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You’re not alone if with every new season comes the urge to dramatically switch up your look and reinvent your style, and as we move out of the summer and fall of the shag haircut and into colder months, there’s a new cut waiting for you: the single length bob. Approved by your favorite celebs from Selena Gomez to Kourtney Kardashian, the one length cut has skyrocketed as the most popular style of the season, and for good reason.
Universally flattering and nearly effortless to style, the bob is the ideal haircut for the holiday season when you’d rather spend your time with family instead of styling your hair. We spoke with advanced stylist, Jackson Simmonds from Julien Farel Salon to get his best tips on what to ask your stylist for and how to work with your new cut so you can look just as chic as Kaia Gerber in your family holiday card.
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The Single Length Bob
The shag cut was undeniably the cool girl cut of last season, but the colder weather brings the perfect opportunity to chop off excess length and create a look which flatters face shapes across the board. “Simplicity after a spring and summer of long and fussy hair is most welcome. This cut falls into the “less is more” category,” says Simmonds. “Although technically the bob is one of the most difficult to execute properly, and a good test of your stylist’s abilities.”
Opting for a cut with one single length creates an instantly polished look, reducing styling time while easily oscillating between sleek and straight, and textured and messy depending on your goals. “If you’re hankering for a bob, make sure you have a thorough conversation with your stylist first. You want to make sure you understand how your hair will respond to losing all that length,” says Simmonds, referring specifically to women with curlier hair.
While this cut can work for most hair textures, it’s important to check with your stylist to know what you’re getting into when removing significant weight from your hair. Thankfully this style is also easily customizable to offer even more personality, and adding some side swept fringe or blunt bangs can differentiate your cut from the rest of the pack.
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While this cut is great for rolling out of bed and out the door, knowing how to style your new bob can help to infuse some versatility into your look as you learn to work with a new length. “It depends on the hair texture,” explains Simmonds. “Curly girls will have the option to blow smooth, or diffuse curly. Straight or in between textures want to create some bend and movement.”
Making sure to add some volume at the roots will also help to keep your strands from hanging limply around your face so you’ll look more like Dua Lipa than Willy Wonka when you finally road test your new look. With this, drying your locks with a round brush can help to add some lift and movement without breaking out any other hot tools.
Before you make the chop into your single-length bob it’s worth speaking with your stylist to determine how to make the cut work with your hair texture and face shape, but generally speaking this is one of the most effortless styles from cut to styling. “The bob is a timeless, chic, sexy workhorse that looks good at almost all stages, from just cut, to 2 months later. It can be customized to suit nearly any texture, face shape, or personality,” adds Simmonds.
Whether you’re looking for a new style for the new year or are simply thinking of updating your shag to become a more manageable single length, the bob is going to be the cut of 2022, putting you within the ranks of your favorite celebs.
