How many ways can you wear a bob? If the cropped haircuts spotted on celebrities so far this year are any indication, it appears the limit does not exist. Settling anywhere between chin and shoulder lengths, bob haircuts for women are the hairstyle du jour.
Blunt cut, shaggy, micro-cropped, we don’t discriminate! This timeless hairstyle is shaping up (get it?) to be the biggest haircut trend of the year. Just look to the 2024 Golden Globes where the red carpet was illuminated with film and television stars rocking bob after bob. From Emma Stone’s red-hot retro lob to Ayo Edibiri’s flipped-out ends, who knew there were so many ways to work this short and chic style?
Read on as we break down the best ways to wear bob cuts, and how to style them.
The collarbone-tickler
She’s a Barbie girl no more! On April 13, Margot Robbie *officially* exited her Barbie style era, appearing at the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in L.A. wearing a black Rick Owens dress with a pair of matching gold cuff bracelets that were giving warrior princess. Robbie’s most eye-catching accessory? A brand-new lob that gives the Aussie actress’s look a freshness we didn’t know it needed. Come on Margot, let’s go party!
The blonde bob
Bob season is still going strong. On March 25, Elle Fanning became the latest celeb to debut the face-framing cut. Taking to Instagram, the The Great actress shared a series of glam-free selfies sporting the fresh blonde chop by hairstylist Jenda Alcorn.
The key to Fanning’s new look is a blowout roughed up with a touch of texturizing spray to give it that subtle bedhead vibe.
The retro lob
Much like flared pants remind us of the 1970s, a longer bob (lob) haircut complete with flipped-out ends has a retro feel that anyone with shorter hair should be running to replicate.
Take Emma Stone for example, who accepted her Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture award at the 2024 Golden Globes flaunting a blunt copper crop with flipped-out ends. Stone’s stylist Mara Roszak used products from her haircare line, Rōz, to give the Poor Things actress lifted roots and a long-lasting hold to ensure her flared ends didn’t fall flat during the show.
The side-parted micro-bob
Never underestimate how switching up your part can give you a whole new look. Case in point: Cailee Spaeny’s side-parted micro bob at the 2024 Golden Globes was quite the departure from the bouffant wigs she wore as the leading lady in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla.
With a side-swept soft curl and the remainder of her hair tucked behind her ear, the Golden Globe-nominated actress looked elegant as ever with this hairdo sculpted by Kiley Fitzgerald.
The “Rachel” 2.0
Photography by Getty Images
Remember Rachel Green’s layered lob from Friends? At this month’s Golden Globes, Jennifer Aniston revived her character’s signature haircut with a “Rachel 2.0” crop.
If you want your stylist to recreate this ’90s-esque cut, take notes from Aniston’s stylist Chris McMillan, who described the look as having a “soft blunt perimeter for the length and invisible layers throughout” on Instagram. He then went on to list the products used to prep for this style, which included a shampoo, conditioner, hair paste and oil from Lolavie — the haircare line Aniston launched in 2021.
Flipped-out ends
Think super-cropped bobs are too short to be styled? Think again! Pair this length with flicked ends for chic, cool-girl vibes.
On the 2024 Golden Globes red carpet, Golden Globe winner Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) sported a middle-parted nano-bob styled by Miles Jeffries with flipped-out ends. To test this look out for yourself, all you’ll need to do is straighten your hair with a flat iron as usual — but flip the outwards, instead of making one completely straight pass.
The Roaring ’20s crop
Adding a little curvature to your bob cut with soft finger waves and C-curls is a surefire way to instantly elevate your look. Past Lives actress Greta Lee’s 2024 Golden Globes hairdo, styled by Jenny Cho, was fully giving Roaring ’20s Gatsby girl, and we adored it. Not one hair was out of place, and it was an absolute high-gloss masterpiece.
If you ask us, this Jazz age-inspired style will forever stand the test of time.
The lived-in bob
Keeping up with a bob can feel like a lot of maintenance at times, but if worn the right way, you can use the slept-in, tousled look to your advantage. Just ask America Ferrera!
In an interview with Byrdie, hairstylist Aviva Perea revealed that her goal for the Barbie actress’s 2024 Golden Globes look was something that appeared “a little more lived in,” as though Ferrera had styled her hair the previous day. To achieve this effortless-looking style, Perea went in with a flat iron and created slight flicks and bends.
The full-of-body bob
Bobs can be big, bouncy, and full of body, too. At Sunday’s Golden Globes, Sheryl Lee Ralph perfectly demonstrated how to give a bob a boost of volume.
Ralph opted for a dramatic side part and a cascade of lush curls styled by SherriAnn Cole for her red carpet look. For a sultry touch, the Abbott Elementary star’s bang was swept just over her eye.
The middle part crop
Partial to a sharp middle part? Try emulating Maestro actress Carey Mulligan’s chic hairdo from this year’s Golden Globes. Also styled by Jenny Cho, it’s a hairdo minimalists will love.
To get this look, Mulligan’s bob was styled using an assortment of Briogeo products and tools, such as the Don’t Despair, Repair! leave-in treatment and the Vegan Boar Bristle Brush. To incorporate that classic glamour feel (which matched her 1949-inspired Schiaparelli dress), her chin-length hair was flipped under at the ends.
The old Hollywood lob
Photography by Getty Images, courtesy of Fendi
When your hair hits lob length, you may be at a loss for which look to try next. May we suggest going for an old Hollywood style? It should have a deep side part and an exaggerated S-wave to emphasize that silver screen-worthy vibe.
True to her signature look, Naomi Watts was a vision of timeless beauty at the 2024 Golden Globes with her own vintage-inspired lob, which playfully incorporated a mixture of both curled and straightened strands. Marki Shkreli, who has also styled Charlize Theron and Lily Collins’ hair, was the artist behind the look. What’s a red carpet without at least one nod to old Hollywood?
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