Next time you get your hair cut, you could ask for layers. Or curtain bangs. If you’re feeling spicy, you could try out a wolf cut. But if you really want to switch things up, might I suggest the 'c*nty little bob'?
If you’re not a White Lotus fan, the 'c*nty little bob' is the hairstyle donned by Leslie Bibb on the current season of Mike White’s hit HBO show. This turn of phrase was coined by the actress herself, as seen in an Instagram video heard round the world. 'Some people have 'The Rachel', and I have the cunty little bob,' she says to Chris McMillan, her hairstylist (who, as it so happens, is also responsible for The Rachel).
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'It’s perfect for the character,' McMillan exclusively tells ELLE. And indeed, it is. Bibb’s Kate is the kind of Texas woman who might call you photogenic instead of pretty, or hit you with a condescending 'bless your heart' in conversation. She is a megachurch-going independent who probably voted for Donald Trump, but do you really want to talk about that man over dinner? In short, she embodies the energy of the haircut in question.
It turns out the chop came to fruition because Bibb was growing out bangs in real life. 'When the bangs start hitting the nose, you want it to catch up, so you cut [from] the bottom up,' McMillan says. This bob hairstyle hits above the hairline, at the nape of her neck, which was also intentional. Bibb needed a cut that would have minimal upkeep while she was in Thailand filming, and an above-hairline bob is easy to grow out.
But McMillan didn’t go in blind. He actually emulated another famous brainchild of his: Patricia Arquette’s bob. 'I pulled a picture of Patricia Arquette when she was doing press for True Romance,' says McMillan. 'I call it an ear lobe bob.'
If you find yourself drawn to Bibb’s hair, you’re not alone. McMillan says that everywhere he looks, he is surrounded by them—bobs are the cut du jour. But a traditional bob walks a razor-thin line between looking chic and giving 'Karen,' according to McMillan, which he is highly aware of. If you want to copy Bibb’s look, the the trick is in its bluntness. 'It’s an A-line, Vidal Sassoon bob,' he says. 'There are no layers in it. There is no texture in it, other than the bottom bluntness of it, which makes it a little more cool and chic. It kind of flicks, not flips.' (McMillan says that if your bob were to flip, rather than flick, it might enter Karen territory—so keeping any bends minimal is key.)
He also assures that this specific bob will be perfect for summer, since it’s versatile and easy to style. 'You can part it in the middle. [Or] on the side, [or] you can flip it over and tuck one side back. You can tuck it behind your ears. Just follow how they’re styling [Bibb’s] hair on the show.'
Regular watchers of the series know that White thinks of everything (like the neat stack of Cartier Love bracelets adorning Kate’s wrists), but did he think of the bob, too? McMillan says no, but he does have some intel. 'I know another actress that was up for the job. A lot of girls were reading for that part, and she wasn’t willing to cut her hair. I know that Mike White definitely wanted a shorter haircut for that character.'
McMillan says a cut like this doesn’t necessarily need product, but if you want, you can zhuzh it with some mousse, add a flick of grit with some texture spray, hold with hair spray, or slick it back with a little gel.
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Katie Berohn is ELLE’s beauty editor. Previously, she held the same title at Who What Wear, where she was promoted from associate beauty editor. She’s written for publications like The Cut, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Mashable. Her interests include fragrance, vintage shopping, hot yoga, food, travel, music, books, and attempting to make every NYT Cooking recipe. She’s on the endless hunt to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.
