Beauty

The grunge bob is an edgy update on the classic cut

December 6, 2023

The bob haircut is a classic. It’s chic, it’s timeless, it’s stylish, it’s a failsafe. But…what if you don’t want to play it safe? The grunge bob is emerging as an anti-prim rendition of the trad cut that – alongside the signature shoulder-baring action of a bob – also brings in some scattered layers to muss things up.

It taps perfectly into the grunge glam movement that’s been infiltrating makeup trends for the past couple of years. If you’re in the mood for a smudged-out carbon liner over anything too crisp and precise, the grunge bob might be more your vibe. And, like indie sleaze, flannel shirts and the ripped tights that are also making a comeback, we love the ’90s energy it offers up.

What is the grunge bob?

A slightly shaggier, mussier, layered version of the classic bob, “the grunge bob is the edgier art-school sister to the Parisian bob,” says top London hair stylist, Hollie Rose Clarke. The squared, blunt shape is replaced with something a little looser and more shattered. “The grunge bob is more carefree and the blunt finish of a classic bob is lost in favour of soft texture and shorter layers,” Hollie explains. “A whole lot of face framing helps knock that signature corner off the bob, adding shorter Bardot-inspired bangs,” she adds, concluding “some of my favourite references for this trend are ’90s Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore”.

What to ask your hairstylist for?

“The grunge bob is coming for your corners,” Hollie reveals, so ask your hairstylist for a slightly choppier, layered bob with some face-framing. The key is to be gentle and tactical with the layers – too many and it can take away from the straight baseline that makes a bob, a bob. You don’t want to edge into a short shag.

How to style the grunge bob

The good news is, the cut should do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. “The grunge bob is an effortless cool-girl, ‘she woke up like this’, minimal-effort hairstyle,” explains Hollie. “It’s all about embracing your natural texture, or if you have straight hair, you’ll need a few styling hacks to create that texture,” she says.

“Air-drying – or in the winter months, gentle diffuser-drying – is key. For those with little to no texture, a braid while drying will create that effortless style for you,” Hollie advises. And, texturising products can add extra oomph as well. “My go-to recommendations would be the Cool-Girl range and the Modern Hairspray from Hair by Sam McKnight – after all, he is the king of the ‘90s and stills creates that grungy texture on ’90s hair crush, Kate Moss,” says Hollie.