Did Katie Holmes Fake Her Bangs?

Katie Holmes received high marks for her polished look at the Vanity Fair Oscar party the other night, beautiful in a sleek blue Elie Saab gown, her husband Tom Cruise on her arm, and a fringe of brown bangs over her forehead with her long locks pulled back in a ponytail. But the look didn't last.

Just days after the Oscars, the 33-year-old was seen in casual dress at a dance class, and the bangs were gone. Her hair -— all of it -— was pulled back from her crown in a topknot —- with a bare forehead and no more fringe.

[Photos: 2012 Oscars After Parties]

The magic behind the two looks: possibly a clip-in hairpiece to give her bangs for the night. Celebrity hairstylist Billy Lowe -- who did not work on Katie's hair -- said a clip-in fringe could be the answer. Lowe noted, "It does seem like her natural hair is longer in the front than what she appeared to have for Oscar night so it's possible she used a clip-in or hair piece for her fringe area for Hollywood's big night."

Lowe said Holmes's hairstylist Andy LeCompte is known to be "very creative when it comes to red carpet looks," and added that while clip-in hairpieces aren't as popular as all-over extensions, they are "quick and easy to apply" with no glue necessary.

As InStyle pointed out, the actress had bangs and a bob in 2008, and then spent years growing them out. The hairpiece is the perfect compromise: bangs for a day without the wait or pain of an awkward hairdo. Perhaps the "Jack and Jill" star is trying out a new look but isn't ready to commit.

If Holmes did try out a hairpiece, she wouldn't be the first celeb to do so. Kim Kardashian recently rocked a Cleopatra-style fringe for New Year's Eve thanks to temporary bangs.

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