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It's time for a full-on chop.
Fall’s haircut trends involve one unifying factor: they're real-deal haircuts. “What I enjoy seeing again with hair is haircuts are really back,” says celebrity hairstylist Dave Stanwell. “Lots of layers are back, bobs are back, manageable hairstyles are back.”
This is good news regardless of your maintenance level, as even (or perhaps especially) the most effortless of hairstyles start with in the salon chair. “I’m seeing more clients want a simple cut with minimal styling right now—something that can look good with a strong shape,” says hairstylist Lauren Bailey-Chaidez.
Meet the expert
- Dave Stanwell is a celebrity hairstylist and John Frieda House of Frieda Ambassador.
- Lauren Bailey-Chaidez is a hairstylist and owner of Feverfew Salon in Los Angeles.
These are not styles that brush past your natural texture and routine to achieve a singular shape. Instead, fall's best cuts insist that you adapt to suit your needs, calling for a level of personalization bound to ensure a varied beauty landscape that suits the shifting season. "Whether you have thin or thick curls or straight, having a haircut that works for your hair is what’s in," says Stanwell.
Read on for ten fall haircut trends to make your own—with the help of a seasoned stylist, of course.
Cowgirl Cut
Notes of both Western and bohemian aesthetics have been cropping up within fashion and pop culture over the past several seasons, making a ‘70s cowgirl haircut a natural next step. The cowgirl cut combines the sort of easy fringe long championed by Suki Waterhouse, along with ample, somewhat rough layers. Free-spirited is the point, so chat with your stylist about creating a shape that plays up your natural texture with minimal product or heat styling—though a polished interpretation of the trend works, too.
Long Layers
While short and shaggy tiers certainly have their place this season, long layers (as in those that begin beneath the chin) come with a sleek pop star appeal reminiscent of Y2K. Embrace the length wholeheartedly by ditching face-framing accents entirely, or make like Daisy Edgar-Jones and opt for a considered curtain bang to match the style to the fringe moment.
Full Fringe
From Sabrina Carpenter’s dolly bangs to a Birkin-esque frame (we’ll get to that later), fall’s fringe is full. Whether you prefer a blunt or a curtain bang, incorporating volume and the correct body and shape for you is essential. “Ask your stylist to frame your own features,” says Bailey-Chaidez. “Everyone’s face is different so following their own features versus an inspiration picture with make they look better and last longer.”
Italian Bob
Bobs continue in their popularity, with fall favorite’s veering versatile. “I love that we are embracing all different versions of a bob,” says Stanwell. One such cut with major staying power? The Italian bob, a chin-length (or ever-so-slightly longer) chop with weight at the bottom and general air of oomph. The bob works with most natural textures, with body and lift helping the cut reach its fullest potential.
Kitty Cut
There's a new(ish) animal in town: the kitty cut. A modest mutation of both the fluffy and feathered butterfly cut and punk-rock wolf cut, the kitty cut is run through with fine yet flouncy layers cut into a manageable (dare we say demure) shape. The cut, seen here on Laura Harrier, takes the drama out of the hyper-layered haircut for an option that's a touch more timeless.
The New Shag
Shags will always be playfully subversive, but the contemporary interpretation comes with a softened edge. The new shag calls for a gentle hand and a sense of romanticism, the cut more of a naturally textured mop than a sharp or jagged cut. For a can’t-miss example, look to Taylor Hill’s chop in all of its many styling iterations.
French Bob
Another international bob that remains on the menu for fall is the French bob, an appropriately sophisticated style snipped to halt between the chin and cheek. “I love the low maintenance of a French bob,” says Bailey-Chaidez. “When razor cut on medium to full density hair it can hold its shape nicely.”
The Birkin
Some of fall's most relevant options have roots in the easy bohemia of the '60s and '70s—the era in which Jane Birkin began her aesthetic reign. “Jane Birkin-inspired simple layers and bangs is so classic and perfect for finer hair clients who still want a cool cut without sacrificing all their weight/fullness to the layered shag cut," says Bailey-Chaidez. For her part, Dakota Johnson has been rocking the modern Birkin for years—length may vary, but the spirit of the style remains the same.
Midi Lengths
With the rampant revival of bobs and a subsequent want of extra-long manes (the pendulum always swings…) midi cuts feel like a fresh choice for fall. No matter your given texture, medium-length hairstyles, like Elle Fanning's, read effortless while retaining enough hair for updos and on-the-fly styling.
Clean Cut
Those who prefer a fuss-free silhouette should make like Lily Collins (by way of hairstylist Gregory Russell) and keep things clean, with ends that are nearly blunt in finish. The aesthetic works with bobs, lobs, and midis with a common denominator of neat and chic.