It-Girls Are Doing Their Hair Like Sophia Loren This Summer

Tomato girl vibes.

Classic Hollywood hairstyles get reinvented generation after generation, giving them a life far beyond the silver screen—think Audrey Hepburn bangs or Brigitte Bardot’s big, voluminous curls. When two major icons sport the same style decades apart, it’s time to pay attention to the look. The Sophia Loren updo has been the actor's signature for decades, and Pamela Anderson gave it her own edgy twist in the '90s. After a year of Pam-inspired hair, everyone is taking the look back to its roots, and channeling La Dolce Vita with a glamorous Loren updo.

“It's common that we take inspiration from previous beauty eras, like Sophia Loren and Bridget Bardot, and it plants a creative seed to reinterpret it with a modern twist,” says Rodney Cutler, Redken Brand Ambassador and Founder of Cutler Salons. “It's perfect for summer as it's easy to do at home and it gives you the updo look without the contrived feel.”

The Trend

“With the '90s trends resurfacing in hair and fashion, it has brought back this timeless messy bun look that has been circling around through the many decades,” says Elyse Clark, National Pureology Artist and Owner/Stylist at The Hair Retreat IL. “It is the ‘it’ updo, giving a romantic vibe with a messy twist, keeping you cool with the hair piled high in the heat of summer. I personally love that it tightly secures hair up and off your body yet it’s loose and undone for a classy, sexy look.”

Another reason the Sophia Loren updo is everywhere is because it combines so many hot hair fads of the moment. “Combine the trendy curtain fringe, center part and claw clip accessory on top of an easy to replicate look for the DIYers, and it’s no wonder this style is taking over again this summer,” Clark says.

The Appeal

A plus of the trend is it’s flattering and malleable. “I love the silhouette that it creates and that it's adaptable for all hair types and face shapes, and has that sense of effortless elegance,” Cutler says. “There is an underlying elegance to Sophia Loren's style; although it looks very intricate, it works and it's very simple. Pam's is more of a causal interpretation, which allows for the hair to be a bit loose and naturally fall and cascade to frame the face.”

The Sophia Loren updo works best on medium-long to long hair, especially with fringe or shorter face-framing layers. “If your hair is fine, I would allow more hair to be pulled from the front to help frame the face,” Cutler says. “It works great on blondes especially to create that more textured look. It looks much more elegant on darker hair colors.”

Play with the updo to see what flatters you most. “This style can create the ideal oval face shape for all by customizing volume and loose pieces in various places,” Clark says.” It can make fine hair look thicker with while also condensing down thick hair.”

How to Style the Sophia Loren Updo

“If you are trying to achieve a more polished, clean look, use Redken Big Blowout Heat Protectant Jelly ($26) and finish with Redken Brushable Hairspray ($26),” Cutler says. “If you are wanting more texture, try using Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment ($32) then finish with Redken Spray Wax ($23).”

Clark shares step-by-step tips for DIYing the Sofia Loren updo:

Step 1: Section out your fringe to leave down. She recommends using a dry shampoo like Pureology Refresh and Go Dry Shampoo ($31) to prevent the oil from accumulating in the fringe.

Step 2: Massage roots on top with Pureology Mess It Up Texture Paste ($31), then gather hair half up in the crown and secure with an elastic. Rough up hair on top to create separation, volume and height behind the fringe.

Step 3: Gather the rest of the hair up high and secure with another elastic or a claw clip. Use a heat protectant to curl while adding grip and texture to create a voluminous bun.

Step 4: Use Bobby pins to shape and secure ends in place for height and messiness.

Step 5: Spray Pureology Texture Finishing Spray ($31) in the fringe as a heat protectant and loosely curl away from the face on both sides.

Step 6: Secure with hairspray.

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