When it comes to hair length, we are always in a constant struggle. When we have short hair, we covet long, luscious locks. After growing out our hair, we lament how hot it can get, especially in Singapore’s hot and humid weather, and can’t wait to chop it off to a more manageable cut. Recently, many celebs have boldly taken the plunge, cutting off years of hair to debut new, refreshing shorter hairstyles. Looking both edgy and stylish, here are eight Asian celebs – from Rainie Yang to Kim Tae Hee to BLACKPINK’s Lisa – that might inspire you to go for the chop.
To complement the release of her new album, Taiwanese singer Rainie Yang bade goodbye to the long, luscious locks that she has kept for a decade. The refreshed look is a short, straight bob that’s trendy without being formulaic nor boring thanks to the gradient hair colour. The exterior is a light milk tea shade while the interior is a darker green that adds dimension.
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Long, black hair has always been the signature for Taiwanese actress Ariel Lin. In July, she debuted her surprisingly short cut that actually made her appear younger. The choice of placing the parting on the side is smart as it helps to modify the contours of her face. Lin shared that she had chopped off her hair as it was too warm in summer and she wanted to reduce the time needed to dry the hair while giving herself a fresh, new appearance.
In preparation for an upcoming role, Taiwanese star Ning Chang cut the long hair she has had for 20 years to a super short cut that totally transformed her looks while accenting her facial features. Ning added that short hair can be finicky to style but the messier the look, the nicer it is, and has learnt to live with the casual ease of having short hair.
Fact: short hair can look cool and edgy but it might not suit everybody’s facial features. Taiwanese Annie Chen chopped off her hair last year and joined the short hair club with her new look. The result is a neat, androgynous charm that still conveys Chen’s playful appeal.
Lisa from popular South Korean girl group BLACKPINK always had long lustrous hair. But when they released their latest single, ‘Ice Cream’ with Selena Gomez, Lisa debuted a short bob that led to a surge in the popularity of short hairstyles in Korea. The key to her look is the shiny black hair and the flat bangs, which can be styled in many different wants to exude different vibes.
Does Park Gyu Young look familiar? That’s because she was recently seen in the popular K-drama It’s Okay To Not Be Okay alongside Seo Ye Ji and Kim Soo Hyun. Since her role as a nurse, Park has been gaining attention offscreen with her soft, feminine makeup and hairstyle. We love how her short hair emphasises her youthful features – bet you can’t tell she is 27 right?
After 11 years in the showbiz industry, Korean star Yoo In Na gave her signature locks a chop and appeared with a shorter hairstyle than what we are familiar with. Her reddish-brown hair colour also helps to accentuate and brighten her fair complexion. Styling is easy too. Just grab a little hair wax to sleek the front hairs back and pick a few strands to create texture and volume.
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Short hair can be feminine, but it can also make you look strong and tough. After her successful comeback on the small screen with Hi Bye, Mama, Kim Tae-hee chopped off her hair. She paired her shorter cut with a bold red lip and clean all-white suit for an ice cream commercial, but we think this is a look that’s pretty appropriate for the workplace too.
Text: Lee Yen/ICON
Translation by Ho Guo Xiong