Kim Kardashian's Platinum Bob Channels Marilyn Monroe

Kim Kardashian has gone platinum — again. The SKIMS founder stepped out in Beverly Hills on Friday, 20 June, unveiling a shoulder-length platinum blonde bob styled with soft, tousled waves that drew immediate comparisons to Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. She completed the look with a trench coat, oversized wraparound sunglasses, Gucci heels and a coordinating handbag, before later adding a navy blue LA Dodgers cap to the mix.

The 45-year-old reality television star followed the outing with an Instagram carousel showcasing the transformation, and the response from her inner circle was swift. Her sister Khloé Kardashian led the charge in the comments section, and the reaction from her co-stars was just as enthusiastic.

Actress Niecy Nash, who stars alongside Kardashian in All's Fair, responded with a flurry of heart-eye emojis, while longtime friend La La Anthony added her own seal of approval. Fan reaction was equally warm, with one commenter writing: "Kim's blonde era is my favourite."

This isn't the first time Kardashian has leaned into Marilyn Monroe's aesthetic — and by her own admission, it won't be the last. Her most memorable Monroe moment came at the 2022 Met Gala, where she wore the original Jean Louis gown that Monroe had worn while singing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The appearance was one of the most discussed fashion moments of the decade, generating controversy over the alleged condition of the historic gown and sparking debate about the boundaries of fashion tribute.

More recently, in a TikTok video posted in May, Kardashian revisited that Met Gala look with makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic and hairstylist Chris Appleton. The trio reflected, with considerable laughter, on the sleek platinum bun she wore that night — a style Kardashian admitted she was warned against at the time, with advisers reportedly worried it would make her resemble a wax figure. Despite the good-humoured self-criticism, she made clear the hairstyle had been her favourite part of the entire look and was something she still thinks about.

The new bob suggests she has found a way to revisit that obsession on her own terms — looser, softer, and arguably more wearable than the severe Met Gala updo.

The debut arrives at a particularly high-profile moment in Kardashian's personal life. The new look landed just days after she officially went public with her relationship with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Rumours had been circulating since early 2026, with the pair spotted together at a string of major public events, but it was a post captioned simply "Lately" — showing the two cycling together in New York City — that confirmed what many had suspected.

In March, People magazine reported that Kardashian and Hamilton had holidayed together in Tokyo with all four of her children — North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm — alongside Hamilton's own family. By June, with their Monaco Grand Prix appearance and the Instagram reveal both generating significant coverage, the relationship had well and truly moved into the spotlight.

Whether the timing of the hair transformation is coincidental or carefully considered is anyone's guess — but for a woman who has spent two decades understanding the power of a well-placed image, the platinum bob feels like anything but an accident. Kardashian's history with the look is long and deliberate, taking in the 2022 CFDA Awards, the 2024 Met Gala, and several major red carpet moments in between. Each time, the blonde arrives with intention. This time appears to be no different.