Hailee Steinfeld has undergone a major hair transformation for her latest role in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming film Sinners. The 28-year-old actress plays Mary, the love interest of one of two twin brothers, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. To prepare for the role, Steinfeld swapped her signature long hair for a vintage-inspired wavy bob, a change that hairstylist Mara Roszak documented on Instagram.
Roszak, who works with many celebrities, shared the dramatic before-and-after photos of Steinfeld’s new look on April 22. In the Instagram post, she admitted she was still reflecting on the transformation a year later. “The Sinners bob,” Roszak captioned the images, adding, “Still thinking about this chop.”
In a recent interview with Vogue, Roszak explained the inspiration behind Steinfeld’s 1930s-inspired haircut, which was designed to fit the period setting of Sinners, a supernatural thriller set in Mississippi. The stylist revealed that while a lot of length was removed, some was left to account for the hair’s natural shrinkage when styled into the retro waves.
“We did a ‘S’ wave shape,” Roszak explained, “which shortens the style by one to two inches. We wanted to leave a little length to account for that.” She also mentioned trimming subtle layers around Steinfeld’s face, cutting the hair just above the collarbone to give it a sleek, polished finish.
For the final look, Roszak drew inspiration from the “classic and conservative” style of the 1930s, referencing old Hollywood icons like Lauren Bacall. Officially, the style is being called a “swing bob,” but Roszak suggests that those looking to replicate the look should request a “long, layered collarbone-grazing bob.”
However, Steinfeld’s dramatic chop wasn’t without its challenges. Roszak pointed out that Steinfeld, who is known for her long hair in many of her roles, had never worn her hair this short before. “Hailee has always been a long-haired girl, and this was a really big chop and change,” the stylist said, calling it an “honor” to be part of the transformation.
Steinfeld herself shared her surprise over the change, telling PEOPLE that she couldn’t remember a time when her hair was ever this short. “I was going through old photos with my mom, and there’s a photo of me — I’m not kidding, I have to be 9 or 10 months old — and my mom had clipped one of her ponytail extensions to my head. So at 10 months, this girl had long hair,” she recalled.
The actress also revealed that she loved the results so much that she went even shorter after the initial cut, teasing, “Who knows what happens from here.”
This dramatic hair transformation is just the latest in a series of bold changes Steinfeld has embraced for her career. Fans are eager to see how the new look will complement her role in Sinners, set to hit theaters soon.
