Selena Gomez Proves the Flipped-Out Bob Is the Best Way to Grow Out Short Hair

Gilbert Flores/Getty Images

It seems it’s never been hotter to have a bob, but that doesn’t make the chop an easy decision. Thankfully, Selena Gomez continues to demonstrate how to skip the awkward-length stage when you inevitably decide you miss your long hair.

Selena Gomez apparently recommitted to her bob era in January 2024, arriving to the American Film Institute Awards with a bouncy mid-length cut reminiscent of the popular baroque-bob trend. And it looked as she went even shorter by the beginning of March, showing off a flipped-out version of the bob on Instagram Stories, though it’s possible the photo was taken prior to the AFI Awards on January 12.

Selena Gomez attends the AFI Awards Luncheon on January 12 in Los Angeles.

AFI Awards Luncheon - Arrivals

Selena Gomez attends the AFI Awards Luncheon on January 12 in Los Angeles.
Jon Kopaloff
From Selena Gomez’s Instagram Stories on March 1.

Selena Gomez

From Selena Gomez’s Instagram Stories on March 1.
Instagram/@selenagomez

Either way, Gomez’s bob is back to January’s slightly-past-shoulder-length. Many people think of that as the dreaded in-between stage—but not Selena Gomez.

In mid-March the Wizards of Waverly Place star proved that all it takes to keep a bob looking fresh at any length is volume and bounce. First she went for a bit of a Mad Men look in Austin for South by Southwest, appearing on a panel in a flouncy red dress, sheer black tights, and a black jacket. Much like her AFI look, Gomez’s hair was styled in a chic, bouncy lob, with the millennial side part that many celebs are keen on reviving.

Selena Gomez on March 10 in Austin

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Selena Gomez on March 10 in Austin
SXSW Conference & Festivals/Getty Images

Around the same time she gave the look a bit more va-va-voom with a sleeker blow-out and a 2010s-inspired side bangs for boyfriend Benny Blanco’s birthday. Earlier this week Gomez’s bestie Nicola Peltz Beckham shared multiple photos of Gomez’s red fur coat (somebody please do a wellness check on Clifford).

All this to say: Never underestimate the versatility of a lob or the power of a round brush.

The Very Best Haircuts for Women in 2024

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“Women in LA are asking for healthy hair,” says [Mara Roszak](https://www.instagram.com/mararoszak/?hl=en){: target="_blank"}, a celeb stylist and founder of ethical hair care brand [Roz](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/o8L68hTJD56QsfpD2pVZkmpgmvYKccvQHzpk5Rzudo1D5XfH7fnJ9vLMyVQSkiqzJv2UKLRzkMy9PgWojrrRRSw1XWZkahvfpNFE19LcsbqKJfnGy){: rel="sponsored" target="_blank" isAffiliateLink="true"}. If that means taking off more length to get rid of dead ends, leaving them with a bob, they are willing to do it for the sake of healthy strands, she says.
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[Leysa Carrillo](https://www.instagram.com/leysahairandmakeup/?hl=en){: target="_blank"}, a [Redken](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/2BPJBD7rBsogDbd8YCtzBobbJcY2dKbaoovHWrwLWUF4pHRneFk2teoHAZ8cTbQWX5jbemZyr3LpJtACfNi2W39mJ9TxQX8MJ5ADqsjUBpZZBVR5Wa4Ahw){: rel="sponsored" target="_blank" isAffiliateLink="true"} ambassador based in Miami, encourages clients to lean into the humidity and an active lifestyle, not fight it. Embracing loose waves and playing around with braids and other lived-in looks is the way to go.
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Polished Bob

The polished trend comes at all lengths—like this longer bob. To get the look, Capri says to ask for a blunt, heavy line, with no texture, and trade in your matte texturizers for shine sprays.
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Collar length lob \+ sideswept bangs \+ full curls \= perfection. You can’t argue with the facts.
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Selena Gomez shaggy lob haircut
“Longer shags are a big trend in Southern California,” says [Gina Rivera](https://www.instagram.com/beautyexpertgina/?hl=en){: target="_blank"}, a hairstylist and founder of [Phenix Salon Suites](https://phenixsalonsuites.com/){: target="_blank"} in San Diego. “It’s a great cut for hair that has natural curl or waves and left to dry on its own.” Oh, and like pretty much every cut in 2024, it looks great with bangs. These blunt ones really up the edge.
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*Bangs* can be a scary word, but when you tweak the term and instead say “face framing layers,” it sounds a lot more manageable. [Dhiran Mistry](https://www.instagram.com/dhiranmistryhair/?hl=en){: target="_blank"}, who splits his time between his salon, [The Carriage House](https://www.instagram.com/thecarriagehouseclt/?hl=en){: target="_blank"}, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and NYC, says that women in these cities like versatility. It’s all about being able to wear the hair up but keep the face-framing pieces down (which you can see aren’t like typical bangs; the front pieces are just a little shorter than the rest). “People like to have that option of having something in front of their face, especially with the hair tied back.”
This cut works for all textures, too, says Mistry. “Obviously you can’t get too short with the bangs with curly hair,” he says. “It just has to be adapted correctly.” That’s why it’s so important to find a stylist who knows how to cut your texture; they’ll be able to cut the layers *just* right.
Perfectly imperfect is the name of the game with face-framing layers—the cut gives movement and dimension before you even style it. “A heavy face frame can elevate your traditional long locks into something fun and trendy,” says [Elora Buenger](https://www.instagram.com/elorab_hair/){: target="_blank"}, a hair stylist at [Salon Thirty Eight](https://www.salonthirtyeight.com/){: target="_blank"} in Denver. “This also allows you to style your hair with more volume and bounce.”
“Women are getting away from heavy one-length cuts and asking for cuts that work with their natural texture,” says Wendy Gutkin, a Henkel hair stylist who works out of LaDiDa Salon and Spa in Calabash, North Carolina. She explains that cutting with a razor instead of the typical scissors “provides loads of volume to the hair.”
There’s something so edgy and cool about hair that’s cut by a razor. It takes a skilled stylist and can go wrong quickly, but when done well, hair feels lighter and airier while appearing fuller and more voluminous. “Women with fine hair love how the ends are diffused by a blade to create a feel of extra thickness,” says Gutkin, while those with already thick hair enjoy “how it takes out the excess bulk and creates movement.”
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The modern take of this voluminous vibes comes by way of layers and bangs, says Azadganian, who encourages women to collaborate with their stylists. It doesn’t have to be only the Farrah or the Rachel. You can have your cut and style tailored just for you, your face shape, and your hair texture, he explains.

Originally Appeared on Glamour


Bobs! Bobs! Bobs!