30 Short Hairstyles Designed for Playful Summer Wear

Considering the season is all about ease, the best summer hairstyles for short hair are all about minimal effort. It helps that 2024 continues a trend toward abbreviation, with traditional styles like bobs, pixies, and mullets morphing into hyper-individualized styles defined by wearer and occasion. But regardless of your shifting aesthetic preferences, the first step is the shaping itself.

“With a good hair cut you shouldn’t need to use much product or fuss too much,” says celebrity hairstylist Gregory Russell, who recently created a chin-skimming blunt bob for actress Lily Collins. From kitty cuts to bespoke bobs (Italian! French! Flippy!), summer’s short hair helps you cool down, chicly. “I love a tight, cropped, classic pixie—we’ve been seeing a lot in this heat wave,” says Lauren Bailey-Chaidez, owner of Feverfew Salon in Los Angeles. That said, the stylist concedes that the “why” of your seasonal chop is as important as the of-the-moment cut itself. “Keeping in mind the versatility of the shape is important. How will It grow in? Is this just an impulse cut to cool down in the summer heat?”

• Gregory Russell is a celebrity hairstylist for stars like Lily Collins and Anya Taylor Joy.

• Lauren Bailey-Chaidez is a hairstylist and owner of Feverfew Salon in Los Angeles

In regard to styling: “My tip is to keep it simple,” says Russell. “If anything, a serum or cream, like Pureology Shine Bright Taming Serum, provides some definition.” Bailey-Chaidez reaches for Hairstory Undressed Spray for salt-inspired texture, or the brand’s Hair Balm for an air dry replete with “that effortless summer dishevel.”

Read on for 30 summer hairstyles for short hair that prove less is always more.

Baby Bob

Collins’s new chop is the ultimate example of a bob snipped with ease in mind. Russell began the cut with a longer bob, removing the final inches at the last minute. The final silhouette is relevant yet understated, combining in a strong summertime statement.

Luxe Lob

For Zendaya, a long bob presents an opportunity to pump up the volume. Swept to the side, blown out, and fluffed up, this take on the flippy bob owes something to the ‘90s, its brushed texture soft enough for careless summer wear.

Grunge Girl Mullet

Kristen Stewart has sported every short hairstyle worth mentioning, but this impossibly ragged, exaggerated mullet feels like the correct choice for a grunge girl summer.

Kitty Cut

The kitty cut may be trending, but Jenna Ortega has been rocking it for some time. A sweet sister to the wolf cut, the kitty toes the line between choppy shag and fluffy volume, the style framed by a set of parted curtain bangs.

The Rachel

Jennifer Aniston may not pay constant homage to her Friends character on purpose, but her layered blonde consistently evokes the iconic era hair. Face-framing and flippy, The Rachel can be adjusted to suit virtually any face shape.

Long(ish) Layers

Layers cut to skim the collarbone are a low-commitment means of trimming your lengths. “This cut looks great on everybody,” says Russell. “It gives you the option of a soft, relaxed, airdried look, or curls for a glamorous throwback.”

Glam Chop

Gigi Hadid’s summertime bob looks as glamorous poolside as it does on the red carpet. “A chin-length bob can really show off ur neck and jawline, and can be effortlessly chic,” says Russell.

Flippy Bob

The flipped-out bob continues to find favor as temperatures rise, the cheeky, slightly retro addition making the cut feel fun and carefree.

Ombré Noir

Polished bobs can be grunge, too. This blunt bob gets rebellious with an ombré blanched-to-black dye job, the look punctuated by baby bows.

Italian Bob

Remnants of last summer’s la dolce vita vibes have a place this year as well, the feat achieved via the Italian bob. This cut is all about subtle softness and nonchalance created through layers and gently uneven ends.

Pastel Pixie

This pixie-bixie hybrid becomes even more playful when hued a rooty, faded aqua.

Mod Bob

Most of Lucy Boynton’s beauty references the 1960s, and this doll-like bob screams modern mod. “Most of my references are '60s silhouettes,” says Bailey-Chaidez, who shares Boynton’s sensibilities. “They are timeless and usually can be flattering for all, with minor adjustments made to modernize them.”

French Girl Bob

In contrast to the Italian bob, the French girl style favors drama over chill. Look to Zazie Beetz’s take, which boasts blunt levels and air-dried texture, for a pitch-perfect example.

Piecey Bowl

“I’m a huge fan of the bowl cut and hoping to see it back this summer,” says Bailey-Chaidez. Kerry Washington’s cut does its part to reinvigorate the trend, its rounded shape and wet-look finish creating a modern piecey pixie-bowl.

Soft Lob

Gentle, barely there long layers offer further softness to Margot Robbie’s near-blunt bob, the subtle framing providing extra insouciance.

Cropped Curls

Those looking to honor their natural ringlets this season need simply crop said curls for a cute and cool moment. For extra play, opt for a vivid hue a la Ice Spice.

Faux Bob

Trompe-l'œil short looks are always welcome. While fall and winter offer ample opportunities for in-sweater tuck, summer’s faux bob comes from face-framing pieces left loose from any updo.

Kiss Curl Crop

Make your pixie more romantic with a crown of curls. Coi Leray’s tousled curls extend to her edges, with a collection of kiss curls calling the 1920s to mind. “This is a strong look, but soft at the same time,” says Russell of the soft pixie, citing Mia Farrow’s prototypal cut in Rosemary’s Baby. “Very chic and androgynous.”

Boho Mussed

The appeal of Alexa Chung’s short-to-medium brunette lies in its air-dried texture. Apply this ethos to your seasonal short style for an instantly boho look.

Pretend Pixie

As with the season’s faux bob, a pixie can be enjoyed for a day with the help of a strategic updo.

Bendy Bob

The chin-length blunt bob is one easily styled to suit your style. America Ferrera’s in-between texture is part wave and part polish, the slight bend ideal for day-to-night wear.

Wet-Look Wave

Seemingly dampened waves scream summer, providing instant allusions to pool and beach days. Simply add an excess of your preferred oil or gell and scrunch away.

Mini Mermaid

Mermaid hair need not be reserved for those with extra-long lengths. Elle Fanning’s beachy bob features tight and gentle waves from crown to ends, resulting in a moment worthy of mythologizing.

Rooty Braids

Blonde baby braids balanced by natural brunette roots combine in an irreverent aesthetic primed for summertime antics.

Polished Lob

A pin-straight lob fits well within any season, but one worn during the summer months feels timeless and mutable, a blank canvas for virtually any era accessories or beauty notes.

Rounded Bob

Old Hollywood glamour is embodied by Sydney Sweeney’s rounded, side-parted chop. A cheekbone-grazing bang creates a flattering shape and cohesive frame.

Sculpted Bob

A shaped and sculpted bob provides sophisticated styling minus any extra length.

Grow-Outs

Summer is the ultimate time to embrace a short hair grow-out, from pixie to buzz cut. The incremental shifts in lengths lend well to the season’s irreverence, all while priming you for a fresh new look come autumn.

Shattered Pixie

This choppy interpretation of the pixie is among Bailey-Chaidez’s favorite takes. The stylist cites a 1990s Winona Ryder as easy inspiration, while Rowan Blanchard’s interpretation adds notes of Elizabeth Taylor.

Raked Chop

Florence Pugh’s bob combines elements of several styles (flipped, sculptured, etc.) with a finger-raked, subtly rebellious finish.

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