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Short hairstyles: 17 ideas for some serious 2023 inspiration
Currently curbing the urge to do something drastic with your hair? Good news: there's no need to hold back because short hairstyles are set to be everywhere in 2023.
The blank page of a new year presents the perfect opportunity to push the boundaries and give your hair game a seasonal refresh.
Whether you're marking the beginning of a major life chapter, scaling back your layers to show off your features or merely welcoming some respite from an extensive blow dry routine, there are plenty of short cuts to consider right now.
From Hailey Bieber's super sleek box bob to Jenna Ortega's shaggy lob, some of our current celebrity hair crushes are getting in on the shorter length action – meaning that you'll find yourself in excellent company if you do decide to go for the chop.
Hello! Fashion shares the hottest short hairstyles to consider in 2023:
1. Stacked bob
"This style is a triangular silhouette that works best on textured or curly hair," hairstylist and trend forecaster Tom Smith tells Hello! Fashion. "Cutting a blunt horizontal line that allows the curls to stack up creating a triangular silhouette really shows off the beauty of natural curls as they are shown in contrast with a strong silhouette and a structured shape."
"Ask your stylist for a one length bob that allows your curls to stack out in a blunt horizontal line," Tom advises. "This works best with a middle parting but can also work well flipped over for extra volume. It is the shape and length that defines this trend."
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2. French bob
Embrace your bubbling Francophile tendencies with a jaw-length bob featuring a short fringe. "The French bob is great on textured or wavy hair, it's a precision cut that gets its personality from being worn with your natural messy texture," Tom explains. "Very wash-and-wear, it's a super low-maintenance style, but does need to be trimmed every six weeks."
"Committing to regular hair appointments means you save time on the day-to-day styling of your hair because the strong haircut simply falls into place."
3. Banged bob
This textured, longer style represents the progression of the French bob with a greater focus on the bangs. "Layers are kept to a minimum and a sharp right angle connects the fringe and bob length. The shorter the fringe, the bolder the result," Tom says.
"The beauty of such a strong haircut is that it works equally as well blow-dried and straightened as it does left to dry naturally. A leave-in texture cream such as Evo's Liquid Rollers will encourage natural texture and eliminate fluff or frizz."
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4. Polished lob
This precision cut is great for medium to thick hair and has a certain ultra-luxe appeal. The best way of styling the polished lob? "Give yourself a smooth blow dry using Evo's Lockdown Leave-in Treatment and use a round brush to style the ends slightly inwards," Tom says.
5. Sharp bob
"The chin-length sharp bob works great on straighter or medium-fine hair types as it encourages thickness and looks well defined," Tom says. "It works well with a middle or side parting and should be styled straight or with a minimal kink."
"Ask your stylist for a precision haircut that sits around your chin length. Style this by using your straightening irons just on the last couple of inches of the length to give the sharpness to the edge while retaining volume and movement overall. You can also tuck one side behind your ear for a more styled look."
6. Midi-flick bob
Reluctant to commit to a classic bob? Bend the rules with the midi-flick style, featuring "soft, sweeping bottleneck bangs and textured layers" which provide "movement and energy".
"Ask your stylist for your length to be cut above your collarbone and kept blunt, adding a soft bottleneck bang and face framing ‘shag’-style layers without losing the solidity of the bob line. This length will naturally flick out on the neckline - this is very cool at the moment and ties into the ‘cosy girl’ aesthetic, so embrace the ‘flickyness' and style with texture," Tom says.
7. Blunt Botticelli bob
"From super long ruffled summer waves, the Botticelli hair trend has now evolved into a shorter, sharper winter version. The slightly triangular silhouette is fantastic for rounder and more square face shapes, and can be adjusted with a middle or side parting depending on preference and suitability," Tom says.
"The key here is no layers. Keep the length blunt and straight and allow your natural waves or curls to be free and fluffy. A mist of Evo's Shebang-a-bang or a few drops of Olaplex's No.7 bonding oil can keep frizz under control without losing the airiness of the look."
8. Bullet bob
"We’ve seen the mullet, wolf, shag cut, so what’s next? I predict the 'Bullet' Bob will be 2023’s biggest focus for shorter hair, inspired by Florence Pugh," Tom says.
"This haircut is an evolution of the wolf cut/mullet/shag styles that have been building over the last 18 months and rather than returning to a classic bob shape, this mid-length haircut has had a ‘mullet’ inspired makeover incorporating outgrown curtain bangs with a layered bob shape. The 'two-layer' cut has the balance of a mullet (longer and heavier toward the back) but retains texture and detail around the face."
9. Hollywood bob
"Characterised by the deep side parting, flipped fringe and smooth edges, this style has all the romance and elegance of classic Hollywood glamour but with an edge provided by the sharp shoulder skimming shorter length," Tom explains.
"Ask your stylist for a long bob cut on a side parting with no layers. A long sweeping fringe, cut to be flipped over will help get that elegant volume at the front. This style works fantastically with some of the latest blow-drying tools – check out Dyson's Airwrap, Shark's FlexStyle and other hot brushes to help you achieve this bouncy, blown-out finish."
10. Curtain cut
"No longer reserved for 90s boy band members, the curtain cut is extremely flattering in the way it frames the face, particularly for those with a longer or leaner neck due to the crisp contrast between the horizontal line of the haircut and the long vertical necklines," Tom says.
"To keep the edges of this cut crisp and sharp use a straightening iron (my go-to is by Cloud Nine which has an easy-to-use temperature control to adjust to your needs) and slightly turn the ends under and toward the face. The trick here is smooth slow movements – if you don’t get it perfect straight away, let the section cool before trying again.
Hungry for more? Hello! Fashion also caught up with celebrity session stylist Alice Theobald to hear her take on the season’s most covetable short hair looks.
11. Classic pixie
"This cult classic rightfully finds itself among the current hottest short hairstyles," says Alice. "For styling, I recommend you use a heat protection product such as Sam McKnight's Save The Do Blow Dry Style Starter and an extra small brush like Denman's Head Hugger. To enhance the movement, finish with Morgan's Pomade Texture Balm for a soft natural separated finish."
12. Short wolf
The canine-inspired layered chop is still set to be big for 2023. "Spritz a root booster throughout your locks like Sam McKnight's Cool Girl Superlift Volumising Spray and blow dry using a diffuser attachment and small circular movements on a medium setting," Alice says.
"Go in with a curling tong, flipping out irregular sections if you desire extra movement, and finally enhance the texture with a couple of pumps of Morgan’s Pomade Volume Powder directed into the roots."
13. Short bob
As seen currently on Michelle Williams, the short bob pairs best with maximum hair health. "Before styling, applying a hair mask such as Wella’s Professional Nioxin Deep Repair version is always a good idea," Alice advises. "Protect your mane with heat protection spray and blow dry your locks, directing the nozzle down the hair shaft to smooth and seal the natural shine. Using Matador’s pintail comb, find the middle parting and tuck the sides behind your ears, leaving face framing side slices."
14. The bixie
This style blends the classic pixie with a slightly longer length – guaranteed to "seriously raise your cheekbone game", according to Alice. "Blast your hair until it is around 50% dry, add the nozzle to your hair dryer then flick the hair up at the back and first side section, continue rolling the brush under for the inner sections."
15. Short shag
A cool cut packed with textured shaggy layers, the short shag works best with some movement. "Comb through L’ANZA’s Design Foam, and using the nozzle on your hairdryer, direct the hair onto the face for the fringe section and ruffle using fingers," Alice says.
"Swap the nozzle for a diffuser and create some movement using Drybar’s The 3-Day Bender Curling Iron on random sections. Finish with Morgan’s Pomade Volume Powder and piece it out with your fingers for a matte, voluminous textured result."
16. Shaggy pixie
With choppy layers at its core, the shaggy pixie is great if you’re all about the low-maintenance vibe. After applying a strong-hold mousse, blast the hair until it’s half dry and separate out some inch-sized sections.
"Using a small round ceramic brush, blow dry the hair and direct it forward to frame the face. When it is completely dry, apply a heat protection spray, and go in hot brush to softly piece out flick the face framing, finishing with a mist of strong hairspray," Alice says.
17. Pixie mullet
Razored within an inch, this super short mullet is all about the texture. "Apply a voluminous mousse to freshly washed hair and blow dry using a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment. Add texture using a small round brush – I like to tweak the look by going in with an iron to boost the dishevelled, undone look by taking random sections and piecing them out with a flick," Alice says.
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