As fond as I am of bobs — and as used to writing about them as I have gotten — I can’t lie: I’ve been eagerly awaiting the end of their tyrannical reign. OK, so that’s a bit dramatic; I do genuinely love a chin-length cut. But the beauty space has been long overdue for a new top hair trend, and it looks like one has finally emerged for fall 2026: Layered and, with one big exception, longer.
According to pro hairstylists, this upcoming season will be all about movement, body, and, for the most part, a little length. Among the textured and tousled haircuts we can expect to see all over our feeds and fashionable spaces this fall are the Modern Shag, a very 2026 take on the devil-may-care haircut first popularized in the 1970s, and the Grown-Out Pixie, a short style that can flip between undone and effortless and sleek and modern with ease. The layered looks set to pop up everywhere include face-framing styles like the Mid-Length Model Cut and the Lob, as well as the classic ‘90s Supermodel Cut.
Ready to dive deeper into what are soon to be the hottest haircuts? Read on to learn all about fall 2026’s top haircut trends, straight from leading hairstylists.
The Modern Shag
Professional hairstylists Alex Pardoe (founder of The Anti) and Eric Vaughn (an amika stylist circle member) see this vintage-inspired cut trending this season — emphasis on the inspired. “The Modern Shag is a softer, more textured, and rock-n-roll take on the classic shag, with face-framing layers, movement, and texture throughout,” explains Pardoe. “It has that effortless, undone texture for those who love volume and don’t want their hair to look perfect and polished.”
If you’ve got medium-to-thick hair and a free spirit, this could be the look for you. “I love this cut for someone who wants movement and volume without sacrificing all of their length,” says Vaughn; it also “works beautifully on naturally wavy or textured hair because it encourages the hair to do what it already wants to do.” You might want to avoid it — or at least adapt it — if you have fine or thin hair, however. “I’d be more conservative with the layers so you don’t remove too much density,” Pardoe advises.
Styling-wise, “This is one of those cuts that should look a little undone,” says Vaughn; he suggests working in amika’s Plus Size Perfect Body Mousse after your leave-in “to build airy volume and give those layers a little more definition,” then finishing up with amika’s Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray to create “that perfectly imperfect, lived-in finish.”
The Mid-Length Model Cut
The first of two ‘90s-inspired looks on the list, the Mid-Length Model Cut “sits a few inches below the collarbone, with textured ends and longer layers throughout,” celebrity hairstylist and Paul Mitchell Professional ambassador Justine Marjan explains; layers around the face, starting below the chin, help create a framing effect that “feels wispy and effortless.” Ideal for all hair types, it’s a great choice for anyone who has grown tired of their great lengths, but isn’t quite ready to enter lob territory just yet: “I recently gave Stas Karanikolaou this cut, and it was such a fresh change from the super long length we’ve seen her with in the past,” she says.
To style, you’ll want to blow-dry with a styling brush; once you’re all dry, “create a slight bend in the hair with the Paul Mitchell Unclipped Iron, and spray generously with Texturizing Spray.”
The ‘90s Supermodel Cut
Another look lifted from the days of pagers and payphones, the ‘90s Supermodel Cut is all about length and layers. “We’re seeing a return to really beautiful, luxurious long hair, but it’s not just one-length hair,” says Vaughn. “The ’90s Supermodel Cut keeps that strong, thick-looking perimeter, while adding strategic long layers and face framing to create movement and that big, expensive blowout.”
Ideal for medium-to-thick manes, “if your hair is finer, I’d keep the layers more subtle, so you don’t lose too much fullness through the ends,” professional hairstylist and TRESemmé ambassador Hayley Heckmann advises. In general, your ends make or break the vibe with this one: “The key is that the hair still feels dense and healthy through the ends,” says Vaughn. “It’s less about having a million layers and more about putting movement exactly where you need it.”
To get that true, just-stepped-out-of-a-Steven-Meisel-editorial look, “I’d blow-dry with a large round brush, directing the face-framing pieces up and away from the face, and then set those sections in large rollers while they cool,” Vaughn instructs. “That cooling time is what really gives you that ’90s supermodel bounce.” Heckmann recommends finishing up with TRESemmé’s A-List Collection Dry Texture Spray “to give it that airy, lived-in volume.”
While the styling might be a bit involved, keeping up with the cut itself is actually pretty easy breezy; consider it a trade-off. “The best part is the layers grow out really beautifully, so it’s an easy cut to maintain,” says Heckmann; Vaughn recommends “a trim and reshaping every 10–12 weeks to keep the ends looking dense, healthy and expensive.”
The Lob
If long hair isn’t really your thing — or you’ve decided to hop off the bob bandwagon and are looking for another stylish in-between — a collarbone-ish length lob could be the move. “I’m loving collarbone-length hair for fall because it feels fresh without being a huge change,” says Heckmann. Plus, “it works on almost every hair type; keeping the ends blunter can give finer hair fullness, while subtle layers can help remove weight from thicker hair.”
Marjan suggests one style of lob in particular: The Flippy Lob. “This cut sits right below the collarbone and is softly point-cut throughout for movement without losing density,” she explains. “The back is cut with minimal layering, and the front has face framing that starts about an inch below the chin, point-cut, with lots of texture around the face.” This one comes with the stamp of approval from one of Marjan’s most famous clients: “This is the cut I most recently gave Hailey Bieber,” she shares.
The Grown-Out Pixie
On the flip side, if you’re looking to go shorter than a bob, there’s the Grown-Out Pixie. This cut is “a longer, softer take on a traditional pixie, with extra length through the top and around the face so it feels feminine, cool, and a little less severe,” Pardoe explains. “I love that it gives you the impact of a short haircut while still leaving enough hair to play with different styling options.” For example: “A small amount of styling cream or pomade is usually all you need to add definition and piece out the ends, and you can switch between sleek and textured depending on the look you want,” he says; for that more undone look, he suggests using the diffuser attachment on your blow-dryer.
It’s a natural fit for fine-to-medium hair, as “the shorter length can create the appearance of more fullness,” but if you’re working with thicker or coarser strands, this one is still on the table; just make sure your stylist cuts strategically and debulks. And note that this look will require more frequent salon visits: “Shorter cuts tend to lose their shape faster, so I recommend a cleanup every four to six weeks,” he says.
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