Look to the cyclical nature of trends, and summer has long been established as the all-compassing season of ease. Pool floats! Low-key hairstyles! Vacation days that aren’t confined to the white-plastered walls of your tiny apartment living room. But as the last few years have shown: societal norms are shifting. Now, it’s fall‘s turn to churn out haircut ideas that are equal parts breezy and bold – and they’re taking some inspiration from the past.
Whereas historically the autumnal season saw an influx of polished cuts to match those crisp new wardrobes, those are exactly the types of styles to avoid these next few months. “We are seeing much more effortless, undone, messy looks this year,” Seiji Kitazato, the creative director at Salon Yoshiko in NYC, tells POPSUGAR. Plus, “we all know fashion always comes back in style, and the same goes for hair.”
Just to be clear: that doesn’t mean summer’s beachy waves are transitioning into the new season, and according to Tommy Buckett, celebrity hairstylist and BondiBoost brand ambassador, that’s a good thing. “Beach waves [can] be unattainable for some to achieve, so if we want to get that style, we need to achieve them in a more realistic way, like working with natural texture and using a curling iron to polish.”
Instead, that means you’ll be seeing shorter cuts, throwback styles, feathered bangs, and so much more. From shaggy layers that bring to mind some of your favorite retro stars (couch, Farrah Fawcett) to the edgy style Miley Cyrus is making cool again, there’s a haircut du jour for everyone’s taste. “This fall we will be seeing a lot of [new] takes on old-school looks, like mullet cuts and shags, voluminous layers, and fringe bangs,” says Kitazato. “Always remember that we must start with the hair type and face shape to make sure the look suits them too.”
Either way, Buckett says, “Hair is fun and an accessory to our personalities. Don’t get stuck in a rut with the same thing you always do.” To help you prep for your next appointment, keep reading for a breakdown to the coolest pro-approved haircut trends worth trying this fall. Rest assured: they couldn’t get any easier.
Getty / Hanna Lassen
Fall Haircuts: Feather Bangs
Bangs for fall aren’t exactly revolutionary, right? Not so fast. The latest take on the trend is a lot more low-key, which Buckett describes as feather layered bangs, otherwise known as the “Birkin bang.” This type of fringe is characterized by its wispy, piecey look, and are traditionally longer and hit in that space between your eyebrows and your eyelashes. “It creates a very full look and frames the face beautifully,” he says.
Getty / Claudio Lavenia
Fall Haircuts: Feather Bangs
The vibe of feather bangs is effortless and airy thanks to their wispy nature. The best part? They look just as great with your hair down as they do when you have it pulled up into an updo, like a ponytail or messy bun, and work across all hair types.
Getty / Jeremy Moeller
Fall Haircuts: Short Bob
If you want a shorter cut, try a razor-sharp take on the bob. Unlike other trending bob haircuts of year’s past, this take on the style features blunt ends that hit to the ears. “We’ve already seen a handful of celebrities do this,” Buckett says, likely referring to stars like Hailey Bieber and Lori Harvey, “and we’ll continue to see the bob rise in popularity.”
Getty / Hanna Lassen
Fall Haircuts: Short Bob
“The style is simple and sophisticated, not flashy or trying too hard,” says says celebrity hairstylist and Matrix artistic director Nick Stenson. Plus, adding a little movement and body is easy: “Using a large round brush and some texture spray, you can replicate this same soft texture too.”
Getty / Emma McIntyre
Fall Haircuts: 90s Layers
Farrah Fawcett-inspired hair crept into TikTok’s For You pages last year, but this style is predicted to carry on into this upcoming fall season. “A Farrah Fawcett and very retro look plays into the drama that I think will take over this fall,” says hairstylist Anabel Santos of Sally Hershberger NoMad. “Lots of volume and layers in bold, warm tones keeps the look feeling seasonal but with a twist. I especially see this look working on longer hair, with face-framing pieces and long layers blown out to their extremes to create effortless movement and bounce.”
Getty / Edward Berthelot
Fall Haircuts: 90s Layers
Buckett describes the look as a 90s polished blowout with lots of layers, and says you can recreate it with “hot rollers brushed out to a shiny glossy hairstyle for a full glitz look, because everyone wants to feel glam.” The shaggier, the better.
Getty / Kirstin Sinclair
Fall Haircuts: the Wolf Cut
It’s true: the mullet has been making a strong comeback these last two years. Luckily, the latest rendition of the faithfully divisive “business in the front, party in the back” haircut is much cooler and way more low-key this time around – and works with any texture or hair type. Enter: the “wolf cut.”
Getty / Robert Kamau
Fall Haircuts: the Wolf Cut
“The wolf cut combines two classic cuts from the ’70s: the classic shag cut and a mullet,” says Kitazato. “It consists of chunky, shaggy layers on top and wavy, wispy ends. Although bold, this cut is versatile, as you can make it more edgy and bold by going short, or make it more refined with longer layers.”
