 10 months old in this photo — and my mom had clipped one of her ponytail [extensions] to my head,” Hailee recounted. “So at 10 months, this girl had long hair. I’ve never had short hair like this.”
The photo struck a chord with Hailee. Despite being known for her long hair, the image of her as a baby with an artificial ponytail got her thinking. She realised that she had never really experimented with short hair, and the idea of trying something new began to take root.
Hailee also reminisced about her past hair experiments, which mainly involved bangs. “That started out great — did not end up great,” she admitted with a laugh. “I love bangs so much, and it breaks my heart to admit to myself that I don’t believe they’re for me.” Her playful frustration with bangs is something many can relate to; they’re fun in theory but often tricky in practice.
Over the years, Hailee dabbled with changing her hair color, which she described as a “fun slippery slope.” But even with those color changes, she found herself in a bit of a hair rut. “What can I do with my hair that is not cutting bangs, that’s not coloring it?” she mused. Despite these thoughts, she wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge and cut her hair—until recently.
“I finally got to a point where I was like, ‘Okay, I’m ready for some change,’” Hailee explained. Her long hair, which had been a signature look for so long, was starting to feel like a burden. “I love my long hair, but I’m carrying it around like it’s dead weight now,” she confessed. “And I wear it up more than I wear it down and I’m constantly trying to get it out of my way. Why don’t I just try something new?”
Determined to make a change, Hailee turned to her trusted hair stylist, Mara Roszak, to help her bring her vision to life. Mara began by cutting Hailee’s hair into a lob—a long bob that’s slightly shorter than the traditional shoulder-length cut. But once Hailee got a taste of the shorter style, she was ready to go all in.
“Once you get the bug it’s game over,” Hailee said, describing the addictive thrill of a fresh haircut. And she couldn’t be happier with the results.
As for what’s next? Hailee is keeping her options open. “Who knows what happens from here,” she teased, hinting that her hair evolution might not be over just yet.
