Leighton Meester Just Got Micro Bangs

With HBO’s new spin on the cult-classic Gossip Girl, we can’t help but revisit the OG series, which is basically like Skins for the Upper East Side. The show follows teens attending prep school in NYC—and although their preppy style and stellar grades make them seem like poster children for the perfect American Teen, the show reveals that their lives are actually quite the opposite. One of the show’s most notable characters, Blair Waldorf, is as tailored as they come, and Leighton Meester, who played Waldorf, just got the antithesis of preppy hairstyles: micro bangs.

On March 14, Meester arrived on the red carpet for the premiere of her husband (and fellow teen icon), Adam Brody's latest film, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods. She wore a Hollywood-meets-the-prairie dress, with puffed sleeves and a ruffled skirt, in a gorgeous bronze shimmer fabric. She paired the dress with nude sandals and a black clutch for a minimal yet captivating look.

Her look's standout feature, however, is her blunt micro bangs, which end slightly above her brows in a straight line across her forehead. Meester’s bangs are pretty geometric and don’t blend into face-framing layers like, say, Birkin bangs would, but rather contrast the rest of her long, flowing waves. It has a very boho vibe, and it’s far from anything that Blair Waldorf would even consider wearing.

But whether it’s Waldorf-approved or not doesn’t matter—it’s a cute and realistic spin on the micro bang trend that popped off this year. Stars like Bella Hadid, Florence Pugh, and even Jisoo from Blackpink all shared their rendition of micro bangs, which included a piece-y fringe or Hepburn-style updo. Although they’re all stunning in their own right, these looks can all be a bit intimidating thanks to their editorial styling. With their blunt shape and relaxed texture, however, Meester’s micro bangs are a no-frills take on the trend and take just a few minutes to style during busy mornings.

Meester finishes off the rest of her red carpet look with a simple glam featuring brushed-up brows, subtly shimmering eyeshadow, and a peachy nude lip. It lets her natural features peer through, and with stars arriving at the Oscars in their best un-done beats this past Sunday, we suspect that “natural beauty” is on the rise. Leave it to Gossip Girl’s most pearl-ridden character to prove that a relaxed vibe is always chic—even for the red carpet.