It’s no surprise that short haircuts have been taking over the beauty world this year more than ever before. A short haircut often packs more punch per inch than any long style in sight; and, if anything, the lack of inches just makes way more personality, style, and panache. Unlike the drastic decision to get major bangs, going for a short cut needs no debate. However, it’s always best to scout your options before permanently chopping those locks, and luckily there are plenty of celebrities with short hair to provide proper inspiration. Some famous short haircuts, present and past, show why short hairstyles will always hit the mark, no matter your style, texture, or age. The options are unlimited, with layers, bangs, and length at your discretion. We’re talking about more than just pixie cuts. Think layered, curly, and choppy bobs; classic, angled, and fringed lobs; not to mention all those shags and crops. These short haircuts overflow with effortless style and timeless appeal, making the decision to lose that length easy as pie. Check out these short hairstyles to find the inspiration you need for your next chop.
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Natalie Portman’s Super Pixie
Portman’s stylist kept the top section of Portman’s post-buzz cut hairstyle longer in order to give versatility. Consider this your starter super pixie.
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Keira Knightley’s Angled Bob
This chic style makes us never want anything less than a razor sharp cut ever again. It’s slightly stacked in the back, making the angles even more pronounced. She rocked this haircut with a middle and side part—both equally stunning.
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Emma Stone’s Romantic Lob
From the vibrant red locks to the smooth retro curls, this hairstyle has been one of our favorite lobs yet. Side-swept bangs and minimal layering make this cut super low maintenance and universally flattering.
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Twiggy’s Sleek Crop
This side-parted crop cut made the perfect complement to Twiggy’s iconic lashes, and it still works for ladies who like a classic and simple look. A little hairspray is always your friend with this style.
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Katie Holmes’ Rounded Bob
The rounded bob is more than trending right now, making us take a look back at one of our favorite of Katie Holmes’ short looks. Her ultra-shiny, straight bob is made more stylish with smooth bangs and curved ends.
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Halle Berry’s Tousled Pixie
This pixie is edgy and seems to defy gravity. If you want a short cut that you can still style and play with, this pixie with the longer top pieces is the way to go. Berry gets bonus points for those delightfully sun-kissed caramel highlights.
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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Angled Lob
Instead of going with a softer lob style, Paltrow went angled and sleek with this buttery blonde haircut. A center part reinforces the modern symmetry.
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Alexa Chung’s Modern Shag
This iconic hairstyle got revamped into what we call the “New Shag” or “Modern Shag.” We can’t get over the cool factor of this slightly softened version that still has all of the layering, texture, and bangs of the original haircut.
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Christina Hendricks’ Retro Bob
Hendricks always makes an entrance with her bold and vibrant red locks and amazing volume. In 2010, she stunned the crowd by shortening her signature curls into a retro-style bob.
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Yara Shahidi’s Natural Lob
This It girl might be young, but her constant wave of beautiful, volume-packed curly hairstyles never ceases to wow us. She’s not afraid to embrace that natural curl, and this center-parted and layered lob has enough style to elevate any look.
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Audrey Hepburn’s Boyish Crop
Although Hepburn gave us hair inspiration no matter which style she chose to debut, we can’t get over the timeless grace of her signature crop. With thick locks like hers, this boyish cut—very clipped in the back, blunt in the front—let her eyes command the room.
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Victoria Beckham’s Stacked Bob
No one does short hair quite like Mrs. Beckham. Her thin, fine strands are made for a shorter cut. The best part of a sharp, stacked bob is the ability to accentuate your cheekbones and angles.
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Winona Ryder’s Choppy Pixie
This iconic 90s haircut will go down as one of the best pixie cuts of all time. Ryder switched from a shorter, boyish pixie to a slightly longer, edgy pixie. The choppy look of this stage gave us something that Mia Farrow never could.
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Rose Byrne’s Balayaged Lob
No matter if going sleek and straight or soft and wavy, Rose Byrne keeps her lob looking nothing less than envy-worthy with her chocolate brown base and caramel balayage highlights around her face and towards the ends.
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Ruth Negga’s Vintage Curly Pixie
This vintage look gets a unique silhouette from Negga’s tight curls. A barely-there side part gives another retro touch, and she regularly goes for 1920s finger waves to ramp up the style.
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Jennifer Aniston’s Friends Cut
This haircut has been shown to more hair stylists since the 1990s than we could ever know, and for good reason. It’s one of those flattering styles full of layers that work on most face shapes.
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Margot Robbie’s Asymmetrical Lob
With her buttery blonde locks and deep side part, Margot Robbie already has a stunning lob under her belt; but it’s the asymmetry that really brings it home as one of our favorite lobs ever.
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Michelle Williams’ Platinum Pixie
Odds are, if you’ve ever searched pixie cuts, you’ve seen these platinum blonde locks grace your screen. Williams’ pixie might have emerged in modern day and slightly favor Mia Farrow’s look, but it’s become iconic in its own right.
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Coco Rocha’s Asymmetrical Pixie
This dramatic style features an ultra-short undercut on one side, while letting the other side skim long down the face. The asymmetrical look goes both edgy and modern.
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Mia Farrow’s Blunt Pixie
Speaking of iconic pixie cuts, Mia Farrow rocked one of the best. While dating Frank Sinatra, Farrow made the chop, which he reportedly loved so much she kept it. The boyish, blunt style will forever be marked as the classic pixie in our minds.
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Penelope Cruz’s Beachy Shoulder Length
This cut is all about the layers, especially the short fringe around the face. When summertime rolls around, this perfect length and texture is what we’re going for.
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Tyra Banks’ Edgy Crop
Tyra Banks has never shied away from switching up hair length and color, from her days as a Victoria’s Secret model with cascading caramel curls to this modern chestnut pixie.
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Olivia Palermo’s Blunt Lob
Forget the face-framing layers—Palermo’s blunt ends do the framing for her. Blunt ends are a surefire way to make hair look thicker and extend the life of that freshly cut look.
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Emma Watson’s Perfect Bob
Though we’re huge fans of Watson’s sleek pixie, this bob really stands out with its incredible versatility. She takes it from soft and retro to slick and modern at the drop of a hat; and on more casual days, she keeps it simple with relaxed texture and easy bangs.
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Karlie Kloss’ Swept Bob
This wavy, relaxed bob made quite a debut on the 2013 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show—since the show is known for those beachy, cascading curls. Kloss made the bob transitional from cute day look to sultry night style with side-swept bangs and layers.
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Sienna Miller’s Mop Crop
Sienna Miller has proven to be a hair chameleon throughout the years, going through hairstyles faster than we can keep up. This smooth, centered crop cut was a memorable choice that provided hair inspiration we didn’t know we needed. In the early 2000s, Miller took this style from edgy to feminine effortlessly.
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Jane Fonda’s Signature Shag
Some ladies just like to stick with their signature—and Fonda is one of those ladies. She’s rocked different variations of this style throughout the decades proving some haircuts just don’t go out of style.
