The Chopped Bob Is the Most Searched-For Cut Right Now

Lusting after a fresh cut? There’s a new bob in town that’s been catching our attention. The chopped bob has us ready to ditch longer lengths for a fling with something shoulder-baring and downright liberating.

We can’t be the only ones, because according to beauty retailer LookFantastic’s Beauty Trends Report, searches for “chopped bob haircut” are up a whopping 550% heading into 2023. And we can’t help but think that Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega might have a little something to do with it, given the truly phenomenal shoulder-length choppy masterpiece she debuted last month.

Ahead of her talk show chat with Jimmy Fallon, Jenna’s hairstylist, Dave Stanwell, revealed “we did a thang ✂️” on his Instagram alongside a picture of Jenna with notably shorter, notably shaggier, deliciously rebellious hair.

Rather than a trad blunt bob shape, Dave chopped in layers that looked as if they could have been hacked by Wednesday herself—only a glam version. And since grunge glam and goth glam are set to be headlining beauty trends this year, we reckon Jenna is onto something.

So what’s the secret to getting the cut just right? There's probably no-one better to talk us through the style than Dave Stanwell himself—so we tapped him up for insider intel.

First step, decide how long or short you want to go, he says. “First select the desired length that you are comfortable with, because as you add the layers and chop into it, it will come out a little shorter than a regular one-length bob,” explains Stanwell. 

Next, tailor it to your hair texture. “This does work on most hair types, even curls,” he says. “You might just want to start a little on the longer side so that when it jumps up for the curls, you aren’t left surprised.”

But there's method in the madness, and as with no-makeup makeup, there’s skill to making this style look the perfect amount of mussy. “Even though it’s choppy and maybe razored, make sure it still has balance and symmetry,” says Stanwell.

As for styling? Keep it simple. “Sometimes less is more,” he admits, so “letting it dry natural in some parts and just drying around the face can make it super effortless and works with natural texture.”

Here are five more examples to take to your hair stylist…

Lightly choppy bob

Curly choppy bob

Platinum choppy bob

Flicked choppy bob

Mussy choppy bob

This story originally appeared on Glamour UK.