NEED TO KNOW
The Sumer I Turned Pretty has come to an end, but before the series’ official conclusion on Sept. 17, viewers were left on a major cliffhanger. No, we’re not talking about the possibility of Belly and Conrad’s fated reunion in Europe, but rather the show’s leading lady’s hair transformation.
Right before the end of the penultimate episode titled “Last Year,” Belly walks into a Parisian hair salon for what’s anticipated to be a major chop to symbolize her new life (which doesn’t include an ex-fiancé telling her not to cut her hair — we’re looking at you, Jeremiah).
Fast forward to the Sept. 17 finale episode and Belly’s haircut is revealed in 4K in what can only be described as movie magic. The scene: Belly arrives at her apartment on the motorbike of her former fling Benito and shakes out her freshly cut bob from any state of helmet hair, all while Conrad admires her longingly from afar.
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We don’t get to see Belly actually going through with the dramatic cut, but thankfully, the actress who plays her, Lola Tung, and Jenny Han, creator and author of the book series that inspired the Prime Video series, let Vogue in on all the wardrobe secrets that made this major beauty moment happen.
Han told the outlet that the bob was done partially using a hairpiece and partially using Tung’s hair, the latter of which was cut just at the front, while the back of her real hair was tucked into a U-line wig.
“I was super-nervous about it. Obviously, when you cut it, you are not going to know for sure how it’s going to look until you see it,” said Han, who made herself the guinea pig to ensure that the hairstylist could work with Tung’s hair while also achieving their desired look. “I covertly went in and got my hair cut,” she remembered. “I have very thick hair, so if [the hairstylist] can do my hair, then he can do her hair.”
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Tung, whose long hair has only subtly evolved in color and cut for the majority of the show since it premiere in 2022, was more excited than anxious about her character’s mature makeover. “It’s nice to see her make that decision for herself, almost as a physical representation of the growth and change she’s experienced,” she said.
The decision felt right for Han because “women often cut their hair after a breakup or when they want to let go of old baggage and signal to people that they’re ready for change,” which seems to reference the abrupt halt on Belly and Jeremiah’s (Gavin Casalegno) wedding and relationship. “The idea is that if you look different, then you can feel different.”
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“I think it’s really fitting and sort of lovely to see [Belly] in the tradition of all these other female main characters who chop their hair to feel different,” added Han, with Vogue referencing Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sliding Doors and Friends. “Hair can hold weight and memories and meaning, and I think this moment was the perfect time for her to cut hers,” noted Tung.
Something about the move also felt “poetic,” especially with Conrad (Chris Briney) coming back into Belly’s life. “It feels very poetic to me that she’s looking to something new and wanting something new for the summer, and something old is coming back her way,” said Han.
