Say goodbye to perfectly uniform curls for now; this fall is all about the natural "French perm."
If you want to change up your hairstyle this fall, keep an eye on the "French perm." Unlike perms that repeat a uniform wave pattern or emphasize rounded, voluminous curls, French perm styles incorporate slightly tousled waves and the fine hairs around the face into the overall look.
This mood can also be seen in the hairstyles recently worn by Jennie and Jeon Soyeon of i-dle. Their hair lengths and curl thicknesses differ, but both styles have been deliberately loosened, as if the hair naturally had some bends, rather than being smoothed strand by strand. The starting points and directions of the curls are not precisely aligned, and the ends are not trimmed into a uniform shape. This intentionally irregular texture creates the free-spirited impression unique to the French perm.
How did Jeon Soyeon bring out the French perm? Short and voluminous, a French perm meets the bob
The appeal of the French perm is just as clear on short hair. Jeon Soyeon created a voluminous silhouette by mixing large and small waves into short hair that falls from the jawline to the nape. The fact that she did not make all the curls face in the same direction is especially striking.
Around the face, inward-turning and outward-flaring curls are mixed together. The ends are not gathered neatly either, giving the style a vintage mood that differs from a polished bob. She also added plenty of volume to the sides, reducing the flatness that can sometimes come with shorter hair.
The bangs are another essential element. Small bends were added to the lightly parted bangs, which were then naturally connected to the waves around the temples and ears.
If you want to change up a bob or short haircut, the key is to mix curl sizes rather than making every curl face the same direction, while also adding plenty of volume to the sides.
Jennie keeps it long and loose: French waves added to long hair
Jennie offers a different take on the French perm by making use of her long hair. She added thick, loose waves to hair that falls below her chest, with inconsistent curl heights and directions. Rather than adding volume from the crown through the entire length, she placed bends mainly around the face and through the mid-lengths, taking some weight out of the long hair.
The fine strands falling along her face were not neatly arranged either. Loose waves mixed with flyaways to create a more effortless impression than hair styled with precisely executed curling-iron work.
The bends in Jennie's perm are not sharply defined, making its loose wave texture worth noting. If you want to change the mood of long, straight hair without cutting it, you could also take inspiration from Jennie's style by adding thick waves only around the face and through the mid-lengths.
The key to the French perm, unlike the Water Wave Perm and Cloud Perm, is its "imperfect curls"
The difference between the French perm and other wave styles lies in how regularly the curls are arranged. The Water Wave Perm creates a clear wave pattern throughout the hair by repeating evenly spaced bends. The Cloud Perm also uses thick, soft S-curls and abundant volume to emphasize a rounded, cozy silhouette.
The French perm, on the other hand, aims for hair whose overall texture is stylish rather than hair in which every individual curl looks perfect. It is fine if some sections between the thick curls are loosely undone, or if the ends flare outward and flyaways escape around the face. These irregularities are what complete the signature style of the French perm.
If you want to change your hairstyle this fall, why not try relaxed, natural-looking waves?
If you spent much of the summer tying your hair back because of the heat, fall is the perfect season to wear it down again and enjoy waves. This fall, consider embracing a slightly tousled texture instead of perfectly set curls.
However, even with the same French perm, the way the curls show depends on hair length, layers, and density. With short hair, emphasize volume at the sides and movement at the ends. With long hair, avoid making the curls too tight so the signature loose texture can come through.
If straight hair feels a little dull and perfectly formed curls like the Water Wave Perm or Cloud Perm seem too overwhelming, try the French perm this fall—"more stylish because it is imperfect."
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
