If you’re looking for haircut inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.
In the past couple of months, we’ve brought you the ‘Sachel‘ (when the shag meets the layered Rachel cut, inspired by Jennifer Aniston in Friends), the U-shape haircut (cut in a semi-circle at the back to make hair appear thicker), and the midi-flick (a chic mid-length style, which sits on the shoulders and flicks upwards slightly).
But as we edge into autumn, the most innovative salons are busy dreaming up all manner of new and inevitably-viral haircut trends.
The colder weather is ushering in shorter cuts, as we’re looking to chop our summer split ends. Think wearable pixie cuts, blunt bobs, and grownup mid-length styles. But longer lengths are on trend, too, with wispy layers reminiscent of the ’90s and subtle shags reigning supreme.
Scroll ahead for the haircut trends everyone will be asking for next, courtesy of some of London’s best stylists.
This story was originally published on Refinery29UK.
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The Flicked Bob
Luke Hersheson, CEO of Hershesons, is seeing more and more clients opt for the flicked bob ahead of autumn, as we’re slowly sidling away from blunt cuts and heading into softer territory. The flicked ends are a result of subtle layering, which is enhanced by blow-drying using a round barrel brush with natural bristles.
This style by Holly Rosati on Instagram is beautiful.
The Soft Wolf
“We always see a return to layered cuts with a range of fringes for autumn,” says Tyler Moore, stylist at Live True London. “One of our most in-demand styles is a softer spin on the shaggy wolf cut from late last year,” — a style with short layers to frame the face.
“This time around, those layers are longer and softer,” says Tyler, who recommends teaming it with a bottleneck fringe. “The result is a gorgeous, effortless and textured style, perfect for people who like their hair to be low maintenance but also want a bit of edge for their next look.”
Take cue from this layered cut by hairstylist Paige McNeil at Pink Dagger Studio.
Popping Curls
Pashcan’el Mitchell, afro and textured-hair specialist and educator at Blue Tit, says the possibilities of curly hair are endless, but making individual curls pop with a good trim is the quickest and easiest route to better hair. “There’s no point hanging on to long straggly ends,” agrees Michelle Thompson, award-winning afro and textured-hair specialist and the pro behind this curly cut. “Let them go!”
The Side Flick Fringe
The sleek middle parting might’ve just had its day, according to Tom Smith, hairstylist and creative director of evo Hair. This autumn, it’s all about dialing up the volume with hair flipped effortlessly to one side to create a faux side fringe.
Tom has a smart hack for achieving as much volume as possible: let your hair air-dry in a middle part. When you go to flip it over to create the side parting, you’ll get maximum root lift. And don’t worry if your hair falls flat during the day, says Tom. Simply flip it over to the other side.
We love this style on tattoo artist @sophfloyd created by Francesca Inverarity at The Hair Bros.
The Wisp
Salons like Buller and Rice, Hershesons, and Neil Moodie Studio have all championed long, wispy layers of late — and we’ve got ’90s nostalgia to thank for the trend’s resurgence. This heavily-layered cut by Ryenne Snow on Instagram hits the nail on the head. The layers look just as beautiful air-dried as they do blow-dried, perfect if you’re lax when it comes to styling.
The Low-Key Shag
Forget the heavily-layered shags we saw earlier this year, says Blue Tit‘s Pashcan’el. As we segue into autumn, the shag will become softer, more subtle, and ultimately, twice as wearable — not to mention easy to grow out if you fancy a change later down the line. It’s all thanks to the focus on longer layers, rather than super short, spiky ones typical of most shags.
Let’s take a moment for this curly shag cut by April Christina Taylor at Shag! London.
The Blunt Botticelli Bob
“Botticelli hair is such a fantastic trend for 2022, that is has been evolving constantly,” says Tom. The trend — inspired by the signature loose, wavy hair in a Botticelli painting — has gone from super long, ruffled waves as seen in summer to a shorter, sharper version for the autumn months. “The slightly triangular silhouette is fantastic for rounder and more square face shapes,” says Tom, “and it can be adjusted with a middle or side parting depending on preference and suitability.”
Take inspiration from this style on Chloe Miles. [Editor’s Note: L.A. hairstylist Justine Marjan has a great wave tutorial where she shows how to achieve this texture without heat.]
The Curtain Crop
This cut takes inspiration from ’90s boyband heartthrobs, says Tom. Low-maintenance and minimal, Tom says it’s so flattering because of the way it cups the face and provides a chic framing effect. It’s especially great for longer necks, explains Tom, thanks to the “crisp contrast” of the blunt, horizontal line.
To keep it sharp, Tom recommends investing in a good straightening iron. He loves the Cloud Nine Original Iron.
Geometric Shapes
Pashcan’el predicts big afros and geometric shapes will run the show this autumn. Look to this angular cut by Michelle Thompson, which is softened by a rounded edge. The magenta gradient is seriously Instagram-worthy, too.
The Midi-Flick
Chances are you’ve already heard about the midi-flick, but Tom predicts it’s going nowhere fast. Proof that mid-length cuts are anything but boring, this slightly layered style sits on the shoulders or the collarbone and flicks upwards. “This is a really timeless cut and anyone can embrace it,” says Tom. We love this look posted by Cort at The Hair Bros, as well as this flicky shape created by Sharley Viola, textured-hair educator and stylist at Blue Tit.
C-Cut Layers
We won’t be seeing the end of the ’90s revival anytime soon — and why would we want to when the hair looks this good? London-based hairstylists like The Hair Bros’ Frankie are making a case for floaty styles such as this one, which boasts layers in a C-shape. It’s gone global, too, with Ryenne also a huge fan. This copper cut is intricate and totally mesmerizing.
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