Forget “new year, new me”—I’ve always sworn by a fall reinvention. With its back-to-school energy and gradual shift in temperature, autumn has always felt like the ideal time for a stylistic switch-up. And the simplest way to feel brand new come September? A haircut, of course.
Enter the “Winona.” And no, it’s not a reference to Winona Ryder’s short, choppy pixie cut from the early ’90s, but in fact her more grown-out “bixie” (that’s bob-meets-pixie) from her 1994 Reality Bites era. You know the one:
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Swept to the side and androgynous, the Winona feels both versatile and low-effort—you can just as easily wear it mussed-up or slicked with gel as you can soft and simple. It’s this exact versatility that led 13 Reasons Why actor Katherine Langford to opt for her own recent hair transformation, which in many ways resembles a wavy, ultra-styled version of the Winona.
“There’s a certain length that hits a sweet spot,” her hairstylist Halley Brisker says about the cut. “It gives you multiple haircuts; you can wear it as a pixie, crop, or even a super short, jaw-grazing bob. It’s basically three styles in one.”
Joe McNally/Getty Images
Universal Pictures/Getty Images
Hairstylist and groomer Charley McEwen, who has styled everyone from Alexander Skarsgård to Lily Allen, has noticed a lot of people asking for this type of bixie—makes sense with all of the nostalgia going on in fashion and beauty right now. “It carries a bit of that late ’90s elegance, which always circles back in fashion but never feels overly trend-led,” he explains.
Sam McKnight, hairstylist who has tended the locks of everyone from Princess Diana to Kate Moss, recently posted a video showcasing his own take on the Winona. McKnight describes the haircut as “fresh and effortless,” adding that: “For the right hair type and texture it’s easy to manage, and still looks great while growing out.”
As for how to style the Winona, “it’s all about lived-in texture,” adds McKnight. In Reality Bites, Winona’s hair looks borderline grungy, as if she hasn’t washed it in two days. Fortunately, it’s a look that can be easily recreated with the right product, depending on your hair type. “It gives the hair texture, yet [also] definition,” says McKnight. “For finer hair types, a texture mist such as my Cool Girl [Superlift Volumising Spray] is ideal to give the hair volume without weighing it down.”
