There is a distinct, almost magnetic presence that comes with carrying hair that falls all the way to your waist. It is a commitment, a statement, and a canvas all at once. Yet, for those of us with round faces, the prospect of combining this dramatic length with bangs can feel like a high-stakes gamble. We have all heard the outdated beauty rules whispering that fringe only widens a circular face, or that super-long hair will drag your features down.

Those rules are wrong. In reality, pairing waist-length hair with bangs for round faces is one of the most effective ways to sculpt, frame, and highlight your features. The sheer vertical line of ultra-long hair provides an instant lengthening effect, acting as a visual anchor that counteracts the horizontal width of full cheeks. When you introduce the right style of bangs, you are not just cutting hair; you are strategically placing shadows and angles that redefine your face shape.

The secret lies entirely in the geometry of the cut. A round face is characterized by soft curves, a gently rounded jawline, and a width that is roughly equal to its length. To flatter these proportions, your fringe should never act as a solid, horizontal wall that slices your face in half. Instead, we want to create pockets of skin exposure, sharp diagonal lines, or soft vertical curtains that draw the eye upward and outward.

Whether you are working with pin-straight tresses, rich beachy waves, or tight natural coils, there is a way to make this look entirely your own. It is about understanding how hair falls, how weight distributions change when hair reaches the small of your back, and how a few snipped pieces around your forehead can completely shift your silhouette.

Why Waist-Length Hair and Bangs work for Round Faces

Portrait of a real woman with waist-length hair and bangs in natural window lightSave It

The physics of ultra-long hair are fascinating. Once hair passes your shoulder blades and approaches your waist, its physical weight increases significantly. This weight naturally pulls the hair downward, flattening the volume at the sides of your head. For a round face, this is actually a massive advantage.

Unlike shorter haircuts that can puff out at the cheeks and add unwanted width, waist-length hair hugs the sides of the face, creating two strong vertical pillars. These pillars visually slice away at the outer edges of your cheeks, instantly making your face appear narrower. 

[ Solid, Horizontal Bangs ]  -->  Slices face in half, emphasizes horizontal width. (Avoid)
[ Curtain / Wispy / Diagonal ] -->  Creates vertical gaps, exposes forehead, elongates face. (Choose)

Adding bangs to this equation prevents the long hair from looking like a heavy, lifeless curtain. A well-cut fringe breaks up the expanse of hair and focuses attention directly on your eyes and cheekbones. By choosing a style of bangs that lets some of your forehead peek through, or one that sweeps diagonally across your brow, you create the illusion of height and structure where there are naturally soft curves.

Key Rules of Proportions for Round Face Shapes

Salon portrait illustrating round-face proportion rules with center split bangsSave It

When you sit in your stylist’s chair, the conversation should always revolve around balance. To make a long-hair-and-fringe combination work on a round face, your stylist must avoid creating harsh, blunt lines that mimic the roundness of your jaw.

  • Avoid the “Helmet” Effect: Thick, heavy, straight-across bangs that extend from temple to temple will shorten your face, making it look wider. Instead, the fringe should be kept relatively narrow, starting inside the outer corners of your eyebrows.
  • Embrace the Center Split: Splitting your bangs down the middle—even slightly—creates an inverted “V” shape on your forehead. This upside-down triangle visually elongates the upper portion of your face.
  • Build Height at the Crown: A flat top with heavy sides is the enemy of a round face. Your cut should incorporate soft, internal layers around the crown to provide subtle lift, drawing the eye upward.
  • Utilize Slide-Cutting: When framing the face, the transition from the bangs to the waist-length strands should be seamless. Slide-cutting with a razor or sharp shears creates soft, downward-slanted lines that hug the jawline and neck.

These small details make the difference between a haircut that overwhelms your face and one that beautifully frames it.

Maintenance Secrets for Ultra-Long Hair and Fringe

Real person with ultra-long hair and fringe in a bathroom settingSave It

Let’s talk about the practical reality of maintaining this hairstyle. Taking care of waist-length hair is a completely different sport than styling a quick bob. You are dealing with ends that may have been on your head for five or six years, requiring gentle handling and deep hydration. Meanwhile, your bangs sit right against your forehead, soaking up natural facial oils and skincare products.

This means you cannot treat your whole head of hair the same way. The most successful routine involves a “split-wash” approach.

The Split-Wash Routine

To keep your bangs looking fresh without drying out your waist-length ends, learn to wash your fringe independently. Pull the rest of your hair back into a loose bun, lean over the sink, and wash just the front bangs section with a clarifying shampoo. This takes less than five minutes and saves you from the grueling process of washing, conditioning, and drying yards of hair every single day.

Protecting Your Length

While your bangs require daily styling, your mid-lengths and ends need protection from heat damage. When using a blow dryer or flat iron on your fringe, clip your long hair back and out of the way. Apply a rich, silicone-free hair oil to the bottom six inches of your length daily to prevent split ends from climbing up the hair shaft.

1. Wispy Curtain Bangs on Long Soft Waves

Woman with wispy curtain bangs and long waves in window lightSave It

The classic curtain fringe is perhaps the most forgiving style for anyone navigating a round face shape. Unlike a solid block of hair, these bangs are cut shorter in the center and gradually cascade longer toward the cheekbones, parting down the middle like drapes over a window.

Why This Cut Works

This parting creates a small triangle of exposed forehead skin right between your brows. That tiny window of skin acts as an upward pointer, visually stretching your face vertically. The longer outer edges of the bangs drape over the widest part of your cheekbones, shaving off visual width and softening the transition into your waist-length waves.

How to Style It

  • Apply a lightweight styling mousse to damp roots at the crown and bangs.
  • Use a medium-sized round brush to blow-dry the bangs straight forward, away from your face.
  • Let them fall back naturally; they will flip outward at the tips, creating a soft wing.
  • Mist a dry texture spray through your waist-length waves to keep them piece-y and movement-filled.

Pro tip: Never blow-dry curtain bangs downward. Always wrap them around the brush and pull them up and back to get that airy, wind-swept lift that keeps the style from flatlining against your forehead.

2. Sharp A-Line Fringe with Straight Lengths

Real woman with sharp A-line fringe and straight hairSave It

If soft and wispy isn’t your vibe, a sharp, structured A-line fringe offers a striking contrast to the roundness of your face. This style features bangs that are cut slightly shorter in the middle, curving downward into longer, pointed corners that frame your temples.

      ===-------===  <-- Shorter center, sloping downward at the temples
     /             
    /   ( Eyes )     <-- Long corners frame the eyes & cheekbones
   /

The Geometry of the Cut

This cut is all about creating angles. By shaping the bangs into a subtle inverted “V” or A-line slope, you introduce diagonal lines to a face that naturally has very few. Diagonal lines are incredibly slimming because they force the viewer’s eyes to move diagonally and vertically rather than side-to-side across your cheeks.

Quick Hair Facts

  • Best hair density: Medium to thick, straight hair.
  • Maintenance level: High; requires trims every three weeks to maintain the sharp line.
  • Key tool: A fine-tooth carbon comb and a high-quality flat iron with rounded edges.
  • Key product: A smoothing, heat-activated serum to lock in shine and prevent frizz.

3. Shaggy Bottleneck Bangs with Textured Layers

Portrait of a real woman with bottleneck bangs and textured layers in daylightSave It

Bottleneck bangs are the cooler, slightly messy sibling of the traditional curtain fringe. Inspired by the shape of a classic glass bottle, they start narrow at the top, curve outward around the eyes, and then flare out wider at the cheekbones before blending into shag-style layers.

Why They Flatter a Round Face

The narrow start of the bangs at the top of your forehead prevents your face from being boxed in. As the fringe curves around your eyes, it creates a flattering frame that highlights your gaze, while the longer, textured layers that fall along your jawline break up the roundness of your cheeks.

Pairing this with textured, waist-length layers adds volume at the crown and texture throughout the lengths, preventing your hair from looking bottom-heavy.

Styling the Shag

To get the most out of this highly textured look, embrace your natural waves or create them with a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer. Avoid heavy pomades or creams that can weigh down the crown. Instead, opt for a sea salt spray or a liquid texture mist applied to damp hair, scrunching thoroughly as it dries to build organic, messy volume.

4. Choppy Micro-Bangs with Beachy Waves

Close-up portrait of a woman with choppy micro-bangs and waist-length beachy waves in natural window lightSave It

Many people with round faces are terrified of micro-bangs, believing that exposing the forehead will only emphasize their face’s width. But when executed correctly, this pairing can be incredibly lengthening.

The Science of the Short Fringe

By cutting your bangs an inch or two above your eyebrows, you are physically extending the visible canvas of your face. You are showing more forehead, which instantly makes your face appear longer. The choppy, uneven texture of the fringe prevents the line from looking too harsh, while the surrounding waist-length beachy waves add a relaxed, bohemian frame that softens the entire look.

How to Style It

  1. Wet the micro-bangs completely; short hair holds its shape from drying, so you must start fresh.
  2. Blow-dry the bangs flat against your forehead using a flat wrap technique, brushing them side to side with a paddle brush.
  3. Once dry, rub a pea-sized amount of matte clay or pomade between your fingertips.
  4. Pinch the ends of the bangs to create a piece-y, defined texture that shows off the choppy cuts.

5. Feathery Side-Swept Bangs on Cascading Curls

Close-up portrait of a woman with feathery side swept bangs and cascading curls in daylightSave It

Asymmetry is a powerful tool when styling round faces. A feathery, side-swept fringe cuts diagonally across your face, immediately disrupting the circular symmetry and creating a longer, more oval appearance.

Why It Works for Curly Textures

For those with natural curls, a side-swept fringe works beautifully because it allows your curls to clump naturally without needing to be forced into a straight line. The feathery texture keeps the bangs light, allowing them to bounce and move. When paired with cascading, waist-length curls, this style looks incredibly romantic and full of life.

Styling Curly Fringe

To style this look, apply a leave-in conditioner and a light-hold curl gel to your wet curls. Use your fingers to coil the bangs section away from your face in a diagonal direction. Let your hair air-dry completely or use a diffuser on low heat, then gently shake out the roots with your fingers to release the volume.

6. Full Blunt Bangs Paired with Face-Framing Tendrils

Close-up portrait of a woman with blunt bangs and face framing tendrils indoors in warm lightSave It

Can a round face wear a classic, thick blunt bang? Absolutely, but it requires a very specific modification: you must pair it with dedicated, face-framing tendrils.

  [ Thick Blunt Bangs ] <-- Ends right at the brow line
   ||               ||  <-- Long, slender tendrils frame the jawline
  /                   
 /                      <-- Waist-length tresses break up shoulder width

The Framing Technique

If you cut a blunt bang straight across and leave nothing on the sides, you will box in your face and make it look wide. To prevent this, your stylist should leave two long, slender tendrils of hair on either side of the bangs, falling just past your jawline. These tendrils act as parentheses around your face, hiding the outer edges of your cheeks and creating a beautiful, vertical frame.

Daily Styling Steps

  • Blow-dry your blunt bangs using a paddle brush, sweeping them left and right to remove any cowlicks.
  • Use a small round brush only at the very ends of the bangs to give them a slight, natural curve inward.
  • Pull your face-framing tendrils forward and run a flat iron down them, curving slightly inward at the chin.
  • Keep the rest of your waist-length hair sleek and polished to maintain those long, vertical lines.

7. Wispy Birkin Bangs on Sleek Pin-Straight Hair

Close-up of a woman with wispy Birkin bangs and sleek pin straight waist length hairSave It

Named after the iconic Jane Birkin, these bangs are the epitome of effortless, Parisian chic. They are thin, slightly uneven, and long enough to skim your eyelashes, allowing your forehead to show through the spaces between the strands.

The Contrast of Sleekness

When you pair wispy, eyelash-skimming bangs with pin-straight, waist-length hair, you create a look that is highly modern and slimming. The absolute straightness of the length pulls the eyes downward in a rapid, vertical motion. Because the bangs are so light and airy, they never feel heavy or oppressive, allowing your natural bone structure to take center stage.

Styling the Sleek Look

To achieve this level of glass-like shine, prep your damp hair with a heat-protecting smoothing cream. Blow-dry your length straight down in sections, keeping the nozzle of your dryer pointed downward to seal the hair cuticle. Finish with a run of a high-quality flat iron, and use a tiny drop of lightweight hair oil to smooth any flyaways on your bangs.

8. Piece-y See-Through Fringe with Shag-Style Layers

Close-up of a woman with see through fringe and shag style layers in natural lightSave It

See-through bangs are a massive staple in Asian beauty circles for a reason: they are incredibly flattering on softer, rounded facial structures.

Unlike traditional bangs that require a deep triangular section of hair from the crown, see-through bangs use only a very thin slice of hair from the very front of your hairline.

Why They are a Miracle for Round Faces

Because these bangs are so sparse, they act more like a soft filter over your forehead than a solid block. They give you the cool-girl style of having bangs without actually committing to the forehead-shortening effects of a heavy fringe. When paired with textured, shag-style waist-length layers, they offer a breezy, lightweight feel that is incredibly easy to wear.

Styling See-Through Fringe

  • Use a single Velcro roller on your bangs while you get ready or do your makeup.
  • Roll it forward and under, securing it right at the base of your hairline.
  • Unroll it gently and use your fingers to spread the strands out across your forehead.
  • Mist with a tiny bit of flexible-hold hairspray to keep the spacing in place throughout the day.

9. Asymmetric Slanted Bangs on Voluminous Curls

Close-up portrait of a woman with asymmetric slanted bangs and voluminous curls on a city street at golden hourSave It

When you want to make a bold statement, an asymmetric, slanted fringe cut on voluminous, waist-length curls is an absolute showstopper. This style features a dramatic slope that starts short on one side of the forehead and angles down sharply toward the opposite temple.

The Optical Illusion of Angles

   /================= <-- Sharp diagonal line cuts across forehead
  / (Short)   (Long)  
 /                      <-- Directs the eye down and across diagonally
|                       |

The human eye naturally tracks lines. When someone looks at you, their gaze will follow the sharp diagonal line of your slanted bangs. This diagonal movement completely bypasses the horizontal width of a round face, creating an elongated, oval optical illusion. The bounce and volume of waist-length curls add texture and movement, keeping the overall silhouette soft and balanced.

Caring for Textured Asymmetry

Because this cut relies on precise angles, it is best to have it cut dry by a curly hair specialist. They can see exactly how each curl coil behaves and shrinks, ensuring the diagonal line remains clean and intentional whether your hair is freshly styled or on day three of your wash cycle.

10. Long Grown-Out Bangs Blended into Cascading Shag

Close-up of a woman with waist-length cascading hair and grown-out bangs blending into face-framing layers in natural light.Save It

For those who want a softer approach to bangs, a long, grown-out fringe that starts around the nose and blends seamlessly into face-framing layers is an exceptional option.

The Power of Continuous Flow

This style is highly effective for round faces because there are no harsh, horizontal starting points. The bangs gently curve outward around the cheekbones and slide down into cascading layers that continue all the way to your waist. This continuous, downward-flowing line tricks the eye into seeing length rather than width, making your face appear beautifully proportioned.

How to Style It

  • Apply a root-boosting spray to damp hair at your hairline.
  • Use a large-barrel round brush to blow-dry the bangs up and away from your face.
  • For the waist-length sections, use a large curling iron to create loose, beachy waves that start from the collarbone down.
  • Brush through the curls with a wide-tooth comb to blend the layers together into a seamless cascade.

11. Wispy Bardot Bangs with Coily Ringlets

Close-up of a woman with waist-length coily ringlets and Bardot bangs framing her face in soft light.Save It

Brigitte Bardot popularized the soft, center-parted fringe that sits heavy on the sides and light in the middle. When adapted for coily, natural hair, this style creates a stunning, halo-like effect that frames a round face with incredible softness.

Finding Balance with Volume

The key to styling Bardot bangs on coily hair is ensuring the bangs are cut thick enough to hold their shape, but wispy enough at the center to show a sliver of your forehead. The volume of your waist-length ringlets should be concentrated from the shoulders downward, keeping the sides of your hair near your cheeks slightly flatter to avoid widening your face.

The Coily Routine

  • Work a rich leave-in conditioner and a defining cream through soaking wet hair.
  • Use a microfiber towel to gently squeeze out excess water without disturbing the curl pattern.
  • Section the bangs and twist them around your finger to encourage defined ringlets.
  • Let air-dry or use a cup diffuser, keeping the air directed upward to build height at the crown.

12. Deep Side-Parted Swoop Bangs with Blunt Ends

Portrait of a woman with deep side-parted swoop bangs and blunt waist-length ends in warm cafe light.Save It

If you love a sleek, dramatic look, a deep side-parted swoop fringe paired with blunt, waist-length ends offers an editorial, high-fashion aesthetic.

Designing the Deep Swoop

By parting your hair far to one side—almost directly above the outer arch of your eyebrow—you create a dramatic sweep of hair that crosses your forehead at a sharp angle. This swoop covers one eye slightly and drapes over the opposite cheek, cutting the visual width of your face in half. The blunt, heavy ends of your waist-length hair provide a solid, grounded anchor that keeps the style looking polished and structured.

Styling the Swoop

  1. Create a deep side part using the tail of a comb while your hair is wet.
  2. Apply a strong-hold styling gel or gel-cream hybrid to the roots of the side-parted bangs.
  3. Use a boar-bristle brush to smooth the bangs down and across your forehead, pinning the ends behind your ear.
  4. Run a flat iron over your waist-length lengths, turning the ends slightly inward for a clean finish.

13. Crescent-Shaped Curved Fringe with Sleek Lengths

Close-up of a real woman with crescent-shaped fringe and sleek waist-length hair in soft window light.Save It

A crescent fringe is cut in a gentle arch, curving downward from the center of the forehead to hug the outer contours of your eyes and cheekbones.

       .-------.      <-- Gentle arch peak at the center of the forehead
      /         
     /  (Eyes)       <-- Curved edges hug the outer temples and cheeks
    /

Creating Shadow and Contour

This curved shape acts like a natural contouring powder. By wrapping around the outer temples and dropping down near the top of your cheekbones, the crescent fringe casts a soft shadow over the widest parts of your face. This shadow visually narrows your forehead and cheeks, while the contrasting sleek, straight waist-length hair pulls the eye down, elongating your overall face shape.

Quick Maintenance Facts

  • Trimming frequency: Every 3 to 4 weeks.
  • Styling time: 5 minutes daily.
  • Essential tool: A small paddle brush for flat-drying.
  • Avoid: Over-curling the bangs with a round brush, which can make them look spherical.

14. Razor-Cut Textured Bangs with Soft Internal Layers

Portrait of a person with razor-cut textured bangs and waist-length layers in bright salon light.Save It

For hair that feels heavy or bulky, a razor-cut fringe is a game-changer. Rather than cutting straight across with shears, a stylist uses a specialized hair-cutting razor to slide down the strands, creating highly textured, feathered ends.

Why the Razor is Your Best Friend

A razor removes weight from the ends of your bangs, preventing them from forming a solid, widening line across your face. It creates soft, pointed tips that blend effortlessly into internal, invisible layers throughout your waist-length hair. These internal layers remove bulk from the sides of your head, ensuring your hair hugs your jawline and neck closely.

Styling Razor Cuts

Embrace a piece-y, rock-and-roll vibe by using a dry clay or texturizing paste. Rub a dime-sized amount of product between your palms until it warms up, then lightly piece out the ends of your bangs and the layers around your face. This creates a beautifully undone look that requires almost zero heat styling.

15. Lightly Feathered Center-Split Fringe on Flat-Ironed Hair

Close-up of a woman with center-split feathered fringe on flat-ironed waist-length hair.Save It

This style is a nod to seventies glam, featuring a long, center-split fringe that is lightly feathered outward at the temples, paired with ultra-sleek, flat-ironed length.

The Triangle of Length

Splitting your bangs directly down the center creates a distinct, inverted “V” of forehead exposure. This triangle of skin draws the eye upward, while the feathering at the temples sweeps outward, highlighting your brow bone. The contrast of this soft movement against bone-straight, flat-ironed, waist-length hair is incredibly striking and elongating.

How to Style It

  • Center-part your bangs using a comb.
  • Use a flat iron to gently clamp the bangs at the root, pulling them up and twisting your wrist outward as you glide down to create a feather.
  • Flat-iron the rest of your hair in small, one-inch sections to ensure a glass-like finish.
  • Spritz a shine spray over the lengths to catch the light beautifully as you move.

16. Thick Side-Swept Fringe on High-Volume Blowout

Portrait of a woman with thick side-swept fringe and a high-volume blowout in a salonSave It

If you love big, glamorous hair, a thick, side-swept fringe paired with a high-volume, 90s-style blowout is the ultimate luxury look.

Elevating the Focus

By sweeping a thicker section of bangs to the side and building massive volume at the crown, you are shifting the focal point of your entire face upward. Instead of looking at the width of your cheeks, the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the height of your hair and the dramatic sweep across your brow. This adds instant vertical inches to your silhouette.

Step-by-Step Blowout Guide

  1. Apply a volumizing root lifter to wet hair at the crown.
  2. Blow-dry your hair in sections using large Velcro rollers, leaving them in until the hair is completely cool.
  3. Blow-dry your side-swept bangs up and away from your face, wrapping them around a large round brush.
  4. Remove the rollers, shake out your hair, and sweep your bangs to your preferred side, locking them in with a light-hold volumizing hairspray.

17. Choppy Baby Bangs on Long Spiral Curls

Portrait of a woman with choppy baby bangs and long spiral curlsSave It

For the bold and creative, choppy baby bangs offer an edgy, modern contrast to soft, romantic spiral curls.

The High-Contrast Look

This style is highly effective because it deliberately plays with contrasting textures and lengths. The short, choppy baby bangs expose your forehead and brow bone, creating vertical length. Meanwhile, the waist-length spiral curls frame your neck and shoulders, providing a stunning, high-volume backdrop that contrasts beautifully with the short, structured fringe.

Curly Baby Bang Maintenance

  • Avoid styling curly baby bangs with a brush, which can make them frizzy.
  • Instead, apply a curl-defining cream when they are wet and gently finger-style them into place.
  • Let them air-dry or use a diffuser on low heat to lock in the coil pattern.
  • Trim them yourself carefully between salon visits using professional hair shears—never kitchen scissors.

18. Long Drape Bangs with Subtle Crown Layers

Portrait of a woman with long drape bangs and crown layers in natural lightSave It

Drape bangs are long, elegant pieces of hair that start around the cheekbones and drape down past the jawline, blending seamlessly into subtle, volumizing crown layers.

       [ Crown Layers ]     <-- Adds height and lift at the top of the head
      /                
     /  [ Drape Bangs ]    <-- Drapes down past jawline, slimming the cheeks
    /

The Ultimate Slimming Cut

This is the ultimate low-maintenance, high-reward cut for round faces. The long drape bangs act as a curtain that physically covers the outer edges of your jawline, making your face appear instantly narrower. The subtle layers cut at the crown provide a natural, everyday lift that prevents your waist-length hair from looking flat and heavy.

How to Style It

  • Use a large round brush to blow-dry the drape bangs away from your face, creating a soft, wind-swept curl at the ends.
  • Apply a texturizing powder to the roots at the crown of your head, massaging it in with your fingertips to build height.
  • Keep the rest of your waist-length hair styled in loose, natural waves using a wide-barrel curling wand.

Comparing the Best Bang Styles for Round Faces

Portrait of a woman with curtain bangs illustrating popular bang styles for round facesSave It

To help you decide which style of bangs is perfect for your lifestyle and hair type, let us break down how each main category performs across key factors.

Bangs Style Primary Elongating Mechanism Styling Effort Recommended Hair Texture Trim Frequency
Curtain Bangs Creates an inverted “V” peak at forehead Medium Wavy to Straight 5-6 weeks
Side-Swept Bangs Introduces a strong diagonal line Low All textures 6-8 weeks
See-Through Bangs Exposes forehead skin through a soft filter Low Straight to Mildly Wavy 3-4 weeks
Micro-Bangs Visually extends the vertical forehead space High Straight to Curly 2-3 weeks
Crescent Bangs Shadows the outer cheekbones and temples Medium Sleek Straight 3-4 weeks

Wrapping Up

Committing to waist-length hair is a labor of love. It requires patience, meticulous care, and a deep understanding of your hair’s unique needs. But adding bangs to that length should never feel like a risk. By understanding how to manipulate lines, angles, and pockets of skin exposure, you can use a fringe to beautifully frame, sculpt, and celebrate your round face shape.

Whether you choose the breezy, effortless look of see-through bangs, the dramatic angles of a deep side sweep, or the romantic frame of cascading curtain curls, the power is entirely in your hands. Talk to your stylist, focus on the geometry of the cut, and embrace the stunning, head-turning presence of ultra-long hair designed specifically for you.

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Bangs Hairstyles,