The Ultimate Guide To Getting A Layered Bob
There’s something about a bob that just captures the imagination. There’s the bob for when you close a chapter of life you have no intention of revisiting and the one for when you feel your aura just needs a zhoosh. There’s the one for when you’re trying to recapture a haircut you loved as a child and another for defining a new haircut of your adulthood.
The bob-verse is rich and complex and that’s to say nothing of the types of bob on offer. There’s the blunt bob, collarbone bob and French bob. Or the midi bob, flicked bob and bell-bottom bob. You name it, there’s a bob for it.
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This year has re-introduced us to a bob that blends the best of the tousled, bed-head styles with the cool elegance of a shorter cut. It’s, of course, the layered bob.
Is it better to have layers in a bob?
'Layers give the hair texture and movement. It also means the style will grow out more easily and with less weight,' says Taylor Taylor hairstylist Zoe Irwin. Weight is hairstylist speak for when the hair looks bulky or heavy around the face. Bille Supple, senior stylist at ADEM London, says cutting a layered bob is ideal for people with fine or flat hair who find extra body hard to come by. 'Layers also help define the shape of the bob which can give it more personality and create a softer, more effortless look,' he tells ELLE UK.
So, while it’s not necessarily 'better', adding layers to a bob is what can help stop it feeling or looking dated. Supple’s advice is to avoid choppy layers and embrace soft, face-framing ones instead, gently waving the hair to add some texture. 'Choosing the right length is another key part of it,' he says. 'A bob that hits just below the chin or grazes the shoulders can feel more current than a very short style.'
How to style a layered bob
Long Layered Bob
Kendall Jenner’s autumn revamp included introducing the world to her new, blonde bob. With flippy long layers, it’s a fresh, sweet style that’s still long enough to tie up.
Wavy Layered Bob
A large barrelled curling iron is a quick, easy way to add movement and life back into a layered bob. Wrap the hair away from the face to open up your features, remembering to add a small flick to the ends.
Tousled Layered Bob
Using a texture pomade or spray can help define the layers, affecting the grungy energy of a Sienna or Kate style.
Curly Layered Bob
Cutting layers into curls, especially at shorter lengths, can help to keep their springiness, as well as stop the triangle effect – when curly hair only has body and volume at the ends and not throughout the hair.
Ringlet Layered Bob
Spot this curly bob on many a mood board thanks to its fudgy, caramel-toned colour and graduated layers.
Rounded Layered Bob
For those in their classic blowdry, velcro-rollers era, a softly curved bob like this keeps the movement of longer hair without having to grow your length.
Bottleneck Layered Bob
Add body to fine hair with a shape that accentuates the space around your cheekbones, tapering into a gently choppy finish.
Side Swept Layered Bob
One of the quickest ways to switch up your style is just to move the parting. Actor Laura Harrier wears hers in line with her pupil but even a small shift away from the centre can make a sizeable difference.
Coily Layered Bob
The collarbone bob is timeless, allowing you to play in the space between short and mid-length hair – ideal if it’s your first time cutting a bob and you want some wiggle room if you decide to grow it out.
Butterfly Layered Bob
The butterfly cut picked up popularity as people caught onto the flattering way it frames the face. Best worn with a centre parting, layers should fan out gently, creating two 'wings' that taper off towards the nape of the neck.
Collarbone Layered Bob
A length that skims the collarbones can add levity and spring back into curls.
Shag Layered Bob
Akin to the shaggy wolf cut made popular in recent years, this undone style is part-rock, part grunge and effortlessly cool.
90s Layered Bob
Preppy and cute, this mid-length layered bob is as versatile as it gets.
Layered Bob with Bangs
A statement cut, the layered nape-length bob with bangs is chic and sophisticated – made softer with a gentle wave or loose curl throughout.
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