It's anything shoulder length or shorter. There's the bob, the long bob (lob), the pixie, the Kate Gosselin, and several other styles. But the general consensus is, a mom haircut is a short, low maintenance style which moms adopt after they get sick of a perpetual messy bun.
"It's got a bouffant crown and it's cut behind the ears. A lot of people with that cut over-style it and that's why it looks like a mom bob.
Pixie Bob
The pixie cut is one of the most popular short hairstyles for women because it is effortlessly chic. The style is defined by short hair on the back and sides and longer bangs.
Opt for a Bob
Bobs are styles that sit just below your chin. This hairstyle can immediately make you feel and look younger by removing length and weight from your appearance! The shorter cut can lead to healthy hair as you remove any split ends. This cut will frame your jawline and bring a youthful look to your face.
On how to avoid the dreaded mom bob...
For blondes, either go platinum blonde or don't highlight too close to the roots leaving streaks and darker base on the roots. For brunette and dark hair, lighten up the ends so it doesn't look too heavy or just go solid dark but keep the shape super clean lined.
"Oval face shapes are the most universal for bobs," notes Buckett. "You can do anything from blunt to short or long, and it can be done on any hair type." Bangs, layers, curls, angles—you name it.
You may hear the new buzzy internet trend—the “octopus haircut”—and wonder, what is THAT?! Spoiler: It's a shag. TikTok users are characterizing the look by its top-heavy shape, choppy layers and longer lengths that give it that “tentacle” vibe.
Forget what you thought about long hair past the age of 40—thick hair actually looks more youthful and polished when it falls shoulder-length or longer. Shorter hair has a tendency to expand at the ends, leaving you with an unflattering triangle effect.
Bobs remain big news and will continue to dominate through 2022. “The bob is a classic,” explains top hairstylist James Earnshaw, and there's lots of different ways to wear it.
What is the difference between the French bob and a regular bob? Aside from the fact that all the stylish French girls have one? The only difference namely is how the style is cut, the French bob usually involves a shorter chin length and the addition of blunt bangs.
What Is a Wolf Haircut? "The wolf haircut is a mix between a vintage shag and a slight mullet," celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa and founder of The Beachwaver Co. tells InStyle. "Essentially, it's like taking two different periods (the '70s shag and '80s mullet) and smashing them together into a modern-day look."
Karen: Symbol for Entitled White Women
The memes always feature a woman wearing the same short, angled, and layered haircut. Additional “Karen” haircut characteristics are having the hair in your back be shorter than the hair in your front and having harsh blonde highlights.
For older women, keeping your hair youthful (without trying to look too young) will make you look and feel younger. Long hair can make you feel youthful. If your hair is very healthy and shiny, long hair shows it off. There are many ways to wear long hair, including braids, ponytails, upsweeps and more.
Essentially, a stacked bob, also called a graduated bob, is one that has layers stacked up at the back. It's very short but layered; along the sides, the length gradually becomes longer until you reach the desired length in the front.
A butterfly haircut combines short layers with long layers to give your hair dimension, movement and body. The short, wispy layers hit around the chin to frame your face, highlight your features and even contour a round face shape.
“The shag— or super layered hair cut— is the trend,” says Saviano. “It works on almost every hair texture and length, and you can even style this look with or without bangs. It gives off a cool, low maintenance vibe, and truly brings out the best of natural hair texture, as the layered cut gives the hair movement.”
“A good cut depends on your face, your face shape, your body size, and height,” says celebrity stylist Felix Fischer. “A bob is one of those styles that can make some people look younger—if done right. But when it's done incorrectly or done on the wrong face, it can make you look older.”
Trend Breakdown: What Is A “Bottleneck” Bob? It's exactly what it sounds like. Picture a retro-esque Coca Cola bottle—the shape of the bob starts with a pinched fringe that transitions into blunt layers through the ends.