Ready to do a little time traveling? This year's short hairstyles are all about nostalgia.
A short chop always feels like a new lease on life, but short hair trends aren't exactly new. This year will be big on nostalgia — which means there's a little something for everyone. If you've been pining for the neon sheen of the '80s, you'll love to see short shag cuts and curly fringe reappear on the scene. Children of the '90s will appreciate seeing lobs and pixie cuts come back in a big way. And Y2K styles like "effortless" bedhead and platinum bobs are sure to be populating your For You page until 2024 (and maybe beyond, but we can’t think quite that far ahead yet).
If you're looking to lose a few inches of 2022 (or you're simply trying to revamp your go-to short style), get out your gel pen and Trapper Keeper and get ready to take some notes. Here, we've gathered the short hair trends that stylists say are sure to take over in 2023.
Short Wolf Cut
If Joan Jett made a career change in 2023 and became a runway model, this would be her haircut. A rock-n-roll shaggy wolf cut has been on trend for a while now (See: Billie Eilish, Patron Saint of wolf cuts), but the short length gives it a fresher, more updated look for the new year. New York-based hairstylist Nunzio Saviano loves the versatility of this look: "It's the perfect cut to bring out your hair's natural texture," he says. "It can be styled with bangs, without bangs, blown-out straight, or given texture with a curling iron." You can be anyone you want to be with this cut, (But being Joan Jett or Billie Eilish sounds pretty damn cool.)
Pixie
The pixie has long been a hair symbol of fearlessness and radical change. It's a great note to start any new year on. "Anyone with the right confidence can wear [a pixie]," says Hackensack-based hairstylist Gerard Caruso, who recommends bringing a photo of your favorite pixie with you to the salon. Do you want Mia Farrow's 1960s tidy cut or Halle Berry's longer, tousled style? Or maybe something in between like Halsey has here. All are great options, but a photo will save you any buyer's remorse for this style. If you're having trouble landing on the perfect pixie, think about your natural texture and work with, not against, it. Aside from trims every six weeks to keep the length, a pixie should be low maintenance to style day-to-day.
The Bixie
Take one part pixie and two parts bob — shaken, not stirred — muddle with a dash of punky attitude and what do you get? The Bixie. It's a little short on top, a little longer on the bottom — like a mullet but way chicer. "Ask your stylist to choose a flattering length and face-framing layers," says Salt Lake City-based hairstylist Jessica Page. Because it does walk the line between punk and mullet, you'll need a trim to maintain the length every six to eight weeks, she adds.
'90s Lob
The '90s are so very 2023 these days — we're digging out our cropped cardigans and chopping our hair into a Posh Spice shoulder-length lob (steely gaze not included). Las Vegas-based stylist Shelley Gregory likes this look as a compromise between short and long hair. "It gives a nice bouncy blowout but can still be pulled back away from face easily," she says. Gregory recommends asking for a blunt cut right above the shoulders with full layers for extra movement. The look works on most face shapes but it’s especially striking on thicker hair that can show off the swingy shape.
Deep Side Part
Our parts have visited every possible cross section of our heads — Right! Left! Even more left! Center! But a deep, plunging side part has always had a little femme fatale bite to it. (Because if you can't see the center of my scalp, do you really know who I am at all?) Caruso likes this air of mystery going into 2023 and recommends blowing out bobs and other short cuts with a volumizer to really enhance the extra body a side part offers (we like R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray), and finishing with a smoothing cream or finishing oil, like Verb Ghost Weightless Hair Oil, for polish.
French Bob
A bob is a short haircut that typically ends somewhere around the chin. A French bob is a bit like that, but it’s had a galette and a glass of Dom Perignon. The main difference (aside from the diet of puff pastry and champagne) is its page-boy length — just a tad shorter than your average bob, usually ending somewhere between the jaw and ear lobe. "It can be worn in endlessly different ways," says Saviano, but he really likes this flirty length with the addition of short bangs.
Blunt Bangs
Since 62 BC (approximately), when a friend told you they were "getting bangs," that meant they were desperate for a change. Somehow, this simple snip was going to solve all of their problems — relationship woes, professional sleights, a sore lower back. While we've never known bangs to cure the world's ills, they do give you the feeling that you're a completely new person, and sometimes that’s all you want going into a new year. "Many bone structures can be complemented by bangs and other facial framing," says hairstylist and founder of IGK Hair, Aaron Grenia, though he recommends those with wider foreheads avoid this full, blunt style. Once you commit, you'll want to visit the salon every four weeks or so for a quick trim (which usually takes less than 15 minutes).
Curly Fringe
Somewhere along the line someone uttered the complete lie that curly hair types couldn't have bangs. Not only can they have bangs, they look especially chic with a short, tousled fringe. "Curly bangs are edgy on shorter hair and have a cool '80s look," says Saviano. "They're also an easy way to soften the face — especially on someone with strong cheekbones." The look is great with face-framing layers but we love them fully separated from the rest of the hair like Alia Shawkat's cheeky cut above.
Natural Comb Twist
Celebrity hairstylist Araxi Lindsey says a short, natural comb twist is not only on trend for 2023, it's great for those who "don't want to touch their hair for a week or so." (Thank you, Araxi, we love a set-it-and-forget-it style.) Getting this look at a salon means you'll be returning between 10 days and two weeks for another twist-out as the coils loosen or grow, but you can also achieve the same look at home if you're patient and you have the upper-arm strength to finish your whole head.
Bedhead
"With the '90s so on trend right now, it seems that messier, grunge-era styles are a natural [extension of] the beachy waves that have been so popular in recent years," says Grenia. 2023 bedhead looks very "I woke up like this," but it'll take a little more thought than simply rolling out of your bed. "This look can be achieved with any length or style, however, the more texture in the cut, the more separation and piece-y texture you can achieve." When you're styling, tousle the hair with a texturizing cream like Oribe Fiber Groom Elastic Texture Paste or Rahua Freestyle Texturizer.
Lived-In Layers
Short hairstyles have a reputation for being high maintenance. Extra-short cuts can have an awkward "in-between" phase as they grow — so you end up making more frequent trips to the salon to keep everything juuust so. This flirty lob with long, seamless layers is a great alternative if you're looking for a short cut that’s a bit more easy-going. "Lived-in and layered is going to be trending in 2023 because it’s low-maintenance, encourages natural texture or wave pattern, and it’s perfect for air-drying," says celebrity hairstylist Ericka Verrett. "It's meant to be a wash-and-go minimalist style. Ask for triangular layers with a soft face frame."
Short Finger Coil Afro
"This look is best for someone with afro-textured hair who is considering the big chop," says Lindsey of this easy look on Amandla Stenberg. Finger coils are very unfussy to create on shorter cuts (you or your stylist can simply shape the curls around a finger with the help of a styling cream, pull, and let the curl bounce back) and it allows you showcase the bounce and volume of your natural hair. "If you don’t want to fuss with heating tools, this is the perfect look." A great leave-in conditioner, like Bread Beauty Supply Elastic Bounce Leave-in Conditioning Styler Hair Cream, is key to making this short look feel soft and healthy.
Platinum Bob
If the new you in 2023 involves a fresh coat of paint (or er — hair dye), try this icy platinum blonde, which is best for shorter cuts like a chin-grazing bob because of how high maintenance it can be. The result is very Y2K Cameron Diaz. "I find this to look best on people with naturally light hair," says New York-based colorist Felicia Dosso, noting that darker hair will require more time in the salon chair (and ultimately, more damage) to counteract yellow tones. "Tell your colorist that you want a double process blonde. Ask for one solid color that is free of yellow or brassy tones. In this scenario, cooler tones are key." Like we said, the color is cool (literally and figuratively), but it comes at a cost: Dosso recommends root touch-ups every four weeks.
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Article written by Loren Savini for Allure