Why the Jilly Cooper Windswept Fringe Is Back
Dame Jilly Cooper became instantly recognisable for one thing: her hair. For decades she wore the same signature cut— a windswept fringe and glossy, face-framing layers that felt both glamorous and mischievously undone. She once joked that her fringe was her personal style signifier and that it “hides a multitude of sins,” perfectly capturing the appeal of this retro fringe style. Now, the Jilly Cooper hair mood is back in a big way. On recent red carpets, stars like Cara Delevingne, Suki Waterhouse, Miley Cyrus and Daisy Edgar-Jones have turned to long, shaggy fringes and layered haircuts with big, romantic volume, echoing Cooper’s ‘70s-inspired silhouette. Whether you style it with an evening gown or muddy boots and a waxed jacket, the windswept fringe brings a ravishing, lived-in glamour that feels current again.
The Cut: Layers, Length and the Perfect Windswept Fringe
To achieve the full Jilly Cooper aesthetic, ask your stylist for a layered haircut with a long, eye-skimming fringe. The goal is movement, not stiffness. Think soft, halo-like layers around the face and through the lengths, with the ends slightly feathered to blur the outline rather than form a blunt edge. Your fringe should be wide and slightly shaggy, starting from a deeper section at the crown so there’s enough hair to create that windswept, tousled effect. Length-wise, this look is flexible: it can work on collarbone-grazing cuts, longer bobs or flowing lengths, as long as there is texture built in. Many modern takes combine Cooper’s volume with current bob variations, using shaggy, feathered bangs and piece-y edges so the shape feels effortless instead of over-styled.
Styling Basics: How to Create the Windswept Movement
Once the cut is right, styling is all about controlled imperfection. Start by rough-drying your hair with your head tipped upside down to build root lift, focusing the airflow at the crown and fringe so they don’t sit flat. Use a round brush on the fringe and front layers, rolling them away from the face and lifting at the roots to mimic that airy, just-caught-in-a-breeze curve. For mid-lengths and ends, twist sections around a large-barrel tong or blow-dry brush, alternating directions so the result looks natural and undone rather than like uniform curls. After styling, rake your fingers through to break everything up. The aim is a soft, voluminous halo that moves when you do, not a set, rigid blow-dry.
Products and Tools for the Effortless, Tousled Effect
The Jilly Cooper hair look may feel spontaneous, but the right products and tools are key to recreating it. Use a volumising mousse or lightweight root spray before blow-drying to give the fringe and layers lift without stiffness. A medium-hold texturising spray helps enhance the retro fringe style by adding piece-y separation through the lengths and at the ends of the bangs. Finish with a flexible hairspray to hold the windswept shape while still allowing movement. In terms of tools, a hairdryer with a nozzle, a medium round brush and either a large-barrel tong or hot brush will cover most needs. Avoid heavy oils or smoothing serums on the fringe; they can weigh it down and kill the airy, tousled feel that defines this look.
Making the Look Work for Your Hair Type
The beauty of the windswept fringe is its versatility across different hair types. On fine hair, keep layers soft and strategic rather than overly thinned, and rely on lightweight volumising products and careful root-lifting blow-dries to prevent the style from falling flat. For thick or naturally wavy hair, internal layering and feathered ends help remove bulk so the fringe and halo layers move freely instead of forming a solid block. Curly hair can embrace a looser, shaggier interpretation: a longer, curl-friendly fringe that can be diffused or air-dried, then separated with fingers and a bit of texturising product. Whatever your texture, the aim is the same: a fringe that skims the brows, layers that frame the face, and a finish that looks a touch windswept, as if you’ve just stepped in from a glamorous gale.