Trending: Long Luxury Bobs, Medium Layers & Soft Shags Lead the Way
It’s that time of year again—BTC editors have gathered insights from top hairstylists to uncover the biggest haircut trends that will dominate 2025. From polished, medium-length bobs to effortless, soft shags, we’ve broken down each trend to help you master the techniques before the client requests start rolling in.
1. The “Charlotte”: Medium-Length or Long Bob
Yes, we’re referring to “Sex and the City’s” favorite hopeless romantic with a blowout as loyal as she is. Charlotte York’s hair is the definition of ‘rich girl chic’—a glossy, bouncy masterpiece that radiates Park Avenue perfection. Inspired by iconic French-girl haircuts, The Charlotte exudes timeless elegance with its subtle, blended layers and effortless polish.
Key Elements:
- Medium-length or long bob
- Subtle, blended layers for movement while maintaining soft, blunt ends
- Soft, polished perimeter
- Versatile styling options
“It Girls” to inspire your salon moodboard: Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Angel Rees, Rachel Zegler, Sarah Paulson and Lily Rose Depp.
Related: The Charlotte—Meet 2025’s Most Romantic Trend
Short Charlotte Cuts: Lob Edition
2. The Snack-Size Bob: Modern Take on the Classic Bob
Short, snappy and effortlessly chic, this modern bob is cut above or around the jawline for a sleek yet playful aesthetic. Minimal layers keep the shape clean, polished and easy to maintain.
Key Elements:
- Jaw-length, micro bob with a crisp perimeter
- Blunt or softly textured ends
- Minimal layering for a sleek finish
- Suitable for natural movement
“It Girls” to inspire your salon moodboard: Meredith Duxbury, Gracie Abrams, Coco Jones, Raye, Destiny Ryan, Kehlani, Margaret Qualley and Hailee Steinfeld.
Stay Ahead of 2025’s Biggest Hair Trends: BTC’s Trend Report is HERE.
3. The Contour Cut: Medium-Length Layers with Strategic Shaping
Designed to enhance facial features, the contour cut uses strategic layering to elongate, soften or balance proportions. This ultra-flattering style creates a natural, sculpted look without harsh lines, and it’s one of the hottest requests at the Beverly Hills-favorite Bomane Salon (@bomanesalon).
Bomane Salon Founder Andrea Henty (@andreahenty) shares, “A contour cut adds soft layers that frame the face, accentuate your cheekbones, elongate your jawline and adds body and movement to your hair.”
Press play to see their famous contour cut in action:
Key Elements:
- Soft, rounded layers that begin at the cheekbone
- Layer from the occipital bone up to keep ends full
- Customizable contouring effect
- Subtly blended movement
“It Girls” to inspire your salon moodboard: Hailey Bieber, Kaia Gerber, Yara Shahidi, Jennifer Lopez and Margot Robbie.
Curly Contour Cut Breakdown:
Schwarzkopf Professional® Ambassador and ARC™ Scissors Ambassador Reema Jaber (@hairbyreema) trusted Schwarzkopf Professional, Oribe and K18 to create healthy, defined curls.
Curly Cutting Pro Tip: Use a scissor with a defined, pointed tip to carefully carve into curls—Reema’s go-to is ARC™ Scissors The Curve (aka, the ONLY scissor on the market specially designed this way.)
The Importance of Harmonizing Color & Cut To Customize
Moroccanoil® Global Ambassador Rachel Williams (@rachelwstylist) explains the power of intentional customization between hair color and haircut:
“When you have a good cut that is customized to the client’s face shape, lifestyle and hair type—along with a customized color placement that shows off the haircut with the clients features and skin tone… they literally glow,” Rachel spills. “It’s not only about customizing color, it’s about customizing the cut and then the color so they bring out the very best in each other!”
Rachel’s Contour Cut Must-Haves:
- ARC™ Scissors PHANTOM II 6″ & ARC™ Scissors 30/2 Reversible Blender
- PHANTOM II:
- “I love my PHANTOM II from because it is so versatile—it takes you through a haircut from wet to dry. They’re my go-to because they stay sharp and I love their perfect weight!” Rachel shares.
- 30/2 Reversible Blender:
- “To soften, refine and detail, I used my 30/2 Reversible Blender. I love these because they only remove 15 to 20 percent of the hair, depending on density. That way, I don’t remove too much weight at a time and collapse the haircut!” Rachel explains.
- PHANTOM II:
Master the Contour Cut with Joel Torres (@joeltorresstyle) on BTC University—click to become a member!
4. Curtain Cuts (“The Kitty Cut”): A Playful Take on Contour Cuts
This fresh take on the previously mentioned contour cut features soft movement and face-framing layers. Offering the perfect mix of structure and ease, the defining details of this variation are versatile curtain bangs and a subtle face-frame.
Key Elements:
- Medium-length haircut with playful layers
- Curtain bangs or face-framing sections
- Soft, effortless styling
“It Girls” to inspire your salon moodboard: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Shay Sullivan, Jennifer Aniston, Jenna Ortega, Sabrina Carpenter and Kiernan Shipka.
Sabrina Carpenter appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a shorter version of her classic cut, playing to the kitty cut trend. Her color was crafted by her longtime stylist Laurie Heaps (@_hairbylaurie), while her style was set by Evanie Frausto (@evaniefrausto)—both powered by Redken.
Related: Sabrina Carpenter’s Curtain Bangs: How To Cut Them
5. The “It Girl” Pixie: Soft, Feathery Layers for a Modern Pixie
Gone are the days of rigid, structured pixies—this 2025 version features soft, feathery layers that add movement and versatility. Longer bangs or side-swept fringe keep the cut flattering and fresh.
Key Elements:
- Soft, airy texture
- Longer bangs, side fringe or face-framing pieces
- Versatile styling options
“It Girls” to inspire your salon moodboard: Julia Garner, Emma Stone, Gabrielle Union, Anok Yai and Florence Pugh.
Julia Garner’s Wavy Styling Breakdown:
OLAPLEX No.10 Bond Shaper Curl Defining Gel cocktailed with OLAPLEX No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum. Finish with 1 to 2 drops of OLAPLEX No.7 Nourishing Hair Oil.
Variation: The Boxie (a fusion of the bob and pixie):
6. The Soft Shag: Contemporary, Low-Maintenance Layers
The modern shag continues to evolve, offering effortless texture without excessive bulk. This updated version is all about wispy curtain bangs, soft razored layers and natural movement.
Key Elements:
- Wispy curtain bangs or soft fringe
- Light, bouncy layers
- Softly razored or point-cut ends for effortless styling
“It Girls” to inspire your salon moodboard: Natasha Lyonne, Meredith Duxbury, Sandra Oh, Suki Waterhouse and Towa Bird.
Soft Shag Step-By-Step from @rachelwstylist:
1. “I started with a razor for her fringe face framing, to really soften [the hair] around her face,” Rachel shares.
2. “I then used my PHANTOM II 6″ by ARC™ Scissors, using a back cutting technique, cutting from the axis of the blade to achieve soft, razor-like results! This is why I always use my PHANTOM II for this technique: The blade is designed to cut from its axis.”
Why not finish the haircut with the razor? “A razor removes a lot of weight, and she wanted to keep more weight throughout her mids and ends,” Rachel explains.
Learn Rachel Williams’ Modern Day Shag through her in-depth BTC University Class!
See The Biggest Haircut Trends of 2025: BTC’s Trend Report is HERE.
