Haircuts Everyone Will Be Asking For In 2024
Out with the old, in with the new! The new year is the perfect time to try out a new hobby or a new look. Some of us might be wary of going for a chop — especially if you've ever impulsively cut yourself some breakup bangs or shorn off your previously long locks — but the array of new styles trending for 2024 might have you thinking of going bold with a new cut.
Fashion Weeks around the world featured daring new hairstyles on the runways and on well-heeled attendees on the street. Meanwhile, celebrities have been rocking a variety of looks, from classic '70s shags to mini-mullets. Numerous retro hairstyles have been in their ascendance during the 2020s, but 2023 was undoubtedly the year of the bob. Although several edgy cuts are vying for first place in 2024, the New Year's version of the most popular haircuts will be softer, sleeker, and subtler than in the years prior. The high drama of blunt bobs will be softened with layers and contours, and the tight crop of the pixie will be softened with feminine curls and grown-out shag.
Whether you're downloading a new productivity app, achieving mindfulness with a new meditation routine, or signing up for a round of rock climbing classes for your New Year's reinvention, consider one of these up-to-the-minute chops while planning your next salon trip. We can guarantee they'll look much better than your last impulsive DIY cut, a haircut that's a total no-no.
Bobs with a twist
Bobs have had a serious moment in the 2020s. It's not surprising, either, given that the bob is a relatively low-maintenance cut that looks effortlessly chic year-round. Two kinds of bobs have risen to the top as 2023 has winded down, however, and they're about to take 2024 by storm: the "mushroom" bob and the '90s supermodel bob.
The '90s came back in a big way in 2023, from bucket hats and leather chokers to ultra-layered '90s haircuts. One billowy model-inspired cut stuck around longer than the rest, though, and it's about to make its biggest splash yet in 2024 — the '90s "supermodel bob." This chin-length bob differs from a standard bob with its fluffy and voluminous layers, reminiscent of Cindy Crawford's signature do. The "mushroom" bob is another '90s redux, riffing on the iconic black bob Uma Thurman sported in "Pulp Fiction." This pin-straight bob is coaxed into a reverse flip at the ends with a curling iron, resembling a domed mushroom cap for a slick, retro look. To underline its '90s roots, it's best worn with bangs or a middle part. While it requires a bit more maintenance than other dos, the look is worth the extra time in front of the mirror.
Curly pixie
Haircuts in 2024 will be about keeping your natural texture with a low-maintenance chop. If you're longing to toss your straightener in the trash or throw your curling iron out the window, this wavy, set-it-and-leave-it style might be for you. Enter the curly pixie, or as Los Angeles hairstylist Sunnie Brook calls it, "the Swish." This wavy look updates the pixie cut with soft, wavy bangs over the forehead. High layers draped slightly above the eyes make this look shine, according to Brook. "The signature of this look is a sweeping fringe or layer that softly crosses the forehead," she commented to Allure. This adds volume and drama with less hair.
"The Kissing Booth" star Joey King has been spotted with this natural cut over the past year, and other stars have worn the look over the past several years (think "Amelie" star Audrey Tautou). This haircut is ideal for wavy hair, mixing the bold pixie look with a softer feminine touch. Ask your stylist to shape your hair so that your longest layers fall in front of your face. When styling, this cut is as easy as dramatic chops come for curly girls — simply add a little curl definition cream or, for a lighter look, a spritz of spray gel to your hair while wet, then scrunch and lay over your forehead to dry.
Eyelash bangs
While a variety of lengths and styles will be cutting edge for 2024, longer lengths will generally be trending, if Paris runways are any indication. Longer cuts will get more of a '70s twist with long, wispy eyelash bangs gracing foreheads. Eyelash bangs or "Birkin" bangs, so-called for the actress who popularized the tousled look in the late '60s, are long blunt-cut bangs framed with subtly layered hair extending past the shoulders.
Though Jane Birkin may have kicked off the trend (and inspired the name of the iconic Hermès bag), the haircut has become a favored chop of celebrities like Dakota Johnson and Kendall Jenner, who have styled it with sexy updos and long cuts boasting subtle, beachy waves. Like many of 2024's hairstyle trends, eyelash bangs are low-maintenance, requiring very little styling for trendsetters with straight or wavy hair. The bangs can be worn with a long cut similar to Johnson's signature look, or with a more closely cropped bob. To achieve the full retro look, your bangs should be a little sparse and wispy at the ends, revealing a bit of forehead.
Extra long lengths
During the 2020 pandemic, many of us grew our trendy haircuts out to long (and sometimes unmanageable) manes. But growing ultra-long lengths had its upsides for many people who came to embrace their natural hair, from letting their grays show to rocking their hair's natural texture. Others just enjoyed having a lot of hair to flaunt post-lockdown. As master stylist and colorist Nick Willis put it to The U.S. Sun, "Being able to grow our hair during lockdown has made people precious over their long locks and they don't want to cut them off." Even in 2023, many have chosen to continue growing their locks to maximum lengths.
If your pandemic length has become your pride and joy, luckily, 2024 will have plenty of trends for styling your extra-long locks. Spotted during Paris Fashion Month were ultra-long braids, Rapunzel waves, and other super-long hairstyles. Even if you chopped your pandemic locks in 2021, you might consider custom-made extensions to achieve the fairy-tale-like lengths of this trend. First time thinking about hair extensions? You might swerve toward the wider array of clip-in extensions available before committing to a weave or other hair extension method. As long lengths have trended, the quality and diversity of extensions have as well, allowing a lot of versatility for those who may have run to the salon when lockdowns were lifted.
Braids and balletcore
So, you've decided to keep your length, but you're a little bored with updos and ponytails. You might style longer lengths with a new style trending on the runways, the "balletcore" braid. Featured on the 2024 Christian Siriano runway, multiple braids woven with light pink ribbons might not be the easiest look to execute at home, but the effect is stunning. Ballet or barre classes might not be your strong suit, but at least you can rock a feminine look reminiscent of top ballerinas.
Lacy Redway, the celebrity hairstylist who crafted the intricate braids for Siriano's show, created the look by interweaving ribbons between two French braids gathered into a ponytail at the nape of the neck. This creates a "corseted" look at the back of the head. Even if you're not up for Redway's complex do, you can still rock a balletcore look with a simpler style, either by braiding a ribbon into your hair and slicking back with gel or hairspray or going old school with a slicked-back ballet bun, wrapped tightly either at the top or the back of the head. Top it with a bow or a light-colored hair ribbon to reference the ballerina look, and get ready to do a pirouette or two.
Contour cuts
Personalization is everywhere now, from personalized hair and skin care products to personalized medicine. Salon cuts are hopping aboard the trend, too, with the contoured cut. This major hair trend for 2024 tailors cuts contoured to your specific face shape, bringing out the cheekbones and eyes. Rather than factory-line styles, "contour cutting" is meant to highlight and flatter individual heads and faces using layers and angled cuts. One cut that will rise above the rest will likely be (you guessed it) the contour bob, a shoulder-length chop with serious layers meant to highlight cheekbone contours.
Unsurprisingly, this trend emerged alongside contouring as a makeup trend, particularly makeup trends emphasizing cheekbones. Commenting to Glamour, celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith affirmed, "When a makeup trend and a hair trend collide, you know there is going to be a strong uptake, and using your hair to enhance your cheekbone contour has been steadily becoming a well-known trick of the celebrity hairstylist." Perhaps unsurprisingly, the contour bob has been in Smith's toolbox for a while — to the point that he came up with the name. The original bob is meant to be worn pushed back behind the ears to emphasize the cheekbones, but your hairstylist may personalize your cut to complement specific parts of your face. Nevertheless, for a freshly "snatched" and contoured look sans your contour palette, this cut is a go-to.
The full fro
While the natural hair movement has continued for Black women since the '60s both as a political and personal statement, natural hair had another resurgence in 2020 when salons closed for lockdown — and the surge hasn't ended. Without regular salon maintenance during the pandemic lockdown, many Black women tried out new natural styles. Natural hairstyles have been spotted on the red carpet and runways over the past few years as some women have eschewed braids for coils, kinks, and curls. Now, with a few years of post-pandemic length under your belt, you may be ready to rock the full afro. Whether you're styling an oversized fro or a shaped-and-picked look, there are plenty of ways to wear natural kinks and coils in this larger-than-life style.
While the fully picked-out afro made a few big appearances during Paris Fashion Month among trendsetting attendees, undone and unmanipulated 4C hair was also front and center during Copenhagen Fashion Week this past year, marking another milestone for the embracing of natural Black hair. One popular Black TikTok creator @Lipglossssssssss commented on embracing unmanipulated 4C hair in a recent video, emphasizing, "If all the girls do it, I swear in two years, people are going to think it's cute" (via Refinery29).
The buzzcut
Who hasn't considered cutting it all off at one point or another? Fans of short cuts might want to cut to the chase and try out the bold buzzcut, a close-cropped clipper cut that bares it all. The buzzed look made runway appearances during Spring/Summer 2024 shows, including the Fforme, Area, and Advisry shows, and it's also graced the heads of Florence Pugh, Emma Corrin, and Kristen Stewart.
As a bold look, it's frequently paired with a shocking color, whether that's Stewart's platinum blond or Pugh's rainbow of colors. Pugh's close cut was a direct reaction to the 2023 award season, as she explained to Radio Times. "I wanted vanity out of the picture," she said. "Hollywood is very glamorous — especially for women — and it's hard for an audience to see past that" (via Elle). Pugh may have shifted focus to her performances, but she's still had fun styling her cropped cut.
Some celebrities you wouldn't necessarily expect going for the full crop have been spotted with shorn locks, such as Kim Kardashian, who flaunted her buzzcut on the cover of CR Fashion Book. While daring, it's also the most low-maintenance of any haircut, making it a true win-win. Besides, if it's good enough for Kardashian, it's good enough for us.
The mixie or wixie
Two similar variations on the pixie look are sure to make appearances in 2024 — you might call them "remixies." One of these new pixie cuts is the "mixie," a midway cut between the fashionable curly mullet and the pixie cut, sported by celebrities like Taylor Hill, who notably debuted her new look via a shocker haircut Instagram video. All you need for this breezy look is a bit of mousse for some hold for natural curls and waves. It doesn't hurt, too, that this look is perfect for growing out your previously cropped hair.
The other variation on this look is the "winged pixie" or "wixie," a similarly long pixie cut that features the long fringy ends of a short shag cut. This choppy, textured version of the pixie is its edgy and androgynous cousin, appropriate for many different hair textures. Whether it's the wixie, the mixie, or some other longer remixie, longer pixies are here to stay. In a comment to Byrdie, Oribe Global Artist Adam Livermore posited the long pixie as a perfect cut for a New Year's do: "You get the adrenaline rush of a short cut with the inviting familiarity of some softer, longer, feminizing elements."
The stretched lob
If you tried the bob or one of its many variations in 2023, it's time to update your look with the stretched "lob" or collarbone "lob," a long bob that extends just past the shoulders. Soft layers and low-maintenance styling once again rule in this cut, like many of the cuts for 2024. Easier to style and keep up than the cropped proper bob, the long bob is still more than just the midway point between short and long hair. According to celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith in a conversation with Byrdie, the lob evolved into a slim, subtle cut without choppy layers for the latter half of 2023, and the look is likely here to stay.
It's a flattering look and easy to wear for most people, providing the ability to wear your hair up or down as the mood strikes. Wearing it down gives the cut its best effect, however. As Smith says, the cut's "shape will elongate the neck and cast shadows under the cheekbone, which can be great for those whose faces benefit from angles and contour." Whether it's worn with loose waves or straight hair, the lob is chic and versatile.
The kitty cut
Shaggy animal cuts like the "wolf" cut and the "jellyfish" cut dominated the 2020s, updating the edgy and dramatic '70s shag cut with even more stark layers. Rather than rely on choppy multitiered layers, the "kitty" cut is a softer take on the animal trend, touting sleek and sophisticated layers that gently frame the face, updating the shaggy and sparse ends of the wolf cut and the harsh lines of the jellyfish. Layers in this cut are chopped in a slow ascent, leaving aside the short layers of the traditional shag. Ends are cut cleanly, setting aside the shag's, well, shagginess. It's a perfect cut for those who may be a little tired of the shag cut's salon upkeep and want a little more variety in their day-to-day look.
The kitty cut might also be one of the most versatile cuts on trend for 2024. It's perfect for a variety of hair textures, providing volume to thin hair and removing excess weight from thick hair. It's appropriate for curly and straight hair textures, making curls look defined and dramatic and waves voluminous and luxurious. It can be worn in a bob, a "lob," or even extending past the collarbone. It's also a perfect encapsulation of the vibe of 2024, balancing the demand for more low-maintenance cuts post-pandemic with the sleek retro looks that dominated runways and red carpets in 2022 and 2023.