The Chopped Bob Is Trending for Summer 2024

Looking for a fresh cut for summer? One bob haircut that’s been catching our attention is the chopped bob. The shaggy layered style has us ready to ditch longer lengths for a fling with something shoulder-baring.

We can’t be the only ones, because according to beauty retailer LookFantastic’s Beauty Trends Report, searches for “chopped bob haircut” skyrocketed since Jenna Ortega debuted a shoulder-length choppy masterpiece last year. Well, get ready for it to blow up again: The chopped bob is more than back this season.

Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, and Eva Longoria are all wearing the trend ahead of vacation season, with Perry even sharing a behind-the-scenes Instagram reel of celebrity hairstylist Jesus Guerrero giving her the cut. The “E.T.” singer asked followers if they had any “thoughts, comments, concerns?” Our answer? Nope, not one!

Within a few hours Perry shared actual pictures of her edgy, side-parted chopped bob to her grid. The photos, which seem to have been taken backstage on the set of American Idol, shows Perry drinking Coca Cola out of a can with a straw. Relatable!

Lovato did the same just a few days prior, proving just how versatile a chopped bob can truly be. In the first photo, Lovato’s hair was pushed back and tucked behind their ears like a mullet or pixie. In another look, their bob is styled like an old-fashioned flicked-out bob. Longoria, on the other hand, embraced the similarly trending “wet look” for her chopped lob with bangs. See? You really can’t go wrong when it comes to the chopped bob.

As for why the trend is taking off now? It probably has something to do with the dark feminine energy vibes it gives off. On that note, if you’re looking for something more prim and polished, might I suggest the princess bob instead?

The chopped bob first took off when Ortega»s hairstylist, Dave Stanwell, revealed “we did a thang ✂️” on his Instagram alongside a picture of Ortega with notably shorter, notably shaggier, deliciously rebellious hair.

Rather than a trad blunt bob shape, Stanwell 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 Ortega 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 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

A version of this story originally appeared on Glamour UK.