Bette Midler's Bottleneck Bangs Are Perfect For Older Women Looking For Extra Movement
When we feel nostalgic about the multitalented celeb who actually takes the art of performance seriously, we have to remember that we can always look to Bette Midler. She's been gracing stages and screens since the '60s, and with the help of flirty bottleneck bangs, she recently reminded us that the show must go on. Midler was in New York City for the world premiere of "Steps," Netflix's animated family film in which she voices the all-important fairy godmother. To celebrate the movie's November 2026 release, Midler hit the red carpet with her silver hair whipped up into a messy updo and the cutest bottleneck bangs on full display.
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Go ahead and add Midler's 'do to the list of times celebs flaunted their gray hair on the red carpet and stole the show. If you're looking to recreate the style, the art is in the weightlessness. While blunt bangs bring the drama and the attitude, they may be too severe and heavy for older beauty lovers looking to add vibrancy to their looks. Instead, bottleneck bangs — shorter in the center and longer at the edges — tend to feature wispier ends that offer tons of movement and a sexy effortlessness. They work nicely with softly layered haircuts that just beg for a traffic-stopping hair flip. As for ways to effortlessly style face-framing bottleneck bangs, follow Midler's lead and think undone updos and easy blowouts.
Bette Midler has threatened to break the internet with a bouncy hairstyle before
No one could ever accuse Bette Midler of being a celeb who's afraid to switch up her look. Since she stole our hearts more than six decades ago, we've seen her hair, in particular, become a little bit of everything. It's been blond and blown out, short and pin curled, and who could forget her fiery red, cloud of curls from the '70s? Now in her 80s, the star seems to be embracing her grays but still keeping it interesting. In November 2025, Midler posted a selfie to her Instagram that showed her rocking a bouncy salt-and-pepper bob that was part '90s supermodel and part retro movie star, reminding us of the forgotten Old Hollywood hair trends that deserve a comeback. According to the caption, she was on set shooting the movie "Cut Off" with Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, and Nathan Lane. The post garnered over 100,000 likes and a near endless scroll of comments from awed fans, with one writing, "Divine Miss M does it again."
Vogue caught up with Midler for the outlet's "Life in Looks" series back in 2022, and in true showbiz fashion, she discussed the importance of beauty in bringing an acting role to life. "So every time I make a picture, I start with the hair. If I don't have the hair right, I don't have the character," she said. On camera or on the red carpet, whether rocking flirty bottleneck bangs or keeping it classic, Midler clearly knows the power of a snappy 'do.