Piña coladas, pool floats, al fresco lunches – summer is all but the definition of low key, as are the haircut trends that tend to emerge each season. This year, the assemblage of up-and-coming styles is no exception, and they are the kind of chops that look good even if you do like getting caught in the rain.
“The general vibe with haircuts this summer will be low maintenance and effortless,” hairstylist Tauni Dawson tells PS. That means lots of texture and movement – but very little upkeep post-cut. Translation: ’tis the season of easy, breezy summer haircuts.
Looking for specific ideas to bring to your next salon appointment? We’ve asked the pros to identify the hands-down coolest summer haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere in the warmer months ahead – from the “wolfette” cut to “Prada” bob, and more – because everyone deserves something hot to look forward to . . . that doesn’t require cooling down with an umbrella drink. Keep scrolling for more.
Experts Featured in This Article
Tauni Dawson is hairstylist at Nine Zero One salon in Los Angeles.
Amy Abramite is a creative director and stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.
Tom Smith is a celebrity hairstylist and the international color creative director for Evo Hair.
Philipp Haug is the owner of Haug London Haus salon and a Schwarzkopf Professional partner.
Mara Roszak is a celebrity hairstylist.
Liz Rim is a hairstylist at IGK Salon in NYC.
César DeLeön Ramîrez is a celebrity hairstylist and Unite brand ambassador.
Sunnie Brook is a celebrity hairstylist and Biolage global ambassador.
Dimitris Giannetos is a celebrity hairstylist.
Getty / Emma McIntyre
The Shag
We’ve all seen the modern shag haircut making appearances just about everywhere right now, but the look is going back to its retro roots this summer. “The style will be a ’70s rendition that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance – big hair with beach waves,” hairstylist Liz Rim says.
There’s also a fun twist to the trend: “Usually this ’70s haircut is paired with a peekaboo bang, which is just small, wispy pieces in the center of the forehead – starting from under the eyebrows and fading into the cheekbone – that can be pushed to the sides.”
Getty / Jeremy Moeller
Blunt Bob
The bob has lived many lives – first in the 1920s as a symbol of rebellion for women, then on just about every celebrity since. The new take on the trend, however, is the bob with so-blunt-they-might-cut-you ends.
“The people that were rocking the lob last year are now over it, chopping their hair up above the shoulders to have a carefree summer without that shoulder-length flip,” Dawson says. “Going for more of a blunt look to keep the hair looking full and strong over the summer.”
Getty Images / Edward Berthelot
The Cub Cut
The cub cut is known as the wold cut’s little sister and the style originated in Korea. “Think of it as a bob with seamless layers that gives loads of poetic play to the hair,” celebrity hairstylist Sunnie Brook, previously told PS. While both styles feature plenty of layers and shag, the wolf cut is shoulder length, and the cub cut is chin length.
The cub cut can work on a variety of hair textures. Depending on your face shape, you can play up the amount of layers that you get.
Getty / Edward Berthelot
The "Wolflette"
Summer’s next best thing to the trending “wolf” cut: its second cousin, the “wolflette.” Coined by hairstylist Amy Abramite, this style is essentially “a soft, feminine version of the popular wolf cut with long, thick bangs that flow back and blend into more face-framing [layers]. The style is cut with volumizing layers for a tousled, choppy effect mimicking shaggy animal fur. A thinning or texturizing scissor may be used to remove bulk for weightless lift.”
While the style could technically work across all hair types, Abramite says, “It’s most favorable on wavy and curly hair to enhance texture and movement for a relaxed, natural style.”
Getty Images / Edward Berthelot
"Botticelli" Hair
This haircut trend is inspired by Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli, and it’s perfect for summer. (Even Gigi Hadid got in on the look.) “Hair in this style is worn extremely long and unstructured, with a natural, fluffy wave,” celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith previously told PS. If you can’t envision it, just picture the people in Renaissance paintings with their long, tousled, flowing hair.
As for what to request at the salon? “Ask your stylist to keep your hair as long as possible, softening any blunt lines and encouraging your natural wave,” Smith says. If you need a little help in the length department, it may be a fun time to experiment with hair extensions.
To style the look at home, hairstylist Philipp Haug recommends styling with a “large tong, wrapping hair from the midlengths down and allowing to cool before gently combing through.” Then, finish with a soft-hold hairspray for added hold without the stiffness.
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French Bangs
It has already been declared: french bangs are the new curtain bangs, with everyone from Jenna Ortega to Olivia Wilde trying the trend. So, what are they? French bangs are categorized by being short in the center of the forehead and longer toward the outer cheekbones. “They’re meant to be less of a statement bang and more of an integrated, effortless addition to your look,” celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak previously told PS.
To get the look, “ask [your stylist] for a blended, soft bang that will highlight your cheekbones,” Roszak says. “You want these bangs to be a relatively thin section of hair on each side of the face, so make sure your stylist doesn’t start too far back. Starting an inch back from the hairline, your stylist should create a V shape going from the center part out to the arch of your eyebrows. The center area in between the eyebrows would be the shortest area, angled longer as they go outward.”
Getty / Melodie Jeng
Side-Swept Bangs
Bangs are one of the more divisive hair trends, but side-swept or swoop bangs are the definition of noncommittal – and right on par with the Y2K revival happening in beauty right now.
Celebrity hairstylist César DeLeön Ramîrez previously told PS he could see “short bangs becoming a ‘swoop bang,’ bringing the side part back to center stage and replacing the center part.”
Like an exaggerated side bang, the swoop also works on any hair length and “looks great with short to long layers.”
– Additional reporting by Ariel Baker
Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.
Ariel Baker is the associate editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.
