Last year, the French bob, fringed bob and Roaring Twenties bob reigned supreme as more of us lopped off our dead lengths and split ends after months without our hairdressers. And judging by TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, short, sharp styles continue to dominate top London salons — and they’re even cuter than the last bunch.
How do you know which style will suit your hair type and texture best? Let the capital’s best hairstylists guide you.
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The Boyfriend Bob
Editorial hairstylist and presenter Neil Moodie predicts the ‘boyfriend bob’ is going to be big this year. “Professionally known as the ‘box bob’, the boyfriend bob is a sharp, blunt cut bob, sitting on (or just below) jaw length,” he says. “Ideally there are no layers and the haircut resembles a men’s ’90s curtains haircut — but longer, with a centre parting. It can be worn straight or with a soft wave in it.”
Chie Sato, head of education at Taylor Taylor London, seconds the rise of the boyish bob. “Jaw length looks great with the boy bob but you can go as short as you like to suit your face shape. Asking your hairdresser for an undone version of the ‘Alexa Chung’ will give them an idea of what you’re looking for.” Chie says that whatever your texture, this works great as a ‘wash and wear’ style. “It just needs the right product to enhance natural movement. We recommend the LØRE Originals Texture + Wave, £19, on wet or dry hair.” Take inspiration from this style created by Kay at BLEACH London Soho.
The Je Ne Sais Quoi Bob
You’ve heard of the French bob (chin-grazing and heavily textured) as well as the European bob (slightly shorter at the front to lift the face). The je ne sais quoi bob is the more polished version. Inspired by Paris’ most photographed street stylers, Tom Warr, academy director at Blue Tit, believes we will see a lot more of this style. “People are still keeping the textured, shaggy element around the face and fringe but scrapping the long locks. It’s cute, fresh and timeless.”
Look to influencer Gabie Godfrey.
Tom suggests keeping the look square in shape. (Your stylist should advise whether this is right for your face during a consultation.) If you aren’t keen on straightening or blow-drying your hair, Tom says this look is equally as beautiful with lots of natural texture. “Encourage texture with a product like OWAY’s Sea Salt Spray, £32. It’s perfect for this.”
The Right Angle Bob
Chie says that very short, sharp bob trends tend to work best on fine, straight hair. But those with hair on the thicker side can wear it, too. Chie recommends investing in a Brazilian blow-dry. “This helps to eliminate frizz for shiny, glossy hair.” We love this angular, jaw-grazing cut fashioned at Pink Dagger Studio.
’70s Textured Bob
Paco Latorre, creative director at Live True London, predicts our infatuation with ’70s hair is going nowhere. Instead of blown out waves, it’s now about “shaggy and textured” vibes, like this ’70s fringed bob created by James Samuel at Hershesons. With a cut like this, texture spray is your best friend — especially if you have very straight or fine hair. Try Moroccanoil’s Dry Texture Spray, £17.54, and gently rub sections of hair between your fingers to create a mussed up appearance at the ends.
The Long Bob Reinvented
It’s the return of the long bob aka the ‘lob’ like this style on Daisy May. “The lob is going to be so popular again,” says Chie, “as it allows the hair to grow out within a few months, which is great if you’re used to having long hair and are not ready to commit to a short bob.” You can even wear your hair up. “A little extra length will allow you to achieve that cool-girl mini ponytail that’s everywhere right now,” or even a claw clip style.
Chie explains that a longer look like the lob is great on curly or wavy hair as it shows off your natural texture, adds volume and frames the face. “Lobs with curtain bangs will also be seen more in 2022,” Chie says, “which is perfect if you’re still growing out a lockdown fringe from 2021.”
The Mob
When the mullet meets the bob, the mob is born. Chie spotted styles like this all over the internet last year but says that adaptations of the look will continue to gain popularity in 2022, including this short and heavily layered look by freelance session stylist April Christina Taylor on Instagram.
The ’60s Bob
Our ’70s hair obsession won’t be taking a back seat but it’s also the 1960s’ time to shine, says Howard Smith, hairstylist and founder of Karma by Howard. “The ’60s bob is definitely making an appearance in salon. Think blunt lines paired with natural texture; it’s an easy, straightforward style to take care of at home.” Howard suggests adding a blunt fringe to take it to the next level, like this cut on Toilingyu. Although it’s suitable for all hair colours, says Howard, he loves the finish on a strong, deep brunette tone. “It pays the best tribute to the ’60s vibes.” For an unrivalled shine, Howard suggests prepping hair with EveryGreen 4Liss Oil, £14.50. “Use a paddle brush to blow-dry and finish with a round brush on the fringe and ends.” This creates the curled under detail.
The Bi-Bob
“Next year, I think people may want something with a heavier silhouette,” says Tom. Hence the bi-bob: it places a focus on the bi-level area of the face — your eyes and the top of your cheekbones. “A style with a heavy fringe is a perfect example of the way I believe it may move forward,” says Tom. He says it almost resembles the mullet or shag (shorter at the front, longer at the back) but with heavier lines to define features and stand out.” Take inspiration from this beautiful curly cut on Ebony-Renee Baker.
The Roaring Twenties Bob
Tyler Moore, stylist at Live True London, has seen countless clients asking for a flapper-inspired bob — but think curls and waves over the more sleek looks that tended to reign. “This year, bobs are ’20s-esque: sharp, chin length and with an optional fringe. It can be brought up to date with looser, more textured hair styling.” We’re obsessing over this jaw-length, curly cut by Jeremy Roca at Not Another Salon.
The Textured Bob
“I predict the biggest trend this year will be the textured bob,” says John Manolakis, stylist and manager of Blue Tit East Village. “I can already tell based on my clientele; most of them are requesting such haircuts inspired by the film and showbiz industry, which has recently given us a lot of textured silhouettes to admire.” (Ciara, Margot Robbie and Hailey Bieber are all longtime fans). “If you have a busy lifestyle,” adds John, “this is quite an easygoing haircut, as it has no layers and no face-framing element. Just make sure to do hair masks and treatments in order to keep it fresh and healthy.” This tousled style by hair expert Bree Johnson is perfect and gives movement, volume and definition to fine hair.
The Gradient Bob
“The bob is a hairstyle that never really goes out of fashion,” says Neil, “and while the graduated bob has always been popular, it’s had an update recently. Think more layers and grown out fringes.” Neil says this is a little like the shag but the length is a lot shorter. “Actually, I believe they’re calling this the ‘gradient’ bob,” says Neil, as the straight line slopes just a little. Typically, the look is a little longer at the front but take a cue from influencer favourites The Hair Bros and this slightly angled cut, which appears a tad longer at the back.
The Shob
This may be closer to shoulder length (hence the name ‘shob’) but it’s still classed as a bob cut, says Howard. “A style which sits on the shoulder will always push up the hair, creating natural lift at the roots,” he says, just like this tousled style created at Mimi et Mina. Also take a look at this curly cut by hair stylist Conor McLaughlin at Hershesons Belgravia. “It’s a great style for those who want to go short but are unsure and don’t want to go through the difficult grow-out phase,” adds Howard.
The Rachel Bob
This one takes a leaf out of Rachel Green‘s book, says Tyler. “It’s a shoulder-length bob with layered ends and face-framing layers.” The wispy, glossy finish harks back to the ’90s but the shorter length makes it modern and so wearable in 2022 — much like this by Annmarie on Instagram.
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