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Every year, the same declaration can be heard reverberating around beauty communities: the bob is back. The short style seems to have a boomerang-like quality — it returns year after year, luring new candidates into its fold with new bob trends promising easy styling and a certain level of beauty street cred afforded to those daring enough to chop their locks into a style some might consider edgy.
I first cut my hair into a lob — the Gateway Cut, as it’s often referred to — in 2016, inspired by the catchcry that the short style was suddenly back in vogue (and a much cooler girl a few years above me at school who also had a bob). A decade later, my bob is still intact and the style is, apparently, back again. Either I’ve been rocking a woefully out-of-date haircut for the last 10 years, or, the bob has never actually gone anywhere.
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While it’s true that the allure of a bob is time-tested, what does wax and wane, however, are the styles of bob. Some years, longer, collarbone-grazing lengths prevail. Others, it’s all about cropped, sleek styles (remember Leslie Bibb’s [expletive] little bob in 2025’s season of The White Lotus?). And of course, there’s the French bob, an evergreen gamine style for free spirits who want functional chops.
In 2026, bob trends have been a real melting pot of lengths, shapes and styles, and according to Sydney celebrity stylists, Anthony Nader of Raw, and Jaye Edwards of Edwards & Co., there’s truly one for everyone.
Here, Nader and Edwards break down 2026’s biggest bob trends. Happy chopping.
The Blunt Bob
Characterised by a jawline-length, a horizontal, blunt edge and a sleek, smooth silhouette, the blunt bob is only for the boldest bob first-timers. “The beauty about this bob is that it’s layer-free and confidently short, so there’s no fussing with it for at least three to five months,” Nader says. For round face shapes, Nader recommends an angular bob that falls below the jawline and angles longer toward the front, while oval shapes look best with a precise, geometric silhouette.
To style:
Blow-dry damp hair with a small cylindrical brush to avoid adding too much volume. Once dry, add a few spritzes of sea salt spray (try NAK Hair Signature Sea Salt Mist) and scrunch into the hair to add a little texture to the ends while retaining its sleek shape.
The French Bob
Where the blunt bob is sleek, sharp and serious, the French bob is a little more laissez-faire. Softer and more textured, occasionally cut with a wispy fringe, the key to the French bob is the right amount of layering to ensure volume and longevity. “Keep your bob short and confident,” Nader says, adding that oval-shaped faces will benefit from a solid fringe that angles a little lower at the edge of the brow area. Edwards advises asking your hairdresser for “a defined perimeter with the internal weight tailored to your hair. You want it to sit well without having to force it into place every morning.”
To style:
Starting with damp hair, Edwards advises working in a lightweight styling cream (he uses O&M Style Guru) and encouraging the hair’s natural texture with your fingers. “You can air-dry if your hair allows, or diffuse it gently. Be sure to keep some movement in the ends so it feels relaxed.”
The Bixie
For bixie inspiration, look no further than Emma Stone and Gracie Abrams. “The bixie sits between a bob and a pixie,” Edwards says. “It’s great if you want to go short but still want pieces you can tuck, move and style differently,” Nader calls the bixie a 2026 phenomenon, thanks to its effortless styling and ability to oscillate between looking undone and elegant. “The key is keeping the outline intentional and the layers soft. Too much thinning can leave the ends looking wispy, particularly on fine hair,” Edwards cautions.
To style:
“I’d finger-dry it into shape, then use a light mist of texture spray (I like O&M Desert Dry Texture Spray) through the roots and mid-lengths for separation. You want to see the layers and movement without making the hair look stiff,” Edwards says. “Pop in your desired part and keep the surface clean from roots to ends,” Nader advises. “You can even tuck the hair behind the ears if desired.”
The Shaggy Bob
All it took was Billie Eilish cutting her hair into a choppy, flicky bob for the shaggy style to emerge as one of 2026’s bob frontrunners. “The cut is effortlessly cool,” Nader says. “It’s relaxed, slightly rebellious and beautifully underdone.” With more visible layers, a broken-up outline and an undone finish, the shaggy bob is great for thicker hair, Edwards says, as strategic layers can help remove bulk. Finer hair can go for the shaggy cut too, but extra weight will need to remain through the ends to keep the style looking full.
To style:
“Don’t overwork the hair, otherwise you’ll end up looking ‘glam’,” Nader advises. “Shake it dry, maybe add a brush in the ends to add some smoother texture, and then run your fingers through it and let it do its own thing.” Edwards recommends scrunching a small amount of styling cream (like Davines Natural Tech Replumping Superactive) through damp hair and diffuse on a gentle setting. Once it’s dry, add a little texture spray where you want extra lift and separation. “Avoid brushing it too much afterwards,” he says, “as you’ll lose the definition.”
The Retro Bob
Sleek at the top and flicking outwards at the ends, the retro bob is a cute and quirky style that made itself known during the spring/summer fashion season — and when Ariana Grande debuted her own version in October. “The retro bob is as much about the styling as the cut,” Edwards says. “Think a clean, short shape with a defined part, a smooth finish and deliberately curved or flicked ends.” The style can be created with a regular bob haircut, Edwards says, which means you can dip in and out of the style depending on the day.
To style:
Place in your desired graphic side part, and then spritz the hair with a heat protectant and a thickening spray, like ColorWOW Raise The Root Thicken and Lift Spray, if you have one. Blow-dry in sections with a round brush, directing the ends into your chosen curve or flick, and finish with hairspray (try R+Co Vicious Strong Hold Flexible Hairspray) to hold the shape.
The ‘La Dolce Vita’ Glamour Bob
When it comes to a dramatic, glamorous bob, no one is doing it better than Raye, with her voluminous, softly curled crop. “The glamour bob is fuller and more sculpted, with a deep side part, glossy waves and a strong shape around the face,” Edwards says. “You need enough length and weight to create those curves, so I’d avoid over-layering it.” For diamond-shaped faces, Nader recommends keeping volume through the lower half for body, and adding a deep side-part to create drama.
To style:
Prep the hair with heat protection and a strong mousse before blow-drying with a medium barrel brush “aiming for the heavens,” Nader says. For more curl, Edwards suggests setting sections with a tong, curling in a consistent direction, and letting them cool completely before brushing into connected waves. Finish with hairspray and a dry shine spray (like Kevin Murphy Doo Over spray) for glossiness.
The Supermodel Lob
The lob is the Gateway Cut, the happy medium between long hair and a bob that makes transitioning to shorter styles less jarring. “A slightly longer bob that works with your natural texture is generally the easiest,” Edwards says. “You have more flexibility as it grows, and enough length to tuck it behind your ears or tie some of it back.” Take your cues from Hailey Bieber’s flicky, blow-dried collarbone-grazing style. For round face shapes, Nader suggests incorporating soft internal layers from just below the cheekbones to give more volume and lengthen the face.
To style:
For a softly-curled lob, spritz hair with heat protectant before using a medium-sized barrel brush to blow-dry hair, holding the hair wrapped around the brush at the ends to give a gentle curl. A light-hold hairspray (like Oribe’s Superfine Hair Spray) will keep the curls in place without looking stiff or “done.”
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