46 short bob hairstyles that feel fresh and show a little shoulder action

We love the relaxed aesthetic of outgrown bobs and midi haircuts, but if you've got the itch to lop away layers, we're with you. You can't beat short bob hairstyles when it comes to freeing up your strands with a fresh cut. We're not just talking shoulder-sweeping lengths. Nope. We're talking about hitching things up higher to skim jaws and cheekbones for a style that's undeniably, unashamedly short.

It's daring and means less length to play around with than a midi cut, but on the flip-side, you'll still have more styling options on offer than if you were to go as short as a pixie. In fact, we've already rounded up our favourite half-up top knots, jaw-length baby braids and adorable dinky ponytails that work alongside shorter bobs.

As for which short bob hairstyles make the cut, that's down to personal preference. Top hair stylist and trend forecaster, Tom Smith, called out "Le Petit bob” as the style to watch, noting the direction hair trends are taking heading into 2024 (upward and shorter). “Bob lengths have been shrinking for a while and this sharp offering might be as tiny as a bob can go before it becomes a totally new shape," explains Tom. “This shape is the sassy sister of the ‘French Girl Bob’ and can be a great option for those growing out a crop as it creates angles and contours, which is exactly what the ‘awkward’ stages of growing out shorter hair lack,” he explains. The differentiating feature? For starters, it loses the French bob's accompanying fringe. Plus, “the lengths around the face should be slightly higher than those at the back,” says Tom.

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However, we're still very much here for French-girl bobs which have led the way for the past few years. They're equal-parts cool and cutesy, finish around the cheek and introduce a lash skimming fringe for graduated lengths. Curly bobs help to accentuate pretty texture. The heart-throb bob (think '90s Cameron Diaz) calls for a cut that finishes right at the nape of the neck and jawline bobs are the hair contouring hack that take the heavy-lifting out of our makeup routine by framing our face perfectly.

More of a perfectionist? Ultra sharp, sliced edges will keep things looking immaculate. Or for something more lived-in, soft-blunt ends are beautifully laidback. C-cut or curved layers infiltrating bob trends too with soft-curved shapes proving mega popular. And, for an extra hit of personality, we love a fringe moment, whether it's straight-across like the French-girl, wispy and barely-there, or a statement-making swooshy curtain bang.

Here are some of our favourite short bob hairstyles to get you inspired…

Sliced, but soft-curved

Boyband bob

Papercut bob

Jellyfish bob

Curly bob

Nape bob

Wispy fringe

Soft-blunt

Mussy and curtain fringe

Soft-blunt and slightly A-line

Golden French bob

Curved jawline bob

Soft-blunt and slightly waved

Blonde soft-curve bob

Rolled bob

Jawline bob

Chin-length

Curly jawline bob

Blunt

Balayage bob

Wavy bob

Shaggy bob

Soft-slice bob

Sleek and sliced

Heart throb bob

Side-tucked jawline bob

Chopped bob

Mussy

Ultra blunt bob

Slightly A-line

Just below the jaw

Cheekbone bob

Above the shoulder

French bob

Soft-stacked French bob

Short but heavy

Curved side-part bob

Blunt and face-framing

Burgundy

Piecey fringe

Blonde flipped

Curly blunt

'90s blunt bob

Root-pop bob

Curly side-part bob

Soft shattered

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk