24 Great Bob Haircuts for Every Type of Hair

01
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The Coolest, Sexiest, and Classiest Bobs

Coolest, sexiest, and classiest Bobs
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Bob hairstyles are in no danger of going out of style. Many celebrities continue to cut off their long locks for chin-grazing bobs as well as longer "demi-bobs" or long bobs. If you're thinking about going with a bob, you have many fabulous looks to choose from. They're cool, sexy, and classy all at the same time.

The Beauty of the Bob

According to salon owner Eva Scrivo in her book, "Eva Scrivo on Beauty," the bob originated during World War I as women joined the workforce and no longer had time for pin curls and straightening irons. "Cropped hair became a badge of freedom, rebellion, and independence for working women who had also just gained the right to vote," Scrivo writes.

Anyone with a nice jawline and neck will look good in a bob.

  • Face Shape: If you have a round face, a long bob is the best bob option for you.
  • Texture: When it comes to hair texture, bobs work best on thin to medium hair.
  • Curls: If you have curly hair, a bob may turn into a triangle on you, unless you get layers cut in and the ends texturized.
  • Fine Hair: If you have fine hair, ask your stylist for a "graduated bob." This cut is a stack of layers cut shorter in the back and left longer in the front. It gives hair body and height at the crown.
  • Styling Tools: You may need a good flat iron to keep your bob in phenomenal shape. Before using a flat iron, spritz on a styling spray that is formulated to protect against heat.

You can do so much with a bob hairstyle, too. Your options include blow-drying it straight, letting it air-dry into natural waves (scrunch it with fingers as you go), flat-ironing it smooth, curling it with a curling iron, or pinning it up.

02
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Sienna Miller's Mussy Bob

Sienna Miller shaggy bob
Steve Granitz (L) and Jason Merritt (R)/Getty Images

The beauty world went gaga for Sienna Miller's blonde bob. How perfect is this? It's edgy, adorable, and flattering, and it manages to be a short haircut that still oozes sexiness.

Miller is one of those women that looks lovely in a bob and phenomenal in long hair. She really can't go wrong.

03
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Emma Stone's Graduated Bob

Emma Stone's graduated bob
El Pics/Getty Images

The texturized choppy bob as seen on Emma Stone is a super hot look. It's a gorgeous, versatile bob and edgier and sexier than the straight lines of the classic bob. While it's mussy, it can also be blow-dried straight. Plus, it tends to work on almost all face shapes and with all hair textures, whether you have fine, wavy, or coarse hair.

Stone wears her signature side-swept bangs with this look, but you could wear this cut without bangs or with long bangs that sweep down to the ear. Blunt bangs would look great, too. 

04
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Katie Holmes' Classic Bob

Katie Holmes classic bob
Getty Images/Getty Images for CDG

Katie Holmes sports a wonderful bob that will not go out of style. If you have fine hair, you'll find it won't get as flat with a bob hairstyle as it will if you grow it to your shoulders or beyond. Consider a bob hairstyle featuring bangs, like this one. 

You can change up the look of your bob by letting it dry naturally some days and blow-drying it straight on other days.

05
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Coco Rocha's Sleek Modern Bob

Coco Rocha's Sleek Modern Bob
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

You can do every kind of bang with a bob, particularly side-swept bangs, blunt bangs, and a flirty fringe. These blunt bangs are cut just above the brow for a very modern look

For this particular style, you will want to blow dry your hair straight. You can then apply a styling spray that protects against heat before using a flat iron.

06
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Clemence Poesy's Baby Bob

Clemence Poesy baby bob
Foc Kan (L)/Getty Image and Vittorio Zunino Celotto (R)/Getty Images

Actress Clemence Poesy is sporting what the beauty world has dubbed "the baby bob." This cut is loosely defined as the shorter, mussier version of the classic bob. The imperfection is what makes this hairstyle so charming and it's remarkably easy to style every day.

07
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Jennifer Lawrence's New Blonde Bob

Jennifer Lawrence blonde bob
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Everyone went crazy for this blonde bob on Jennifer Lawrence. She first went short with a mussy bob, and the internet erupted in favor of the chop. This has since become a classy and timeless look that redefined the bob's potential.

08
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Heather Kemesky's Wavy Bob

Heather Kemesky with a wavy bob
Heather Kemesky Instagram: VOGUE Russia, Sebastian Kim; Heather Kemesky in Turkey and Heather on the Louis Vuitton runway

Model Heather Kemesky wears her short, tousled bob very mussily. This hairstyle is cut shorter than the chin and has loads of texture. The super short bangs are very hot as well. It's so very Louise Brooks.

09
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Edith Scob's Mature Bob

Edith Scob with a mature bob
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

If you are over 60 and have naturally straight hair or hair that can be easily straightened, this bob is a perfect, classy choice. You also have to admire how actress Edith Scob doesn't color her hair. Her look is absolutely gorgeous.

10
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Jourdan Dunn's Long Bob

Model Jourdan Dunn with a long bob
Samir Hussein / Getty Images

Model Jourdan Dunn's long bob is textured and that adds to its very casual-but-chic vibe. Long bobs are also a wonderful option for women growing out a pixie haircut or chin-length bob.

11
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Annabelle Fleur's Middle Part Bob

Annabelle Fleur with a middle part bob
Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

Parting your hair in the middle is a great way to freshen up a hairstyle you've grown tired of. Not everyone can get away with a middle part like fashion blogger Annabelle Fleur. However, it is a great option for anyone with a heart-, round-, square-, or oval-shaped face.

12
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Sarah Hyland's Side-Parted Bob

Sarah Hyland with a side parted bob
John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images

If you want to play with your part, actress Sarah Hyland shows how to wear a bob that is parted deep on the side. It's a stunning match for her angled, side-swept bangs. 

13
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Yolanda Foster's A-Line Bob

Yolanda Foster with a A-Line bob
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Salon owner Rodney Cutler says that the best youthful, edgy, and confident bob is the one that is cut in the A-line style. Yolanda Foster demonstrates just how stunning and radiant it can be.

A-line means that the back is slightly shorter than the front, with an angle that can be seen from the side. The A-line is also called a "graduated bob" or "inverted bob hairstyle." It's a cut that works nicely because it gives hair movement, according to Cutler in Glamour magazine

14
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Catherine McNeil's Mussy Long Bob

Catherine McNeil with a gorgeous wavy bob hairstyle
Numéro October 2012

This long bob on model Catherine McNeil is definitely mussy. To get the look out of your bob, mist in a beach salt spray and scrunch your hair as it dries.

You also have the option to blow dry this cut into a sleek bob:

  1. Use a volumizing shampoo and mousse if you have fine hair to ensure it doesn't go limp.
  2. Use a large paddle brush. Don't use a rounded brush on this cut, because you don't want the ends to curl under.
  3. Use a decent flat iron unless you want to wear this look wavy.
  4. Use a gloss spray after you iron. Bumble and Bumble Shine Spray gets high marks in the industry.
15
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Violante Placido's Funky Bob

Violante Placido with a long bob hairstyle with a bit of wave
Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

The long bob remains one of the most popular bobs. It tends to be a bit longer than the classic bob (at least one to two inches below the chin), and works on all face shapes and with all hair textures.

This cut on Violante Placido is a simple blunt cut with a few layers and is parted on the side. It's a great example of how you can style a long bob so it's loose and not too stiff. You can also get a longer bob cut at an angle—a tad shorter in the back than in front—and part it in the middle if you choose.

According to Allure, the long bob can be a tad boring if it's cut too blunt. Stacked layers in the back will "give it some life."

Once the bob is cut, ask your stylist to "thin out the ends with scissors or a razor so they look slightly jagged," advises stylist Sally Hershberger says in Allure.

16
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Halle Berry's Graduated Bob

Halle Berry with a graduated bob
Halle Berry. Getty Images

Halle Berry always has beautiful hair and she can definitely rock the bob. This graduated bob is full of layers in the back and really shows off her super healthy hair.

If you want great-looking hair, the secret is to learn how to shampoo your hair properly. It turns out that most of us break many shampooing rules when we step into the shower. We don't wet our hair enough, we don't focus enough attention on our scalps, and we don't rinse out our conditioner.

17
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Ali Larter's Long, Wavy Bob

Ali Larter with shoulder length bob
John Sciulli (L)/Getty Images and Jason Merritt (R)/Getty Images

Actress Ali Larter's bob has just a bit of a wave. It is a gorgeous look on all face shapes, particularly heart-shaped faces, says Larter's hairstylist Andy Lecompte in Allure magazine.

Lecompte used thinning shears to soften up Larter's ends. He also added "invisible long layers" to her hair so it was less like a classic bob and more effortless and swingy.

To get the beachy waves, scrunch and tousle your hair as you blow-dry (or air-dry), then massage in a sea-salt spray. Lecompte uses Wella Professionals Ocean Spritz Beach Texture Hairspray.

18
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Taraji Henson's Weave Bob

Taraji Henson's Weave Bob
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

One of the best things about wearing a weave is that you can change up your hair every few weeks. You can go from long to short to this fabulous graduated bob on actress Taraji Henson.

19
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Helen George's One-Length Bob

Helen George with the one-length bob haircut
Ian Gavan/Getty Images

To get Helen George's jaw-length bob, "ask that it be slightly shorter in the back with very subtle layering throughout," says stylist Chris McMillan in Allure magazine.

According to McMillan, this is a cut that works best on straight hair. You can add bangs if you like, and blunt ones would be gorgeous. If you have a slightly rounded face, ask for longer, side-swept bangs.

You'll need the help of a good flat iron to achieve this super-sleep look as well.

20
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Cameron Diaz's Side-Swept Bob

Cameron Diaz in a bob haircut
Tim Whitby/Getty Images

The best bobs for round faces tend to be long bobs with or without long, side-swept bangs.

Cameron Diaz (who has a round face), challenges this rule with her bob. Her hairstylist Lona Vigi told Allure that this cut works best on straight or slightly wavy hair. Vigi spritzes on a texturizing spray while the hair is still wet and uses a small vented brush to blow-dry the bangs to one side. She then lets the rest of the hair air-dry. It actually sounds pretty easy.

Vigi spills the beans on Diaz's bangs, too: "I like bangs to hit around the bottom of the nose. It's the sexiest length," she tells Allure. "They're technically face-framing layers. But swept over the forehead, they give the illusion of bangs."

Vigi recommends that if you have a round face, you let the bob end just above the chin. If you have a square face with a strong jaw, this bob will look better cut below the chin.

21
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Giuliana Rancic's Long Bob

Giuliana Rancic with a long bob
Mike Coppola/Getty Images

When she became a new mom, Giuliana Rancic cut off her signature long hair for this A-line long bob. Long hair can be high-maintenance because it takes forever to dry and can look ratty when not styled on a daily basis. This cut is perfect for mothers because it looks good air dried, blown dried, or even pulled back into a casual ponytail.

The A-line is a popular long bob option because it gives style and sophistication to an otherwise boring cut. Ask your stylist to cut your hair about an inch shorter in the back, allowing it to gradually get longer in the front.

22
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January Jones's Long Bob

AMC's 'Mad Men' Season 5 Special Screening
Michael Tran/Getty Images

A long bob, like January Jones's hair, can't be too layered, or it's not a bob. You will get an edgier look if you ask the stylist to thin out the ends with scissors or a razor. You can also ask that your bob is a touch shorter in the back.

This cut works on straight and wavy hair. It's a versatile cut because you can wear it wavy or flat-ironed.

23
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Lauren Brandt's Balayage Bob

Lauren Brandt balayage bob
Lauren Brandt. Photo by El Pics/Getty Images

This is a simple, classic bob on Lauren Brant. The straight cut, from front to back, is sleek and timeless and super easy to care for. You'll also notice her subtle balayage hair color: some of her hair has been painted a lighter, caramel color.

24
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Christine Lagarde's Gorgeous Bob

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde on May 13, 2014
Adam Berry/Stringer/GettyImages

Some of the most stylish women, such as French politician Christine Lagarde, are known for wearing their hair short. The good news is that short hair works on almost every woman (with very few exceptions).

The secret is finding the right cut for your face shape and hair texture. Be sure to explore your options and consult with your stylist before committing to the big cut.