Press tours have become not just a mandatory part of any film’s release—an action-packed gauntlet of back-to-back interviews and late-night show appearances likely baked into actors’ contracts from the start—but cultural movements akin to the very films they promote. At least, they are to the style set.

Method dressing and themed beauty looks have been transforming movie premieres since the ’90s, when actress Geena Davis paid homage to her 1992 sports film A League of Their Own with a baseball-inspired minidress. Margot Robbie took this idea to the astral plane with the 2023 release of Barbie, which inspired a weeks-long whirlwind of archival designer looks masterminded by celebrity stylist Andrew Mukamal—turning Robbie into a real-life version of the famous blonde doll. Zendaya and Law Roach have done this with nearly all of the star’s revered films, from the Dune and Spider-Man franchises to The Odyssey. Now, Daisy Edgar-Jones has claimed the title of Best Press-Tour Dressed with the rollout of her recent book-to-film adaptation, Sense and Sensibility, incorporating elements of late-Georgian fashion into her covetable wardrobe.

Though her devastatingly chic press run—helmed by celebrity stylist Dani Michelle—was enough to make me marvel at nearly every image of the Normal People alum’s looks over the last few weeks, her sweeping hair and shapeshifting bangs were the things that made me snap screenshots. With that, I booked a haircut.

About Daisy Edgar-Jones’s Romantic Fringe

Edgar-Jones’s fringe has been on the mood boards of fashion lovers for quite some time. Though, it wasn’t always her go-to. The star recently shared in an interview on The One Show that she had difficulty booking roles until shearing wispy “breakup” bangs before a taping—though they became her signature after scoring the role of Marianne Sheridan in Normal People. Among the list of chic bangs havers (Dakota Johnson! Taylor Swift! Suki Waterhouse!), Edgar-Jones has surely etched her name, but the romantic airs of this period piece have transformed her real-life fringe into something entirely singular.

The star worked with celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett for this press run, who previously fashioned the cascading gothic waves and delicate updos that marked Robbie’s Wuthering Heights tour. From outings in Berlin, New York, and beyond, Scarlett put on a master class in hair storytelling—translating the airy romanticism of Jane Austen’s classic tale into Edgar-Jones’s sweeping mane. Whether unfussy, natural-looking waves with airy, curled bangs or loose, touchable bends with piecey fringe, each look painted the image of an 18th-century woman freshly roused from sleep or pink-cheeked after running through a field. Scarlett proved that hairstyling can evoke emotion—enough that I showed my stylist these very looks when I settled into the salon chair.

Getting the Haircut

I walked into the light-drenched new Tribeca hair salon Franklin’s (cofounded by celebrity hairstylist Xavier Velasquez) toting a head full of long, drab hair that was slowly but surely dragging any whispers of volume into sheer oblivion. A film was being shot inside the building that day, with PAs flitting up and down the stairs toting heavy-looking camera equipment—fitting, as a film was the very thing that inspired me to book this appointment in the first place. As I slid into Velasquez’s cushy leather chair, we discussed the game plan: turn my unkempt strands into something resembling Edgar-Jones’s sweeping tresses, complete with her stylized, romantic fringe. He understood the assignment perfectly.

Having neglected haircuts for months, my once-wispy bangs had grown into face-framing layers, and my hair fell into a heavy, flat blanket. I have a similar texture to the Sense and Sensibility star’s, so I tasked Velasquez with cutting a style that emulated Edgar-Jones’s and helped my type-2B waves air-dry nicely. As it turns out, I’m far from the first person asking for a fringey switch-up this fall.

“Bangs requests are in high demand—I think the reason being that it creates a seasonal change without the commitment of, let’s say, a bob or bixie,” he tells me. We’ve washed my hair and sectioned it off to bring my overgrown bangs to the front, this time leaning into my natural part. This is a key facet of Edgar-Jones’s look, whose fringe is long enough to wear eye-grazingly low or swept to the sides as slightly off-center curtain bangs. “Ask for bangs that might be a smidge longer than you would normally leave with; that way when you’re styling, you get that romantic, undone effect,” Velasquez advises.

The cut was relatively simple: a smattering of long layers and a serrated set of bangs. “We started by bringing up the length, then adding intentional face-framing layers, then cutting into the fringe area—creating wisps that framed below the brow,” he explains. This irregularity in the shape is what makes the bangs feel forward yet also relative to the time period. Anything too polished results in an entirely different (even dated) look.

Once my bangs were snipped to Velasquez’s liking, we moved on to my freshly layered length. “To re-create the undone Georgian-era style with a modern twist, we alternated between one-inch and one-and-a-half-inch curling irons,” he explains, emulating a natural wave “to create that airiness.”

How to Maintain Romantic Bangs

Aside from regular trims (which you can do yourself if you own shears and trust yourself enough), Velasquez and I have a few styling tips to keep in mind when styling this romantic cut. Because somehow, it’s always the “undone” styles that require the most work.

Invest in a Round Brush

The hairstylist recommends adding a “good medium-size round brush” to your styling collection to blow out your bangs “with maximum volume.”

Use Dry Shampoo

Whether your bangs are freshly washed or a day old, dry shampoo will be your best friend when it comes to styling. “Having a great dry shampoo will keep your bangs airy and oil-free,” Velasquez explains. Using a small blast on clean hair will give your hair the grip it needs to hold its shape and prevent pieces from sticking together in piecey strips—another no-no for this style. He prefers Virtue’s Dry Shampoo for bangs that need a quick refresh, and I’ve found success with these picks from Ouai and R+Co.

Try Texturizing Products

Nothing gives me romantic, tousled waves faster than texturizing products. Whether air-drying my strands with R+Co’s Beach Club, creating volume with Rōz’s Root Lift Spray, or adding extra oomph with Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray, these formulas are fast tracks to effortless-looking movement.

Shop More Romantic-Bangs Styling Essentials