Is a short hairstyle right for you?
Even if you know that it'll look good, you need to consider what trends are coming and
going.
And while there are many fun and flattering short hairdos that are absolutely worth trying,
there are others you should definitely avoid.
The last time you cut your hair short, you may have rocked the popular A-line bob, also
known as a stacked bob.
If you're planning to dive back into a short hairstyle, you might be considering trying
this old look on for size.
However, your hairstylist may just try to talk you out of returning to your roots.
Krissy Johnson, owner of Alexander's by Krissy salon in Los Angeles, told The List that the
long bob, or "lob," has since replaced the "previously trendy, short A-line cut."
Mike Van den Abbeel, longtime hairstylist and owner of Mosaic Hair Studio and Blowout
Bar in Orlando, Florida, agrees that the A-line bob is dying out.
He told The List:
"The one trend that people definitely stopped doing was the stacked bob — especially with
a strong angled forward or much longer front.
At its most extreme, this cut gave women what appeared to be dog ears and was just awful."
The stacked bob isn't the only bob that's on the outs.
A pin-straight, one-length bob may sound like a solid option, but it's not nearly as popular
as it once was.
Mike Van den Abbeel told The List:
"A haircut that seems to be falling out of favor even though they are a classic look
are very precise bobs.
Today's bobs are all about cutting in texture and movement and removing internal weight
so the hair can flow and has bounce.
Cue: the French-girl bob, a modish take on the precise bob trend.
This cut begins with a blunt and full shape, which is then individualized with layers,
texture, and fringe.
Los Angeles-based hairstylist Yoann Bourquin told Refinery29,
"We take what we know, the French technique, and we shake it up to create something modern
that's still classic."
Chopping your hair short can be an empowering experience, especially if you've made the
choice after a significant life event.
As mental health counselor Dr. Danielle Forshee told Elite Daily in 2018:
"The decision to cut your hair during a transition period, whether it be a positive or negative
transition, symbolizes to the individual themselves a new start."
In years past, there was nothing more liberating than trading in your long locks for a sleek,
bold faux hawk, but now its popularity is waning.
Fae Norris, hairstylist at Los Angeles' Rock Paper Salon opined to The List:
"Sorry, but I think the faux hawk is nearing the no hawk stage."
The iconic look could, however, make a comeback in the not-too-distant future, as Norris added:
"Stylists are always tweaking the styles that made a big splash so we can look towards new
incarnations in 2020."
If there's one short hairstyle you should avoid above all others, it would have to be
the pixie with side-swooping bangs.
Isabel Azocar, hairstylist at the Washington, D.C.-based high-end hair salon Ian McCabe
Studio, has dubbed it the "Can I Speak with the Manager?"
haircut.
"No!
Don't blame me for your bad choices.
Hair isn't everything."
"Wow."
"What?"
"Hair is everything."
You may know the side-swept pixie look best as Kate Gosselin's infamous haircut.
At the time she had it, the reality TV star told Entertainment Tonight,
"Everyone wants it!
My hairstylist gets calls from all across the country."
That may have been true in 2009, but in 2020, that's no longer the case.
Although variations of the cut have somehow managed to stick around for a decade, the
short pixie cuts with long, side-swooped bangs have finally faded into obscurity.
More traditional pixies, however, are still thriving.
Not all pixies are the same.
Some are severe, while others are relaxed.
According to Mike Van den Abbeel, the severe ones have lost some steam.
He explained to The List:
"Women's short cuts today are about being lived in.
Women don't want to look like they had their hair cut.
No sharp lines or clean edges."
Severe pixies may have died out, but there are plenty of softer iterations to try, like
actress Rowan Blanchard's cropped 'do.
Nunzio Saviano, hairstylist and owner of New York City-based Nunzio Saviano Salon, called
that style a "lived-in, feminine, and sexy pixie."
He told Allure:
"Around the ears, you want it to be saggy with length so that it can be softly styled."
If you have a face shape similar to that of Blanchard's, this cut will look especially
great on you.
As Saviano explained to Allure:
"This cut complements Rowan's angular face shape and hair texture perfectly.
The length and direction that her hair is styled really accentuates her gorgeous eyes."
The visible undercut, which has been rocked by stars like Halsey, was once a huge trend,
but this partially shaved look is now no longer in style.
While that means fewer clients are requesting this specific kind of short hairstyle, the
technique still serves a functional purpose.
Fae Norris of Los Angeles' Rock Paper Salon explained to The List:
"Removing some weight from the bob makes the style more wearable, but I think it may have
run its course."
While showing off your fade or undercut is no longer in vogue, it's still possible to
have a purely functional and completely hidden undercut.
Hairstylist Anh Co Tran created what's known as the "parallel undercut," which doesn't
involve any shaving of the underside.
As Tran explained to Refinery29, you're not going to have to worry about that awkward
growing-out stage involved with a traditional undercut while still having a haircut that
removes weight and gives movement to thick hair.
"I- I- Because I don't want a haircut from a butcher.
I'm not gonna get butchered like you butchered these poor women's hairs."
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