Taylor Swift Looks So Different Without Her Trademark Bangs

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Taylor Swift is one of those famous stars in Hollywood who look surprisingly different without their signature look — think Jason Momoa without his iconic beard or Jelly Roll sans his facial tattoos. For Swift, it's her bold red lip and straightened bangs that Swifties around the world have come to associate with her. (The key word here is "straightened," as Swift was born with naturally curly hair.) The origin of Swift's trademark bangs can be traced back to her January 2012 Vogue cover shoot, where Swift decided to fully embrace the look. "I was on a photoshoot and they wanted to do, like, clip-in bangs and straighten my hair. I just said, 'Why don't you just cut them?' They did," she told Huff Post in 2011 about her new hairstyle. The "Folklore" singer added that she'd always dreamed of getting bangs when asked what inspired her hair transformation. "I've loved the way that bangs look on other people," Swift explained. "I always seem to want to straighten my hair in the winter. And I think I just decided to go a step further this time."

Since then, her bangs have become such a defining feature of her image that fans have started to wonder whether Swift will ever outgrow the look. (Spoiler alert: They hope not!) On the rare occasions that she does go out without her trademark hairstyle, however, Swift looks nearly unrecognizable, such as when she attended the 2015 Elle Style Awards in London (see below). For the ceremony, Swift arrived on the red carpet wearing a green strap dress with her hair styled slick straight and tucked behind her ears. It wasn't the only time fans saw her without bangs, though.

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Another time Taylor Swift left her fans doing a double take was at the 2013 Met Gala, where she proudly embraced a no-bangs look. In honor of that year's theme, "PUNK: Chaos to Couture," the "All Too Well" artist stunned in a black J. Mendel gown featuring a dramatic silhouette, sheer cutouts, and a bejeweled collar. Her hair was teased and pushed back to highlight her makeup, complete with dark smoky eyes and the classic nude lip. In 2012, Swift also wowed at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in a Zuhair Murad dress with gold accents, a fitted silhouette, and a Mandarin-style collar. To complement her outfit, the pop star kept her makeup simple and styled her hair in an updo, allowing the striking details of her dress to stand out. Later in the evening, however, she was seen sporting her iconic bangs while posing backstage with her two gramophones. (She won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo for her 2010 single, "Mean.")

More recently, Swift switched up her trademark look for the 2020 Golden Globe Awards, where she was nominated for Best Original Song for her "Cats" song, "Beautiful Ghosts." The singer hit the red carpet in a gorgeous Etro gown with matching crystal drop earrings and a bang-free hairstyle. On Reddit, several fans of Swift reacted to the unexpected look. "Wow, no bangs. It's a Christmas miracle," quipped one Swiftie. Another fan noted that it feels strange seeing Swift without her signature fringe. "I love it! It's nice to see her forehead," added a third commenter. It's safe to say that Swift has made bangs a defining element of her personal style.