26 of the Most Flattering Haircuts for Square-Shaped Faces

Curtain Bangs

If your goal is to soften your hard angles, the best bangs for you is a long, side-swept fringe that grazes the brows. They should hit just below the brow but be longer on the sides, like these bangs on Tessa Thompson. The key is to ensure that the bangs are tapered longer on the sides than they are above the brow. The hair above the brow should hit at the brow or just below it.

Italian Bob

Welcome to the renaissance of the Italian bob. Distinguished by its slightly longer length and chunky ends, the fuller take on the bob is ideal for creating a voluminous appearance and the illusion of a weightier mane—all the makings of a flattering 'do for square-shaped faces.

French Bob

The French bob is characterized by its ultra-short length, slicing just under the ears and well above the chin. This may sound a bit severe, especially if your goal is to round out more angular features, but it all comes down to styling. Here, Rosario Dawson has swept her bob back for a soft yet lifted look that shows off her face.

Wavy Lob

Sandra Bullock, a classic square-faced beauty, shows off her just-below-the-collarbone cut with waves. If you have any natural waves or curls, consider leaving them natural—it'll soften your angular features.

To achieve a similar amount of volume, follow the steps outlined by Vaccaro: "I typically have my clients flip their hair upside down to dry their roots in opposite directions for max volume while using Glamsquad’s Full Effect Volumizing Mousse ($28). I then finish with 1.5-inch large barrel curling iron to create some loose, bouncy waves."

Epic Length With Dramatic Side Part

This longer-than-long cut on Jessica Chastain—accented with a deep side part, lots of shine, and all the length swept to one side—is gorgeous. While those with longer faces may not be able to get away with such length, square faces look both stunning and balanced with longer tresses.

Curtain Layers

Gwyneth Paltrow's signature look of long, flat-ironed locks creates a curtain effect that hides the sharp edges of her jaw, while playing up her amazing cheekbones. Note how she parts her hair straight down the middle, making what could be a boring look very chic. If you go with this look, make sure to cut in just a few long layers for movement.

Rounded Bob

Long bobs are great on a square face, as long as they're soft and layered. Avoid a sharp, blunt bob that hits right at your chin; it'll only accentuate your jaw, creating a boxy effect. The rounded bob is perfect for someone who has actress Keira Knightley's square face. You can see how this cut elongates her face, but maintains a nice edge.

Tousled Bob

Margot Robbie's blunt bob may defy the aforementioned suggestion, but texture plays a pivotal role. While the structure of the cut itself is quite sharp, the tousled, crinkled texture creates a softer look overall.

Feathered Shoulder-Length Cut

Here, Mandy Moore shows off a particularly flattering hairstyle, with long layers starting just below her chin and the hair ending at her shoulders. "Long hair takes attention completely away from the jaw line and puts it on the length of the hair," notes Vaccaro.

Textured Layers

Shoulder-length hair is flattering on all face shapes, but as you can see here on model Kate Moss, this particular cut is great on a square face. The light waves and highlights help soften Moss's sharp, angular jawline, and the middle part (common on many square-faced actresses and models) works very nicely with this look.

In terms of styling, Vaccaro says that a flat iron is your best friend for this length. Just be sure to protect your hair from the heat—try Monat's Damage Repair Bond Fortifying Leave-In Crème ($43), which doubles as a heat protectant and leave-in conditioner.

Razor-Cut Lob

To fashion a look á la actress Gabrielle Union, Vaccaro says to ask your stylist to cut the hair with a razor. "For straight to wavy hair, I like using the razor to soften the ends and create my layers. This keeps the lines natural and removes any weight or bluntness which draws attention to the jaw."

Long Length and Side-Swept Bangs

These side-swept bangs soften Olivia Wilde's square jawline, and her long locks help pull off a totally gorgeous look. She looks perfectly balanced, and it's flawless. For this look, be sure to use a quality shine spray, as the texture is key.

Long, Voluminous Layers

Long layers will always complement a square face. This look on Maria Shriver (another classic square) is perfect: Her layers begin at the jawline and continue downward.

"You can style textured layers many ways from straight to curly or beach waves," says Hoey. "For beach waves on dry hair, start with a heat protectant and hold spray. Working from the front hairline to the back, wrap hair vertically around a curling wand away from the face. Finish by using a wide-tooth comb to break up the waves and use a texturizing spray for long-lasting style."

Mid-Length Cut With Bangs

This style—seen on actress Kerry Washington—is classic, through and through. "[It's a] a soft style that has timeless appeal," says Vaccaro. "Side-swept bangs will soften the jaw and the length right above the bust will allow for so many versatile hairstyles."

Choppy Pixie

For a demonstration of how flattering this cut can be, look no further than the queen of the pixie herself: Zoë Kravitz. "The textured pixie is a short, choppy cut that hugs the head shape and creates a soft youthful look," says Hoey. "This haircut will soften the corners of the jaw and bring the attention to the eyes while creating height and movement. This cut is best when it's one-inch long in the nape and gradually gets longer, to about three to five inches in the crown to the bangs area."

Face-Framing Angles

Here's a great example of the perfect updo on a square face. Actress Minnie Driver has naturally super-curly hair, but she often straightens it. The style of her hair works beautifully because it's soft, wavy, and frames her face. To enhance your natural texture, Hoey recommends using "a cream or salt spray and diffusing. Or, for a straighter style, blow-dry with a paddle brush and finish with balm for separation and texture."

A Weightless Cut

Long layers on mid-length ends create a gravity-defying cut. Priyanka Chopra Jonas's style brings all the joy of length without the feeling of being weighed down. "You can wear this style centered, off-centered, or even with a deep side-part," notes Hoey. "With shorter face-framing layers starting around the bottom of the jaw, you can flip this style any way you like."

Sleek, Mono-Length Cut

"No one pulls this off better than J.Lo," notes Vaccaro. If hair is naturally straight, the long and sleek look requires little in terms of styling. "There's no need to layer this cut," he adds. "Keep it looking modern and sleek by blunt-cutting the length with very little face-framing pieces."

Curly Layers

Rihanna's hair is full of texture here, and the soft-yet-edgy curls are a great look for square faces. "To keep your natural curl or wave, I’ll take SheaMoisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie ($13) and mix it with Miss Jessie’s Jelly Soft Curls ($16) to help create the curl shape and definition," says Vaccaro. "You can twist your hair in sections and let air dry or you can leave it natural based on your curl pattern."

Modern Shag

The Modern Shag is a '70s throwback with a new spin, as seen here on singer Ciara. "This style opens the face and rounds the jaw line with short, face-framing layers, and draws attention to the cheekbones," says Hoey. He recommends adding a curtain bang to accentuate the roundness of the cut. "The bang's shortest pieces should sit right between the eyes and feather out to between the cheekbones and jaw."

Curly Shag

Ever the style chameleon, Zendaya's hair evolution earns a second mention on our list. Here, the aforementioned shag is up-leveled with curls—bangs and all. The iconic shattered structured remains soft albeit with far more volume and movement.

Soft Structure

If you have super-straight hair but want waves anyway, try spritzing it with a styling spray and winding two-inch sections around the barrel of a curling iron. Next, finger-comb out and finish with holding spray. As seen on Lucy Liu, the look is put-together without being overly structured.

Cropped Curls

Indya Moore's curly pixie is a masterclass in luscious volume. We love how the cut maintains a rounded shape, balancing out the square angles of the face.

Spiraled Bob

Looking to grow out that curly crop? Tight coils and spirals give phenomenal structure to a square face without looking too severe. Yara Shahidi's layered bob does all the talking without weighing down her gorgeous features.

Timeless Pageboy

The modern pageboy is a lovely cut on actress Evan Rachel Wood, notes Hoey. "This soft style has timeless appeal," he says, adding that "side swept bangs will soften the jaw," rounding out an otherwise square face.

Braided Updo

Braids are universally flattering, made ultra-customizable by the length, width, and density of each single plait. Former First Lady Michelle Obama fashions hers into a chic ponytail for a vivacious yet practical 'do. We love the deep side part and delicate sweep over the forehead, creating the softening illusion of side bangs.