This Summer’s Haircut Trends Are Major Throwbacks

22.05.2026, 04:04 allure.com

Say you had a beauty time machine. Where would you go first? Perhaps a stop in the ’60s for long, bohemian styles and flowers in your hair? Maybe you’re in search of a party in the disco-era ’70s. Or maybe you’d go back even farther, to a 1950s red carpet, where classic glam reigned supreme.

Well, no time machine needed because this summer's haircut trends are a journey through the decades, with a little something from every era: ’50s-style Hollywood bobs for the old souls; long, cascading lengths and bangs for the ’60s protest set; and bouncy, feathery layers straight out of Studio 54 in the ’70s. Those who prefer loud, unapologetic styles will find themselves drawn to the ’80s rock-style glam of a curly wolf cut. And then a shift: effortless ’90s-era model layers or the cool-girl ease of an early aughts bixie cut à la Natalie Imbruglia.

No matter where you’d take your time machine first, this season’s styles are a throwback to whatever long-lost era you pine for. Below, stylists break down the looks we’ll be seeing.

Wealth whispers, and so do these long, super-subtle, off-duty model layers. Understated but polished, like a handbag from The Row or a buttery pair of Khaite ballet flats—this cut is meant to convey that you’ve got it all together, your home is perfectly neat, and you spend your days discreetly slipping in and out of a black car to go from meeting to meeting (even if it isn’t, and you don’t).

“Nowadays, my clients are inspired by the chic minimalism of ’90s Calvin Klein,” says New York City-based stylist Jordan M, who cuts these soft, barely there layers with scissors to keep the ends full, noting that it’s the blowout that brings it all together. “I tell my clients to use a large, round brush, pulling the hair straight off the head to give it as much volume as possible, and then smoothing through the ends to give it that soft, polished finish.”

The beauty of a bouncy Hollywood bob is how effortless it looks. It floats as if you walked over a windy city subway grate in a white dress and—et cetera, et cetera—you know the rest. Cue demure smile and wink.

“It’s looser, sexier, and more effortless than a classic bob,” says New York City-based stylist Bertha Cherisme, who notes that its popularity is rooted in a move away from rigid, architectural shapes. Instead, the flirty Hollywood bob is layered, textured, soft, and touchable.

“Ask your stylist for a bob that’s on the longer side of above the shoulder, with some soft layers and face-framing—or a longer, cheekbone fringe,” says Jordan M. The layers will give it floaty movement even if you don’t style it, but for that subway grate va-va-voom, style with a round brush for extra movement.

By far the most popular trend among our experts this season, the bixie—a bob-pixie hybrid—is a modern-day indie darling, who’s quirky, effortless, and definitely discovered that up-and-coming band way before you did.

“It has the shortness of a pixie, but with the length around the perimeter of a bob,” says London-based stylist James Pecis, who cuts Gracie Abrams’s signature bixie. It’s a cool way to grow out last year’s clean-cut pixie, and looks just as intentional tousled with your fingers when you roll out of bed as it does slicked back for some polish. “It tends to look best on hair that has a little texture or wave pattern,” adds Los Angeles-based stylist Justine Marjan. “[Otherwise], a razor cut can add some volume and texture.”

If a bixie is indie rock, then a curly wolf cut is ’80s glam rock—bigger, louder, and unapologetically rough around the edges. “Lately, people really want a look,” Pecis says. “People want to have fun with their hair, and showcase and celebrate their natural texture.” The curly wolf cut does just that.

“It’s all about heavy layering and more length toward the back,” says Pecis (it juuust borders on mullet, but the allover layers ensure it stays firmly grounded in “glam”). “Remember that the end shape is big, bouncy, and round. Don't fight it. Embrace it,” he says.

Whoever said you can’t have it all didn’t simply have the right haircut. We are firm believers in not choosing if we don’t have to. A collarbone lob is the embodiment of that—not a bob, not a long, flowy cut, but something that hovers between the two. As luck would have it, that noncommittal length is also very chic and grown-up.

Though the cut looks great on everyone, Boston-based hairstylist Christine Bellemare especially likes it for fine to medium hair “because it creates the illusion of volume and fullness without needing a dramatic chop.” Ask for a collarbone-length cut with soft, airy layers and a diffused finish at the ends for softness, she says.

As we time-travel in search of the “good old days,” it seems only appropriate that we cue up the Diana Ross vinyl and make a stop in the ’70s for feathery, fluffy layers. At a time when we could all use a little lightness, these bouncy, face-framing layers inject a little disco into our hair routine.

Any length will do, though longer will require more time with a blow-dryer and a round brush in the morning. For something a bit simpler, with the same sunny ’70s attitude, New York City-based hairstylist Samantha Draper recommends Pamela Anderson’s shoulder-grazing bowl shape as a good mid-length option. “Shorter, top layers frame the face, and continuous layers throughout the lengths give it beautiful movement,” says New York City-based hairstylist Lauren Paglionico.

Long, cascading hair with bangs has more of a wistful, singer-songwriter vibe than feathered layers, less ’70s Diana and Farrah, more ’60s Joni Mitchell.

“It’s a style that can be tailored to a variety of face shapes, and the length of fringe can be customized,” says Draper. Blunt, full bangs for something bold, baby bangs to give it a more modern flair, or side-swept à la Taylor Swift to keep you firmly in that lyrical, romantic camp. Ask your stylist for the fringe to be disconnected from the long lengths, which can be layered, depending on how much movement you’re after.

Meet the experts

Read more about the latest trends:

Now, watch Olivia Dean's 10-minute beauty routine.